DyAnne DiSalvo


DyAnne DiSalvo is an American artist and children's book author. She has published more than 50 children's books, including City Green and Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen.

Early life and career

DiSalvo was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. 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, she worked as an artist for Hallmark Cards. In 1982, she met Jane Feder, then-Senior Editor at Harper and Row. Feder later founded the Jane Feder Agency, which represents children's book illustrators, and she was the agency's first client.
She has given presentations at schools, targeting K-8 students, on the writing process and the life of a working artist. In the fall of 2010, she presented at the United Nations International School of Hanoi in Vietnam.

Books written and illustrated by DiSalvo

Going to Grandma's House A Dog Like Jack Grandpa's Corner Store A Castle on Viola Street Spaghetti Park
  • ''The Sloppy Copy Slipup''

Books illustrated by DiSalvo

By Mary Pope Osborne

Mo to the Rescue
  • ''Mo and his Friends''

By Beverly Cleary

Two Dog Biscuits The Real Hole The Growing-Up Feet
  • ''Janet's Thingamajigs''

By Jane O’Connor

Kate's Skates Nina, Nina Ballerina Nina, Nina Star Ballerina
  • ''Nina, Nina Copycat Ballerina''

By other authors

That New Baby The Bear Under the Bed The First Day of School Best Friends The Half Birthday Party Those Terrible Terwilliger Twins Sam Ellis's Island Saturday Belongs to Sara What did Mommy do Before You? The Mommy Exchange Why is Baby Crying? The Best-Ever Good-Bye Party George Washington's Mother The Go-Between The Christmas Knight You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? Olivia and The Real Live Pet Friends and Amigos Series 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 Hanukkah Yet? Our Eight Nights of Hanukkah A Doll Named Dora Anne
  • ''Grandma's Smile''

Impact of books written and illustrated by DiSalvo

''Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen'' (1991)

DiSalvo wrote and illustrated Uncle Willie and The Soup Kitchen, which was inspired by her volunteer work at Chips Soup Kitchen in Brooklyn. The book received the 1991 Children's Book of the Year award from the Child Study Association of America Book Committee. It was also named Notable 1991 Children's Book by the National Council for the Social Studies and Children's Book Council United. The book was featured on the television show Reading Rainbow in 1996 and adapted into a children's play at the Puttin' on The Ritz Theatre in Oaklyn, New Jersey in 2000.

''City Green'' (1994)

City Green tells the story of a young girl who helps transform a vacant city lot into a garden. Illustrations from the book served as inspiration for a children's playground at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden during the Storybook competition in 2009. Stagebridge Theater Company in Berkeley, California produced a musical adaptation. A 25th anniversary edition was published by HarperCollins in 2019.

Awards and honors

The Sloppy Copy Slipup,, 2006:
A Castle on Viola Street, :
  • Notable 2001 Children's Book
Grandpa's Corner Store, :
  • Notable 2000 Children's Book
  • Congressional Commendation
  • Adapted into a 2001 Puttin' on the Ritz Children's Theatre Production
A Dog Like Jack, :
  • Gold Medal, Irma S. and James H. Black Award
  • June 1999 Philadelphia Children's Reading Round Table Book of the Month
  • Publishers Weekly starred review
City Green, :
Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen, :
  • Adapted into a 2000 Puttin' on the Ritz Children's Theatre Production
  • 1996 Reading Rainbow Selection
  • Notable 1991 Children's Book
  • 1991 Children's Books of the Year
The American Wei, :
  • 1998 National Parenting Publications Awards
Now We Can Have A Wedding, :
  • June 1998 Philadelphia Children's Reading Round Table Book of the Month
You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton?, :
  • ALA Selection
Olivia and the Real Live Pet, :
  • October 1995 Philadelphia Children's Reading Round Table Book of the Month
The Christmas Knight, :
  • December 1993 Philadelphia Children's Reading Round Table Book of the Month
George Washington's Mother, :
  • February 1993 Philadelphia Children's Reading Round Table Book of the Month

Personal life

From 1999 to 2012, DiSalvo played rhythm guitar and sang harmonies for the power-pop rock and roll band Smash Palace. Signed by Zip Records in 1999, the band toured the US and the UK and was listed among BBC Liverpool's Best Top Ten Live Acts in 2006.
DiSalvo lives in Princeton, New Jersey, and is the mother of two adult children: educator and entrepreneur John E. Zangari-Ryan and screenwriter Marja-Lewis Ryan.