Eric has a dog named Tasha, a cat named Inky, and a tank full of tropical fish. He is always looking out for ideas for new books.Įric and Doris live in Portland, Oregon. During the last several years he and his wife Doris have visited China, Norway, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Singapore, Canada, and Panama.

His first love is sharing stories from different countries and cultures. Since then he has published over fifty titles, many of which have won numerous state awards, appeared on school and library recommended lists, and won prestigious awards such as the Caldecott Honor Medal ( Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins) and the Sydney Taylor Picture Book Award ( The Chanukkah Guest and Gershon’s Monster).Įric travels throughout the United States and the world visiting schools, talking about his books, and telling stories. He still holds the rank of Professor Emeritus of Education at Portland State.Įric has wanted to be an author since he first discovered back in kindergarten that people called authors make books. Eric retired from college teaching in 1993 to become a full-time writer.

He taught courses in language arts, children’s literature, and storytelling at Indiana University at South Bend in South Bend, Indiana from 1973 to 1978, and from 1978 to 1993 at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. degree in Education at the University of Illinois in 1973. Returning to reality, he finished his Ph.D.

Virgin Islands where he worked as a teacher and librarian. 68 in Manhattan while working on his masters degree at New York University. He headed west, to Easton, Pennsylvania where he graduated from Lafayette College in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature.Įric worked as an elementary school teacher at P.S. Brooklyn College was across the street from his high school, so he didn’t want to go there. He attended PS 193, Andries Hudde Junior High School, and Midwood High School.

Herschel and the hanukkah goblin