Remembering the create of ‘The Magic School Bus’
Award-winning author Joanna Cole has died at the age of 75. Cole died on July 12, according to publisher, Scholastic, as reported by CNN. Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1944 and passing in Sioux City, Iowa where she lived, Cole was best known for writing “The Magic School Bus” series and other children’s books.
Bruce Degen, an illustrator Cole worked with when “The Magic School Bus” series launched in 1986, said, “What she [Cole] meant to me I can’t describe. Everyone who knew her worked with her, loved her, knows what a loss it is.”
Degen went on to say that “The Magic School Bus” series, which consists of 13 titles and many more connected titles, is “accurate” and written in a form that “a kid can understand and use.”
Cole’s series became known for blending science and storytelling, all of which also packed humor and information that was fun to read for millions of children around the world.
Her series went on to be adapted into an animated TV show, and the book series has won many awards. Cole’s other famous works include “The Clown Arounds,” “Bony-Legs” and “Best-Loved Folktales of the World.”
In the statement released by Scholastic, Cole was quoted as saying that she wrote about “ideas, rather than just the facts.” The famous author would ask a question, much like a scientist does, and then “try to answer the question” as she wrote the book.
By: Maytinee Kramer