DyAnne DiSalvo


DyAnne DiSalvo is an American artist and author of children's literature, best known for her string of books which focus on building better communities, including City Green and Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen.

Early life

DiSalvo was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York where she felt at the age of eight that "I already am an artist". A "reluctant reader", she attended Fontbonne Hall Academy for Girls in Brooklyn, and studied art at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Before illustrating children's books, DiSalvo worked as an artist for Hallmark Cards.
In 1982, she met then-Senior Editor Jane Feder at Harper and Row, now HarperCollins. After 22 years at Harper and Row, Feder opened her own eponymous agency representing children's book illustrators, and DiSalvo was her first client.

Work

DiSalvo is the illustrator of more than 50 books for children. Her career began in 1980, with the publication of That New Baby. She went on to illustrate The Bear Under the Bed, The First Day of School, Best Friends, The Half Birthday Party, Those Terrible Terwilliger Twins, and Sam Ellis's Island.
DiSalvo has illustrated for some of the most noteworthy authors in children's literature, including Beverly Cleary: Two Dog Biscuits, The Real Hole, The Growing-Up Feet, and Janet's Thingamajigs, Mary Pope Osborne: Mo to the Rescue and Mo and his Friends Amy Hest: The Mommy Exchange, The Best-Ever Good-Bye Party, The Go-Between, Jean Fritz: George Washington’s Mother and You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?, Patricia Reilly Giff: Friends and Amigos Series, Jane O’Connor: Kate's Skates, Nina, Nina Ballerina, Nina, Nina Star Ballerina, and Nina, Nina Copycat Ballerina.
Other illustration works include: Saturday Belongs to Sara, What did Mommy do Before You?, Why is Baby Crying?, The Christmas Knight, Olivia and The Real Live Pet, True Blue, The Bravest Cat, a True Story About Scarlet, Now We Can Have a Wedding, The American Wei, If I were President, Is It Hannukah Yet?, Our Eight Nights of Hannukah, and A Doll Named Dora Anne..
In the summer of 2010, Grandma’s Smile was released. DiSalvo and author Randy Siegel, then-Editor of Parade, garnered the 2010 Gold and Platinum Oppenheimer Award along with critical success including Booklist's review, "DiSalvo's mixed media illustrations capture the child's experience with emotional warmth and rewarding attention to detail".
Inspired by her experience as a volunteer at Chips Soup Kitchen in Brooklyn, she wrote and illustrated Uncle Willie and The Soup Kitchen. Uncle Willie and The Soup Kitchen was awarded the 1991 Children's Book of the Year/The Child Study Association of America Book Committee, and Notable 1991 Children's Book National Council for the Social Studies / Children's Book Council United. The book was featured on the highly regarded children's television show Reading Rainbow in 1996, and in 2000, it was adapted into a children's play at Puttin' on The Ritz Theatre in Oaklyn, New Jersey.
The success of Uncle Willie and The Soup Kitchen was the first with the theme of "Helping Neighborhoods, One Book at a Time". This series aims to empower young readers to make a difference in their communities through volunteer work, building community gardens, cleaning local parks, shopping locally, and even how to become involved with Habitat for Humanity International.
DiSalvo followed up with City Green, a story about a little girl who helps turn a city lot into a city garden. In 2009, the illustrations in City Green were reconstructed in the form of a children's playground and featured at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden's Storybook Playhouse competition. The book was also turned into a musical and produced in Berkeley, California by Stagebridge Theater Company. In addition to its several awards, the title was also featured on Reading Rainbow, and has been printed in the following editions: Scholastic Spanish, Scott Forsman School, HBJ School, Macmillan McGraw-Hill, and Silver Burdett Ginn School. In HarperCollins issued a 25th anniversary edition of City Green honoring the book as a modern day classic in children’s literature.
DiSalvo wrote and illustrated Going to Grandma’s House and A Dog Like Jack, a story about a boy who celebrates the life of his dog and grieves his loss when he passes away. DiSalvo's third book in the helping neighborhood series is inspired by the beloved, Mr. John Johnson, of Haddon Heights, NJ. owner of John’s Friendly Market. Grandpa's Corner Store, a story about a little girl who pulls a community together to save their local grocery store. A Castle on Viola Street taught young readers how to get involved and change neighborhoods through Habitat for Humanity International, and Spaghetti Park encourages them to make a difference in their community by cleaning up local parks.
DiSalvo's first novel for young readers, The Sloppy Copy Slipup teaches third through fifth graders how to write creatively through the eyes of an elementary school boy who just got another zero on his rough draft assignment. This critically acclaimed and award-winning book is expected to have a sequel, also by Holiday House.
DiSalvo has traveled to schools around the world with her artist/author presentation, which is targeted for students K through 8, and focuses on the art of writing rough drafts and what it really takes to be a working artist. In the fall of 2010, DiSalvo presented at the United Nations International School of Hanoi in Vietnam.

Awards and honors

The Sloppy Copy Slipup,, 2006:
A Castle on Viola Street, :
Grandpa’s Corner Store, :
A Dog Like Jack, :
City Green, :
Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen, :
The American Wei, :
Now We Can Have A Wedding, :
You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?, :
Olivia and the Real Live Pet, :
The Christmas Knight, :
George Washington’s Mother, :

Personal life

DiSalvo played rhythm guitar and vocal harmonies for the power-pop rock and roll band Smash Palace from 1999 - 2012. Bass player, Phil Rizzo; drummer; Greg Didonato and former husband, guitarist/songwriter, Stephen James Butler. Signed by Zip Records in 1999, the band has toured the US and the UK and was listed on the BBC Liverpool's Best Top Ten Live Acts, 2006.
DiSalvo lives in Princeton, New Jersey. She is the mother of two adult children.
Her son, John E. Zangari- Ryan, is an educator/entrepreneur and owner of "CTS Tutoring" in central Pennsylvania. Freelances for ESPN / Stats / Little League World Series, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Daughter Marja-Lewis Ryan is the writer/producer/actor of the film, The Four-Faced Liar. writer/director of Netflix film, “6 Balloons”, working untitled film for Sandra Bullock, TV show runner/writer/ Executive Producer for Showtime’s reboot of The L Word. Writer/Director for Amazon upcoming series, “College”.
Playwright/Director/Producer in association with 6140 Productions for “Dysnomia”, LA Drama Circle winner for Original play. Writer/Director, “One in the Chamber” nominated for Best Playwrighting for an Original Play /Ovation Awards. Winner of LA Critic’s Circle Award for Best Writing. Director for David Mamet’s, “The Anarchist” in LA and NY. Writer/Director “Bugaboo and the Silent One” Producer, Chris Bender.