Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Eloise Jarvis McGraw was an American author of children's books and young adult novels.
Early life
Eloise Jarvis McGraw was born on December 9, 1915 in Houston, Texas. At age 8 her family moved to Oklahoma City, at which time she began writing.Career
McGraw's first professional writing was published in Jack and Jill magazine in 1949. She also published short stories in Cricket, Parents’ Magazine, and The Writer. Her first published book was Sawdust in His Shoes, followed by a steady stream of works for both children and adults. Before turning fully to books, McGraw worked as a journalist. McGraw also contributed to the Oz series started by L. Frank Baum; working with her daughter, graphic artist and librarian Lauren Lynn McGraw, she wrote Merry Go Round in Oz and The Forbidden Fountain of Oz. The actual writing of the books was done entirely by Eloise; Lauren made story contributions significant enough for Eloise to assign her co-authorship credit. McGraw's The Rundelstone of Oz was published in 2000 without a credit to her daughter.Author Gina Wickwar credited McGraw with help in the editing of her book The Hidden Prince of Oz.
McGraw painted the cover art for most of her books. She also designed the jacket for The Moorchild and three of her earlier books.