Derek Anderson 2009

Derek J. Anderson

BFA Art and Design ’91   
Minneapolis, Minn.

In a society increasingly rife with competition for children’s attention, Derek Anderson has grabbed it, captivated it, and nourished it.

His New York Times best-selling children’s book Little Quack and the 11 others he has created or helped to create, have truly inspired children. Little Quack and Little Quack’s Bedtime both received the National Parenting Publication Gold Award, and Little Quack and Little Quack’s New Friend received the International Reading Association/Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice Award. Many of Anderson’s publications have appeared on national “best book” lists, and Little Quack has been translated into nine languages.

Anderson regularly speaks to and works with children, as well as other writers and artists, to offer his expertise and share his contagious, youthful joy. He was chosen by the Minnesota State Supreme Court to speak to disadvantaged youth, and his tale of a colorful purple gorilla with a nose for bananas, Gladys Goes Out to Lunch, was the featured book for Minnesota libraries in 2007.

Two illustrations from Anderson’s latest book, Ballyhoo Bay (written by Judy Sierra), were recently featured in the ISU College of Design alumni exhibition “30 and Beyond.” He was selected as “Favorite Author of the Month” in February 2005 by the Red House Book Club, and his books have also been distributed in boxes of Cheerios as part of the “Spoonfuls of Stories” program.

Anderson is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Children’s Literature Network.