CEE 365

Finding biographical information about authors and illustrators can sometimes be challenging.  Information about well-established authors and illustrators is typically easier to find than that of newly published authors and illustrators.  The first place to start to look for scholarly information about your author/illustrator is the Gale: Something About the Author Database.  This database will not have every published author/illustrator, but it is a good place to begin your research.

The next step in finding biographical information is to look for the author/illustrator's official website.  These can be published by the author/illustrator themselves or by their publishing house.  

Finally, look for their official social media pages for interviews and book promotions.

Gale's Something About the Author Database provides access to volumes printed in Gale's series, which examines the lives and works of authors and illustrators for children and young adults and is a source on authors and literature for young people.It includes both the main series and Something About the Author Autobiography Series.

Access this database through the UA Library Homepage or by clicking HERE.

The database homepage provides a very simple search interface in which to enter your author's name.  

When looking at the Search Results, pay close attention to the date of each entry.  An author/illustrator like David Wiesner has had a long career.  Thus, he has multiple biographical entries.  Choose the biographical entry with the most recent year, as that entry will have the most up-to-date information about the author's life and work.

When looking at the entry, find the starting point by locating the author/illustrator's name in bold print.  Keep in mind that it might not be at the top of the page.  Use the up and down arrows at the top of the screen to resize the article so that you can see the full page.  Use the arrows to the left and right of the article to move between pages.