Bill Martin Research Paper
Bill Martin Jr. was born on March 20, 1916 in Kansas. Bill’s full name was William Ivan Martin Jr. after his father William and his mother Iva. He grew up in the small town of Hiawatha. When it came time to learn to read Bill really struggled. Mr. Martin once said he did’nt read his first full book until he entered college. After graduating high school Bill went on to Emporia State University and was accepted into their Teaching College. Although Mr. Martin really struggled to read he truly loved books. He graduated from Emporia and went on to teach high school journalism as well as english. The beginning of Mr. Martin’s career was put on a hault when he went and fought in World War II. He was a member of the United States Air Force and
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during his tour with them he worked as a newspaper editor. Bill Martin wrote his first book while he was serving in the U.S.
Air Force. “The Little Squeegy Bug” was written by Bill because his brother had wanted a book to illustrate. The Little Squeegy Bug was the Martin brothers first book together but it was not their only one. They went on to write and illustrate several more books together. In 1942 Bill married Betty Buchmann. They had two children Gary and Danielle together before they divorced in 1979. Mr. Martin never married again. Instead he focused on his career. During his lifetime he wrote over three hundred books. He worked with many illustrators but a lot of his books were illustrated by Eric Cale . Cale and Martin became good friends over the years. Bill worked close with many illustrators but none as close as Michael Sampson. Sampson and Martin collaborated on many books. They lived only one hundred yards from each other in the community that Martin named “Woodfrost.” Bill Martin Jr. died in 2004 at his home in Commerce, Texas. Although he is no longer living his legacy will live on forever. Before he died in 1996 the Kansas Reading Association established the Bill Martin Jr. Book award. It is awarded to writers and illustrators. The Texas A&M University in Commerce named their library after Bill Martin Jr. They have dedicated a room in the library just for Mr. Martin’s works that he donated to library after his
death. Bill Martin Jr. is a legend in Children’s literature and always will be. He brought books to life with his love for poetry and rhyme. He started writing long before most of use were thought of yet he will continue to live in his books for hundreds of years to come.
List of Works
A Beasty Story
Trick or Treats
A Beautiful Feast for a Big King Cat
A Spooky Story
Adam, Adam What do you see?
Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What do you see?
Barn Dance
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?
Caddie the Golf Dog
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Chicken Chuck
The Eagle has Landed
A Ghost Story
Fire! Fire! Said Mrs. McGuire
The Happy Hippopotami
The Haunted House
Here Are My Hands
I paint the joy of a flower
I Pledge Allegiance
King of the Mountain
Knots on a Counting Rope
Listen to the Rain
Little Granny Quarterback
Lost Legends
Listening to the Future
The Maestro Plays
The Magic Pumpkin
Monday, Monday, I like Monday
Old Devil Wind
Old Mother Middle Muddle
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do you see?
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear?
Rock it, Sock it, Number Line
Sounds around the clock
Sounds I remember
Sounds of Home
Sounds of a hound dog
Sounds of a young hunter
Sounds of numbers
Swish!
Tatty Mae & Catty Mae
The Braggin Dragon
The Little Squeegy Bug
Up and Down on the Merry-Go-Round
AND MANY MANY MORE!
SOURCES
Corley, D. “Bill Martin Jr” Retrieved February 17, 2008 http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/dcorley/authors/Martin.htm
Kansas Reading Association. “Biographical Sketch of Bill Martin Jr.” Downloaded February 17, 2008 http://www.kansasread.org/bmj_bio.htm
Reading Rockets. “Life and Times of Bill Martin Jr.” Downloaded February 17, 2008 http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/martin/bio
Sampson, M. “Bill Martin Jr” Downloaded February 17, 2008 www.billmartinjr.com
Texas A&M Univeristy. “Bill Martin Jr Library.” Downloaded Febrary 24, 2008
http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/EDCI/BMJ_Library.asp?pageName=bmjLibrary
during his tour with them he worked as a newspaper editor. Bill Martin wrote his first book while he was serving in the U.S.
Air Force. “The Little Squeegy Bug” was written by Bill because his brother had wanted a book to illustrate. The Little Squeegy Bug was the Martin brothers first book together but it was not their only one. They went on to write and illustrate several more books together. In 1942 Bill married Betty Buchmann. They had two children Gary and Danielle together before they divorced in 1979. Mr. Martin never married again. Instead he focused on his career. During his lifetime he wrote over three hundred books. He worked with many illustrators but a lot of his books were illustrated by Eric Cale . Cale and Martin became good friends over the years. Bill worked close with many illustrators but none as close as Michael Sampson. Sampson and Martin collaborated on many books. They lived only one hundred yards from each other in the community that Martin named “Woodfrost.” Bill Martin Jr. died in 2004 at his home in Commerce, Texas. Although he is no longer living his legacy will live on forever. Before he died in 1996 the Kansas Reading Association established the Bill Martin Jr. Book award. It is awarded to writers and illustrators. The Texas A&M University in Commerce named their library after Bill Martin Jr. They have dedicated a room in the library just for Mr. Martin’s works that he donated to library after his
death. Bill Martin Jr. is a legend in Children’s literature and always will be. He brought books to life with his love for poetry and rhyme. He started writing long before most of use were thought of yet he will continue to live in his books for hundreds of years to come.
List of Works
A Beasty Story
Trick or Treats
A Beautiful Feast for a Big King Cat
A Spooky Story
Adam, Adam What do you see?
Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What do you see?
Barn Dance
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?
Caddie the Golf Dog
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Chicken Chuck
The Eagle has Landed
A Ghost Story
Fire! Fire! Said Mrs. McGuire
The Happy Hippopotami
The Haunted House
Here Are My Hands
I paint the joy of a flower
I Pledge Allegiance
King of the Mountain
Knots on a Counting Rope
Listen to the Rain
Little Granny Quarterback
Lost Legends
Listening to the Future
The Maestro Plays
The Magic Pumpkin
Monday, Monday, I like Monday
Old Devil Wind
Old Mother Middle Muddle
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do you see?
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear?
Rock it, Sock it, Number Line
Sounds around the clock
Sounds I remember
Sounds of Home
Sounds of a hound dog
Sounds of a young hunter
Sounds of numbers
Swish!
Tatty Mae & Catty Mae
The Braggin Dragon
The Little Squeegy Bug
Up and Down on the Merry-Go-Round
AND MANY MANY MORE!
SOURCES
Corley, D. “Bill Martin Jr” Retrieved February 17, 2008 http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/dcorley/authors/Martin.htm
Kansas Reading Association. “Biographical Sketch of Bill Martin Jr.” Downloaded February 17, 2008 http://www.kansasread.org/bmj_bio.htm
Reading Rockets. “Life and Times of Bill Martin Jr.” Downloaded February 17, 2008 http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/martin/bio
Sampson, M. “Bill Martin Jr” Downloaded February 17, 2008 www.billmartinjr.com
Texas A&M Univeristy. “Bill Martin Jr Library.” Downloaded Febrary 24, 2008
http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/EDCI/BMJ_Library.asp?pageName=bmjLibrary