Natalie Babbitt Quotes

United States, Writer
July 28, 1932 – October, 31, 2016.

Natalie Zane Babbitt (née Moore; July 28, 1932 – October 31, 2016) was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. Her acclaimed 1975 novel Tuck Everlasting has been adapted into two feature films and a Broadway musical. She received the Newbery Honor and Christopher Award, and was the U.S. nominee for the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1982.

Also known as Illustrator, Children'S Writer

I was born and raised in Ohio. During my childhood, I spent most of my time drawing and reading fairy tales and myths.

Natalie Babbitt
- Time
- Reading
- Childhood
The first two books that I did by myself were long stories in verse. I knew I could do that because I'd written a lot in verse. But, verse stories are hard to sell, so my editor encouraged me to try writing in prose.

Natalie Babbitt
- Long
- Writing
- Myself

I grew up wanting only to be an illustrator. I studied art at Laurel School in Cleveland and at Smith College.

Natalie Babbitt
- Up
- School
- Art
I have always loved astronomy, and being an astronomer once lurked in the back of my mind. But I was never good at algebra. In fact, I flunked it twice in high school.

Natalie Babbitt
- Good
- Mind
- School
I had a wonderful mother who wanted my sister and me to have everything, even though money was a very prominent thing we didn't have. But we had a very happy childhood - pretty much ideal, in fact.

Natalie Babbitt
- Money
- Happy
- Mother
My husband wrote the story for my first book, but then he didn't want to do that anymore. So if I was going to go on being an illustrator, I had to start writing the stories, too.

Natalie Babbitt
- Writing
- Book
- Husband
I write for children because I am interested in fantasy and the possibilities for experience of all kinds before the time of compromise. I believe that children are far more perceptive and wise than American books give them credit for being.

Natalie Babbitt
- Time
- Believe
- Children
I have a wonderful husband, and we have had a great life.

Natalie Babbitt
- Life
- Great
- Husband

I never wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be a book illustrator. I used to hurry home from school and draw.

Natalie Babbitt
- School
- Home
- Book
My mother was an artist, and I was fairly good at art as a child. I was always the best drawer in class, except in second grade when an artistic genius passed through our school!

Natalie Babbitt
- Good
- School
- Art
Right after graduation, I married Samuel Fisher Babbitt, an academic administrator. I spent the next ten years in Connecticut, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C., raising our children, Christopher, Tom, and Lucy.

Natalie Babbitt
We human beings do a lot of dumb things, and war is certainly the dumbest.

Natalie Babbitt
- War
- Human
- Dumb