Ryan T. Higgins

Ryan T. Higgins is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He is best known for his Mother Bruce and Penelope Rex series, both of which have had a book on The New York Times Best Seller List and have won the E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books.

Biography

Higgins graduated from the College of the Atlantic in 2006. He is married and has three children. As of 2021, he lives in Maine.

Influences

Higgins was greatly inspired by Calvin and Hobbes comics when he was younger and initially wanted to become a comic writer; however, after seeing Mo Willems's Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! at a friend's home, he became intrigued by the genre. He was inspired to write We Don't Eat Our Classmates when his son was preparing for kindergarten.

Awards and honors

Mother Bruce was a New York Times bestseller. Kirkus Reviews included it on their list of the best children's books of 2015.
We Don't Eat Our Classmates was a New York Times and IndieBound bestseller. Kirkus Reviews included it on their list of the best children's books of 2018.
What About Worms?! was a 2021 ALSC Notable Children's Book for Younger Readers.

Year	Title	Award	Result	Ref.
2016	Mother Bruce	E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books	Winner
2016	Mother Bruce	Ezra Jack Keats Book Award for Illustrator	Honoree
2017	Be Quiet!	Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books	Nominee
2018	We Don't Eat Our Classmates	Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books	Nominee
2018–2019	Mother Bruce	California Young Reader Medal for Primary	Nominee
2019	We Don't Eat Our Classmates	Bank Street College of Education Cook Prize	Honoree
2019	We Don't Eat Our Classmates	Charlotte Zolotow Award	Commended
2019	We Don't Eat Our Classmates	E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture Books	Winner
2019	We Don't Eat Our Classmates	Irma Black Award	Finalist
2020	We Will Rock Our Classmates	Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Books	Nominee
2021	What About Worms?!	Geisel Award	Honoree
2023	Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book	Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers	Nominee
2023	We Don't Eat Our Classmates	California Young Reader Medal for Primary	Winner

Publications

''Mother Bruce'' series

Mother Bruce Hotel Bruce Bruce's Big Move Santa Bruce 1 Grumpy Bruce Bruce's Big Fun Day Bruce's Big Storm Peek-a-Bruce The Bruce Swap Thanks for Nothing Spring Stinks Ballet Bruce

''Hey, Bruce!: An Interactive Book''

''Penelope Rex'' series

We Don't Eat Our Classmates We Will Rock Our Classmates We Don't Lose Our Class Goldfish

''Penelope Rex and the Problem with Pets''

Stand alone books

Twaddleton's Cheese Roger Goes Up Wilfred This Book Does Not Have Words Be Quiet! What About Worms!?

''Norman Didn't Do It! ''