Betty Paraskevas

Betty Paraskevas
Born	Rita E. Paraskevas (1929-04-08)April 8, 1929 Linden, New Jersey,U.S.
Died	April 7, 2010(2010-04-07)(aged 80) Southampton, New York,U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Douglass Residential College
Occupations	Writer lyricist
Notable work	Maggie and the Ferocious Beast Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse The Kids from Room 402 The Tangerine Bear
Spouse	Paul Paraskevas ​ ​ (m.1956; died 2001)​
Children	2, includingMichael

Rita E."Betty"Paraskevas(April 8, 1929 – April 7, 2010)was a New York-based writer andlyricistbest known for her work onMaggie and the Ferocious Beast,but adapted into a animated television series and produced by the Canadian studioNelvana.

Early life, career and death

Born inLinden, New Jersey,Paraskevas attended theDouglass Residential Collegeand majored in chemistry.Prior to becoming a children's author, Paraskevas worked for many years as aplaywrightand lyricist onBroadway,working with producerHarry Rigbyon shows such asSugar BabiesandNo, No, Nanette.She married Paul Paraskevas in 1956 with whom she had twins Judith andMichael.The couple relocated toRoselle Park, New Jerseywhere they raised the children.Paul died in 2001.

Betty Paraskevas moved toSouthamptonin the mid-1980s.Her collaborations with Michael began in the early 1990s when Michael – already a successful illustrator– encouraged her to write a story which he could then illustrate. They producedOn the Edge of the Sea,which was published byDial Booksin 1992. Their second book, which she once again penned, wasJunior Kroll.Published in 1993, it led to their first series.Since then the pair produced over 20 books, three of which were turned into television series and aired on networks such as Nickelodeon.

Betty Paraskevas died on April 7, 2010, from complications due topancreatic cancer;in Southampton, New York, one day before her 81st birthday.

Bibliography

With Michael Paraskevas, unless otherwise noted

• On the Edge of the Sea(Dial Books, 1992)
• Junior Kroll(HMH Books for Young Readers, 1993)
• Shamlanders(Harcourt Childrens Books, 1993)
• The Strawberry Dog(Dial Books, 1993)
• Junior Kroll and Company(Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994)
• A Very Kroll Christmas(Harcourt Childrens Books, 1994)
• Gracie Graves and the Kids from Room 402(Harcourt Childrens Books, 1995) — adapted intoThe Kids from Room 402
• Cecil Bunions and the Midnight Train(Harcourt Childrens Books, 1996)
• The Ferocious Beast with the Polka-Dot Hide(Harcourt Childrens Books, 1996) — adapted intoMaggie and the Ferocious Beast
• The Tangerine Bear(Harpercollins Childrens Books, 1997) — adapted intoThe Tangerine Bear
• Hoppy and Joe(Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1999)
• Maggie and the Ferocious Beast: The Big Scare(Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1999)
• The Big Carrot: A Maggie and the Ferocious Beast Book(Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2000)
• On the Day the Tall Ships Sailed(Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2000)
• Nibbles O'Hare(Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2001)
• Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse(Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2001) — adapted intoMarvin the Tap-Dancing Horse
• The Green Monkeys(Paraskevas Gallery, 2002)