(After finding a mysterious, handmade field guide in the a...)
After finding a mysterious, handmade field guide in the attic of the ramshackle old mansion they’ve just moved into, Jared; his twin brother, Simon; and their older sister, Mallory, discover that there’s a magical and maybe dangerous world existing parallel to our own - the world of faerie. The Grace children want to share their story, but the faeries will do everything possible to stop them.
(Thanks to the mysterious field guide left behind by their...)
Thanks to the mysterious field guide left behind by their long-lost great-great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick, life for the Grace kids - Jared, Simon, and Mallory - is beyond weird. When Simon goes missing, Jared is convinced creatures from the faerie world have something to do with it. Mallory is not convinced. That is, until she and Jared have to contend with a band of menacing, marauding goblins. Simon is clearly in danger, and it’s up to Mallory and Simon to save him, before it’s too late.
(Let the story of my niece and nephews be a warning. The m...)
Let the story of my niece and nephews be a warning. The more you know, the more danger you're in. And trust me, you don't want to meddle with the Little People. - S.S. One thrilling adventure - The Spiderwick Chronicles! Their world is closer than you think.
(First a pack of vile, smelly goblins snatch Simon. Then a...)
First a pack of vile, smelly goblins snatch Simon. Then a band of elves try to entrap Jared. Why is the entire faerie world so eager to get their hands on Spiderwick's Guide? And will the Grace kids be left alone, now that the Guide has mysteriously disappeared? Don't count on it. At school, someone is running around pretending to be Jared, and it's not Simon. To make matters even worse, now Mallory has disappeared and something foul in the water is killing off all the plants and animals for miles around. Clues point to the old abandoned quarry, just outside of town. Dwarves have taken over an abandoned mine there. And the faerie world's abuzz with the news that a creature with plans to rule the world has offered them a gift to join with him - he's given them a queen...
(Three ordinary kids, Jared, Simon, and Wallory Grace, hav...)
Three ordinary kids, Jared, Simon, and Wallory Grace, have entered another world - without leaving this one! Two remarkable talents, New York Times best-sellers Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, have risked everything to bring this remarkable account to light. Five books - one thrilling adventure - the Spiderwick Chronicles! Their world is closer than you think.
(When a beloved ornament breaks, will it ruin the holidays...)
When a beloved ornament breaks, will it ruin the holidays or save them? New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott honor-winning illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi offers a brand-new Christmas story that is sure to be a holiday classic. Jack wants this to be the best Christmas ever, and he knows just how to make it happen.
Tony DiTerlizzi is an American fantasy artist, children's book creator, and motion picture producer. He is the author of Magic: The Gathering card game and of the Planescape product line for the Dungeons & Dragons. He is also the creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles series.
Background
DiTerlizzi was born on September 6, 1969, Los Angeles, California, the first of three children in an artistically inclined household. He grew up in southern Florida, and although he enjoyed activities such as insect collecting, camping, and swimming, he was also deeply interested in drawing and reading.
Education
DiTerlizzi attended the Florida School of the Arts and later received a degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in 1992.
After graduating from college in 1992, DiTerlizzi worked for TSR on the company's Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. Throughout most of the 1990's, he illustrated gaming materials and character guides worked on other games such as Planescape and Changeling, and contributed to role-playing magazines such as Dragon. His distinctive style garnered fans almost immediately. DiTerlizzi also illustrated a number of items in the wildly popular collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, published by Wizards of the Coast. His work in the gaming industry firmly established DiTerlizzi as an artist in the fantasy field.
In the late 1990's, DiTerlizzi expanded his repertoire and started illustrating books, including Peter S. Beagle's Giant Bones, Doug Cooney's The Beloved Dearly, and Greg Bear's Dinosaur Summer. He has also contributed covers to a number of novels.
Tony Johnston's Alien and Possum: Friends No Matter What and Alien and Possum Hanging Out, both illustrated by DiTerlizzi, are about the friendship between Alien, all metal and unhappy at his difference from the other animals in the forest, and Possum, a furry and soft creature who reassures Alien that he is special no matter his differences. In the first book, Alien and Possum consider that they are not the same colors, realize the benefits of friendships, and enjoy the ability to have things in common while treasuring the things that make them different.
In Alien and Possum Hanging Out, the two protagonists continue to develop their friendship and learn about the world while recognizing their differences, celebrating their birthdays, and simply "hanging out" on a tree branch in unique and individual ways.
The Spider and the Fly, Mary Howitt's classic tale, was republished with illustrations by DiTerlizzi in 2002. The Spider and the Fly was named a Caldecott Honor Book in 2003.
DiTerlizzi is also the author of two self-illustrated books, Jimmy Zangwow's Out-of-This-World Moon Pie Adventure and Ted. The first follows precocious and adventurous child-inventor Jimmy Zangwow as he undertakes a mission to find Moon Pies, his favorite snack. When his mother refuses to let him eat a Moon Pie before dinner (because, of course, it would ruin his appetite), Jimmy rockets to the moon in search of his beloved treat. On the moon, Jimmy gets 1,000 pies from Mr. Moon, but later he shares all but one of them with 999 hungry Mars Men. He saves himself and his Martian friends by giving the dreaded Grimble Grinder his last Moon Pie. Jimmy returns to Earth on a Moon Pie wrapper balloon made by the Mars Men.
In Ted, a young boy is visited by his imaginary playmate, Ted, who has lots of great ideas for fun but little appreciation of the consequences of his outrageous acts. The boy's father finally banishes Ted from the house. When the boy finds Ted at an old playground, he learns that his father was, like him, a lonely boy in search of companionship and attention from his own father. Ted has also been around before; the boy's father knew him as Ned during his own troubled youth. The father ultimately finds the boy at the playground and reunites with Ned.
DiTerlizzi wrote and designed Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, published in 2014 by Disney Lucasfilm Press (an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide). Accompanying his words were illustrations by Ralph McQuarrie.
Author/illustrator Mo Willems partnered with DiTerlizzi to illustrate the book The Story of Diva and Flea, inspired by Willems' year living abroad in Paris. Disney-Hyperion published the New York Times bestselling book in 2015.
(First a pack of vile, smelly goblins snatch Simon. Then a...)
2004
Views
DiTerlizzi cites a diverse range of influences on his art, from noted fantasy artists Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo to painters Hieronymus Bosch and Leonardo da Vinci, early magazines artists Maxfield Parrish and Heinrich Kley, and children's book illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and John Tenniel, wrote Allen Varney in an interview with DiTerlizzi in Dragon magazine. He also finds inspiration in modern fantasy artists such as Brian Froud, Moebius, and William Stout. In an America Online chat transcript posted on his Web site, DiTerlizzi also names as influences "The 3 S's": Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, and Dr. Seuss.
Personality
Despite his success, DiTerlizzi has not lost the perspective of being a fan. His presence on his own Web site is chatty, enthusiastic, and forthcoming; he invites fans to contact him, interact, ask questions, and send items to him to be autographed. In the Dragon interview, he told Varney, "I really appreciate my fans. I am a big fan myself. I get googley over the newest Brian Froud book, I sweat bullets when I met Moebius, and I still can't believe I know someone like Brom." Keeping his own fan attitude alive helps him understand the position of hopeful artists and his own fans. "I think that perspective helps fans see that I understand where they are coming from," DiTerlizzi said in the Dragon interview. "If it were not for their appreciation, I do not think I would be where I am today. It really is a big energy circle - you only receive what you have given."
Interests
Writers
Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss
Artists
Hieronymus Bosch, Leonardo da Vinci
Connections
DiTerlizzi lives and works in Amherst, Massachusetts with his wife and manager, children's book author Angela DiTerlizzi and their daughter, Sophia.