Meet Ame Dyckman
Ame Dyckman is short, loud, mischievous, and
often dresses like her book characters. (SEE?!) She’s also the award-winning,
internationally-translated author of the fantastically illustrated (THANKS,
illustrators!) picture books BOY + BOT, TEA PARTY RULES, the New York
Times bestselling WOLFIE THE BUNNY, HORRIBLE BEAR!, YOU DON’T WANT A
UNICORN! (on sale February 14, 2017!), and more picture books and board
books in the works!
According to Dyckman, she was the type of
child who always had her nose in a book. “And Band-Aids on my knees, ’cause
when your nose is always in a book, you run into a lot of stuff,” she adds. Her
favorite books from her childhood include Where the Wild Things Are by
Maurice Sendak, the Frog & Toad stories
by Arnold Lobel, and the George and Martha stories by James Marshall.
“Something about highly-emotional characters
and friendships despite differences appealed
to me even when I was little,” she says. Although Dyckman was always
interested in becoming a children’s author, it wasn’t the first profession she
tried. “I had a bunch of pre-author jobs ranging from serious assistant at a
world-famous institute of higher education to not-so-serious costumed
character,” she says. “I rocked Daffy Duck!"
Ame lives in central New Jersey with her
family, ridiculously big-eared cat, book collection, closet full of hair dye
colors, and of course, the characters from her stories. (For reals! She’s
currently building a homemade swimming pool for the protagonist of her upcoming
series, MISUNDERSTOOD SHARK—mostly so she can have her bathtub back.)
Meet Ame's Books
You Don't Want a Unicorn
"Climo's rainbow-bright
illustrations take Dyckman's silly premise to a whole new level of
absurdity.... This is a crowd-pleaser, complete with cupcake poops and rainbow
burps, and...a welcoming and unobtrusive gender-nonconforming vibe."
―Horn Book
When a little
boy throws a coin in a well asking for a pet unicorn, he has no idea what kind
of trouble he's in for. Unbeknownst to him, unicorns make the absolutely worst
pets: they shed, they poke holes in your ceiling, and they make a big mess.
With a knowing wink from Ame Dyckman, creator of Wolfie the Bunny and cheerful
illustrations from Rory the Dinosaur creator and Tumblr star Liz Climo, this
rollicking story shares all of the ways a pet unicorn can ruin your life, and
is sure to have readers in stitches.
Wolfie the Bunny
You Don't Want a Unicorn
When the Bunny family finds a little bundle of joy—that
happens to be a wolf—on their doorstep, they are smitten. Well, except for
little Dot, who exclaims repeatedly, "He's going to eat us all up!!"
Even her friends agree, but Dot's parents are captivated by the adorable
baby—he's a good eater, sleeper, and drooler, they note. As Wolfie grows, Dot's
worry is compounded with annoyance as he follows her everywhere in typical
little brother-style. Having to go to the store for more carrots with Wolfie
(who ate them all up!) makes Dot less than pleased, and she is on guard lest he
tries to eat her. The fact that Wolfie is wearing an endearing bunny outfit
does not make her feel better, but it does make the bear at the market think
that Wolfie would make a yummy meal. Rather than run for safety, Dot terrifies
the bear with tough talk of eating him up and saves Wolfie, who thanks her by
pouncing on her with a big hug. The now-bonded siblings walk home hand in hand.
The text is seamlessly integrated with the illustrations and uses various fonts
to good effect. OHora's acrylic paintings are the heart of this tale. They
clearly show everyone's feelings from fear to sadness to joy to anger to love
and everything in between, and there are brilliant bits of humor and whimsy
added to the mix. VERDICT A great book for one-on-one sharing that's also sure
to be a storytime hit.— School Library Journal, Catherine Callegari,
Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH
A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of
2016
Parents Magazine Best Fictional Picture Book 2015
ASLC Notable Book for Children
SLJ Best of the Year
NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
The Huffington Post Best Picture Books 2015
Wilde Award Best Picture Books Ages 4-8
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