bill martin jr
Creating dozens of award-winning and bestselling classics over a career that spanned nearly six decades, Bill Martin Jr. truly was "America's favorite children's author.” He wrote the iconic text for Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, which was illustrated by his dear friend, Eric Carle, and together with John Archambault, he authored IRA Children’s Choice winner, The Ghost-Eye Tree, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Kentucky Bluegrass Award, Parent’s Choice Award, and more. Penning more than 300 books for children during his lifetime, he garnered recognition and accolades across the globe, and earned the prestigious honor of being inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame by the International Literacy Association.
A Kansas native, Martin graduated with a teaching certificate from Emporia State University; he taught journalism, drama, and English at high schools in his home state, and was later appointed as an elementary school principal in Chicago. During World War II, Martin served in the Army Air Force as a newspaper editor, and then wrote his first book, The Little Squeegy Bug: The Story of the Firefly. Published in 1945, his inaugural title received praise from Eleanor Roosevelt in her syndicated newspaper column; illustrated by his brother, Bernard Martin, the book eventually sold more than 1 million copies.
Martin’s dedication to helping children develop a love for “the language inside themselves” led him to earn his doctorate in early childhood education from Northwestern University in 1961. Shortly thereafter, he moved to New York City to work for Holt, Rinehart and Winston, where he developed the literature-based reading programs Sounds of Language and The Instant Readers. In 1968, Martin left the publishing house to devote himself to his work as an author and consultant for educators.
He remained in New York until 1993, when he joined Michael Sampson in Commerce, Texas. Building a home next to Sampson’s on the South Sulphur River, the co-authors worked together daily for the last decade-plus of Martin’s life, and their east Texas refuge became the landmark property known as Woodfrost.
Through their enduring collaboration, the co-authors introduced cherished books like Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?, illustrated by Eric Carle, and to date, the Martin + Sampson collection encompasses over 30 memorable children’s titles including: Swish!, which quickly became a must-read for young girls; a numbers book, Rock It, Sock It, Number Line!; Little Granny Quarterback, a football comedy; Trick or Treat?; I Pledge Allegiance; and the classic that was named Parenting Magazine’s 2004 Book of the Year, Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3. Martin and Sampson’s partnership extended beyond their published work as well, with the duo conducting annual workshops for educators and training over 100,000 teachers through their ongoing Pathways to Literacy program.
Martin passed away in 2004 at the age of eighty-eight, leaving behind a formidable literary legacy. Through Sampson, who has carried on their tradition by introducing previously unpublished titles, Martin’s work continues to inspire children around the world. Their book I Love This Earth was released in 2006, and Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? debuted as an instant New York Times bestseller the next year. Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up? followed in 2008, along with The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry. The Kitty Cat series then continued with Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Sleeping? in 2011 and Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Going to School? in 2013. A few years later, two more best-sellers launched with Listen to Our World in 2016 and Spunky Little Monkey in 2017. Three new titles from the Martin + Sampson collection are forthcoming, with Armadillo Antics set to debut in April 2022, followed by Ten Little Squirrels in fall 2022 and Bing! Bang! Chugga! Beep! in spring 2023.
Martin is remembered today as a pillar of children’s literature. With standards like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? remaining on bestseller lists throughout the decades, he made an indelible imprint on millions of young readers, and the ongoing publication of the Martin + Sampson collection ensures his work and mission will resonate across generations to come.
landmarks
Named to reflect his love for Robert Frost’s poetry, Martin built his final home alongside Sampson on 26 beautiful Texas acres, establishing Woodfrost as their own Walden Pond; now, the site is set to become a commemorative park.
Established in 2000, the Bill Martin Jr Library @ Texas A&M University-Commerce includes many of his published works, manuscripts, and letters from the greats in children's literature, as well as his honorary degrees and many countless awards.
The Morrill Public Library in Kansas established the Bill & Bernard Martin Children's Library to honor the creative legacy of the author and his brother, Bernard, the wildlife painter, printmaker, and illustrator of Bill’s first book.
legacy programs
An educator long before rising to fame as an author, Martin’s model for learning to read naturally is a dynamic teaching methodology.
The award promotes an appreciation of quality literature for young readers and is awarded to eligible Kansas-based children’s authors.
Supporting the Teacher Education Program from which he graduated, the scholarship is awarded annually to a junior or senior student.
awards + honors
bill’s backstory
Think you know Bill? These little-known facts about the author may surprise you!
Bill Martin Jr started life as William Ivan Martin. His first name, William, was also his father’s, and his middle name, Ivan, was derived from his mother’s name, Iva. Growing up, his friends and teachers called him Billy—but they frequently kidded him about “Ivan.” So, when he enrolled at Emporia State University, he intentionally excluded it from his admissions paperwork, and when the registrar called to ask for his middle name, he answered simply, “I haven’t one.” Making a quick assumption, she replied, "Oh, then you must be a junior; I see your dad's name is William Martin, too." Not knowing precisely what she meant, Martin agreed, and thus, Bill Martin Jr was born. His new nom de plume would go on to captivate millions of children, and his young readers, many of whom pronounced his name as one word, seemed to love sounding out the syllables, lending it a special ring.
Martin long believed that poetry saved his life. Surprisingly, he was a non-reader in elementary and high school, and he survived the academic world only because of his excellent ear. What Martin could hear, he could remember. While many of his high school teachers allowed him to take tests orally, college was a different story. However, he found his saving grace through a poetry class at Emporia State University. Martin loved the professor’s dramatic readings of the poetry of Walt Whitman, Marion Monroe, and Robert Frost. When he looked at the poems in print, he discovered he could read them! So, he became a reader at last. He called on this experience many times as an educator, often writing and reading poetry to his students, inspiring many of them to become readers the same way he had. A love of poetry was yet another thing he and Sampson shared, and this collective appreciation would eventually lead to the creation of an incredibly unique title, The Bill Martin Jr Big Book of Poetry.