Roxie is the acclaimed author/illustrator of over 30 books for children (including Mazescapes; Amazement Park; The Inside-Outside Books of New York City [New York Times Best Illustrated Award], Washington DC, Texas, London, Paris, Libraries; Feathers, Flaps & Flops; Doors; Gargoyles, Girders & Glass Houses; The Great Bridge-Building Contest; Ranch; Wild West Trail Ride Maze; Circus; Mazeways; Rodeo; Texas Rangers; Go!Go!Go! (2008), and Inside-Outside Dinosaurs (2009).
An artist from the age of six, when she won first prize in a county-wide contest for a painting of a bowl of fruit, she has supported herself all her life on her art, at one point freelancing in Washington DC as a television courtroom artist. Clients included CBS, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press.
She also creates oils, watercolors, prints, and drawings, primarily cityscapes, which are exhibited widely in the US in galleries and museums. Roxie's work is in numerous private, public, and corporate collections. Fourteen of her paintings have appeared as covers of The New Yorker magazine.
Roxie Munro studied at the University of Maryland, the Maryland Institute College of Art (Baltimore), received a BFA in Painting from the University of Hawaii, attended graduate school at Ohio University (Athens), and received a Yaddo Fellowship. She lectures in museums, schools, conventions, and teaches in the Paint in Italy program.
Many oils and watercolors are views from the roof of her sky-lighted loft studio in Long Island City, just across the East River from her home in mid-Manhattan. Roxie is married to the Swedish writer/photographer, Bo Zaunders.
Selected Reviews of Roxie's Books
Amazement Park
Roxie Munro
Twelve mazes invite the viewer to trace a finger along the route to explore the double-page illustrations of a gigantic amusement park. That finger can hardly get lost in the earlier parts, given that most mazes do not feature choices leading to dead ends. Thus, very young children can spend hours "seeing" the features of the castle shown in birds-eye view or making sure to have sampled every amusement ride. However, some of the maze paths lead nowhere so older readers can be challenged as well. The end pages give the correct routes and the locations of the man with three balloons and a class of kids who may be found on each spread. There are two ways to visit the pages--by train that merely passes around each page and exits to the next in one continuous journey, doubling back after reaching the end maze. The other is to get off the train at the designated stop and let that finger join other walkers moving along the paths to explore. Either way, this book is sure to absorb young lookers during that long wait for the restaurant dinner or the hot and boring car ride. 2005, Chronicle Books, $16.95. Ages 4 to 9. Reviewer: Susan Hepler, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
Gargoyles, Girders, & Glass Houses: Magnificent Master Builders
Bo Zaunders
Illustrated by Roxie Munro
There are many different people who have contributed to the design and the make of the buildings. In this book, you learn all about the different architects that have the creative minds to make buildings that have been noted as some of the most amazing works of art. This book was amazing, I learned so much about the different architects that have created such wonders in our world. It went into such detail, that any student who is interested in learning about different architecture would be fascinated. Category: . 2004, Dutton Children's Books, $17.99. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Lisa Marie Allen (The Kutztown University Book Review, Fall 2005).
Inside-Outside Dinosaurs
Roxie Munro
"Eye-catching illustrations and minimal text make this a good choice for young dino fans..."
Booklist
"Munro moves from architecture to paleontology for her latest Inside-Outside album ...young dinophiles will relish the cleanly drawn details. ... Pre-readers in particular will be drawn to this prehistoric primer." Kirkus
School Visits: Roxie will visit 3 classes (35-45 minutes each with 10-15 minute Q&A) per day, with a book signing session. Fee: $1200/day plus travel expenses. Programs are tailored for grade level, venue, and class size, but the following gives an idea of the content and possibilities.
K-Grade2:
- Show art and talk about Inside-Outside Dinosaurs. Read and discuss recent lift-the-flap fold-out books (Go!Go!Go! and Rodeo). Show Mazeways: A to Z alphabet art (A is for Airport, B is for Boatyard, C is for Circus, etc) - good for letter recognition. Presentation also can include distribution of some dinosaur or letter coloring pages.
Grades 3-5: Several programs are available (can be combined).
- Read and talk about Inside-Outside Dinosaurs.
- How a lift-the-flap book is made (Go!Go!Go! and Rodeo)
- Maze program: Show art and discuss and the 5 maze books (Mazescapes; Amazement Park; Wild West Trail Ride Maze; Mazeways: A to Z, and a preview of upcoming EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures). Can also teach students how to make a Geometric and/or a Random Roxie Reversing Maze. Possible giveaways: Three-part maze, or several of the letter mazes, including finding elements. All can be colored in also.
- Biography program: Read and talk about characters in Crocodiles Camels & Dugout Canoes; Feathers Flaps & Flops; Gargoyles Girders & Glass Houses; and The Great Bridge-Building Contest.
Grades 6 and up: Several programs are available.
- My art career, from childhood to present. Show how to make a book including research, storyboards, dummies, rough sketches, text, and finished art from actual books. How publishing works.
- Biography program: Show art and talk about characters in Crocodiles Camels & Dugout Canoes; Feathers Flaps & Flops; Gargoyles Girders & Glass Houses; and The Great Bridge-Building Contest.
- Mastering the Maze (PowerPoint): How my maze idea developed, a brief overview of mazes and labyrinths (history and geography of mazes), how to make a Geometric Maze and a Random Roxie Reversing Maze, examples of Real Life Mazes, a sampling of Mazeways: A to Z, and a preview of upcoming EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures.
- For special or regional audiences, I do a Western- or Texas-themed talk with Ranch, Rodeo, Wild West Trail Ride Maze, Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen, The Inside-Outside Book of Texas, and the upcoming Desert Days, Desert Nights.
- Have an architecture-themed talk: highlights from the Inside-Outside series, Architects Make Zigzags (Looking at Architecture from A to Z), and Gargoyles, Girders & Glass Houses. In 2010 I will have another exciting Inside-Outside book about a famous American architect!.
- In spring 2010, EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures and Desert Days, Desert Nights will be published. I will have a program based upon these two books, with the focus on the ecology and science involved.
Fees are generally $1200 a day, with travel expenses (airfare, train, inexpensive hotel, if necessary). Two schools can share me for day, if they are close together and transportation between them provided (2 programs per school/$650 per school). Two or more schools in the same town or county sometimes arrange visits on consecutive days, thus sharing transportation costs.
Adult Programs (conferences, workshops, teachers, librarians, etc): Typically, a 45-minute PowerPoint, with Q&A and a signing session. Presentations and teaching varies depending upon venue and time.
- "Where do you get your ideas?" This presentation highlights my career and the progression from the Inside-Outside Books through lift-the-flap and maze books, discussing how each concept builds upon the others. It also covers how I make a book, from research through storyboards, dummies, rough sketches to finished art and text, as well as how publishing works: the current children's book world including creative and editorial process through marketing and book publication, trends and publishing tips in today's market.
- For western audiences, a program on the research and writing/illustration of my six western-themed books (The Inside-Outside Book of Texas, Ranch, Wild West Trail Ride Maze, Rodeo, Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen, and a preview of the upcoming Desert Days, Desert Nights).
- Mastering the Maze: How the maze idea developed, a brief overview of mazes and labyrinths (history and geography of mazes), how to make a Geometric Maze and a Random Roxie Reversing Maze, examples of Real Life Mazes, a sampling of the editorial decisions and research, storyboards, dummies, sketches, and art of Mazescapes, Amazement Park, Wild West Trail Ride, Mazeways: A to Z, and a preview of EcoMazes: 12 Earth Adventures.
- The research and development of the Inside-Outside series (New York City, Washington DC, London, Paris, Texas, Libraries, and a new Inside-Outside book on a famous American architect, pub 2010).
- Teaching/workshops: Above subjects, plus Watercolor and/or drawing classes. Or How to publish a children's book.
Fee : contact us for a specific price quote. All travel and lodging expenses are to be covered by the booking organization.
To learn more about Roxie and her publications please visit www.roxiemunro.com.
If you would like to read more reviews, see the awards, honors, prizes and reading list entries for these and other titles, as well as reading measurement program data, lesson plans or teaching guides, please sign up for a free trial of the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. CLCD trial