Russell Hoban

Born February 4, 1925 in Lansdale, Pennsylvania

Russell Hoban has had two writing careers, one iconic and the other eclectic.

Born just outside Philadelphia on February 4, 1925, Hoban was the son of two Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine. He grew up with two sisters in a household that was primed for the arts. His father was the advertising manager of a newspaper and director of a local drama guild. He attended the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art and there met Lillian Aberman whom he later wed in 1944.

From 1943 to 1945, Hoban served in the US Infantry in Italy and the Philippines as a radio operator earning the Bronze Star. After demobilization, Hoban worked as an illustrator, with covers for Time, Sports Illustrated, and The Saturday Evening Post to his credit. He also worked for a short time as an advertising copywriter.

Hoban began his career as a writer for children in 1958 with his first book, which he also illustrated, What Does It Do and How Does It Work?: Power Shovel, Dump Truck, and Other Heavy Machines followed by The Atomic Submarine: A Practice Combat Patrol under the Sea in 1960.

In 1961 came the first of a series of iconic books, Bedtime for Frances. Frances is an anthropomorphized badger of certain opinions who is endearingly identifiable as any child of four to eight years of age. It is this commonality of character that allows children to relate to the protagonist and her issues and their resolution - Frances faces the day-to-day challenges of every child, attempts to deal with them as most children often do and everything ends up working out for the best.

Parents love these books because they reflect good common values of decency and simplicity wrapped up in a story that children love. They are simple morality tales that entertain and are great for bedtime reading though they are appreciated at anytime of the day. In addition to Bedtime for Frances (dealing with the tribulations of going to bed when you don't want to), the further titles in the Frances series include A Baby Sister for Frances (a new sibling), Bread and Jam for Frances (a fixation on one food) , A Birthday for Frances (dealing with ), Best Friends for Frances (social dynamics among friends), and A Bargain for Frances (false play by a friend).

The five Frances books, published between 1964 and 1970 should belong in any well-stocked children's library. As fine as the texts are, they are perfectly complimented by the pen and ink drawings done by Lillian Hoban. There is something about her particular style in these drawings that makes them both very distinctive as well as very attractive.

Hoban published some twenty other children's books in the 1960's, all illustrated by Lillian Hoban. The only other title from this period that remain in print is an interesting tale, The Mouse and His Child, published in 1967, which in some ways was a harbinger for the deeper more complex stories that Hoban would author in the 1970's. Unlike the Frances books which are centered on straightforward childhood dilemmas, The Mouse and His Child is a much more complex story, the kind which can be read at different levels and to different ends by child and adult. Interestingly, it seems to have had a much more dedicated following in the UK than in the USA.

The Mouse and His Child is the story of a pair of wind-up mice discarded from a toy store and their adventures as they seek to regain the Eden of their first home, a doll house. This story is reminiscent in some ways of some of Hans Christian Andersen's tales in that there is a darkness to the story - misadventures don't just end in laughs. There is a seriousness of purpose and consequence in the tale which stand in stark contrast to the lightness of the Frances stories. It is a worthwhile read, it does end well, but don't pick it up thinking it is anything like the Frances stories. There is more meat here even if there is less airy delight.

In 1969, the Hobans and their four children moved to London for what was to be a two year stay. Sadly though, the marriage of Lillian and Russell ended in separation and then divorce, with Lillian Hoban returning to the USA with the children. Russell Hoban remained in the UK, later remarried and had a second family (three sons) and remains resident there to this day.

His writing career since the move to the UK has been much more eclectic. His books have ranged further and further afield from easily identified children's books. There is greater depth and complexity to them and they span multiple genres such as science fiction, fantasy, drama, etc. Some are still explicitly children's books, but others are really a hybrid of young adult and adult literature.

There are five titles that have attracted particular, though narrow, acclaim; The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz; Kleinzeit; Riddley Walker; and Pilgermann, especially Riddley Walker. None of these books remain in print in the US. In fact, here in the US, the Frances books are primarily what is available in print and are the books for which Hoban is best known by far. In the UK, however, it is his novels of the past two decades that command attention and which are available.

It is difficult to summarize a general trend in Hoban's books since moving to the UK. Eclectic pretty much covers it. The dominating characteristic is his authorial dexterity and the general critical admiration for his prose. Riddley Walker in particular drew attention as the dialogue is rendered in a future dialect which is recognizable but distinctly different to today's received English. These are definitely not picture books. They will have some attraction for a population of Young Adult readers based on their originality but it will be a distinctly limited population of the Young Adult readers.

Still writing in his eighties, Hoban continues to produce new novels but here in the USA, I think his writing reputation will always rest upon that string of beautifully polished, near perfect children's stories of the sixties - the Frances stories.

Picture Books

Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Garth Williams Highly Recommended

A Baby Sister for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban Recommended

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban Recommended

The Little Brute Family by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban Recommended

The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban Recommended

A Birthday for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban Recommended

Best Friends for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban Recommended

A Bargain for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban Recommended

Russell Hoban Bibliography

What Does It Do and How Does It Work?: Power Shovel, Dump Truck, and Other Heavy Machines by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Russell Hoban 1959
The Atomic Submarine: A Practice Combat Patrol under the Sea by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Russell Hoban 1960
Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Garth Williams 1960
Herman the Loser by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1961
The Song in My Drum by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1961
London Men and English Men by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1962
Some Snow Said Hello by Russell Hoban 1963
The Sorely Trying Day by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1964
A Baby Sister for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1964
Nothing to Do by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1964
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1964
W. R. Burnett, The Roar of the Crowd: Conversations with an Ex-Big-Leaguer by C. N. Potter and illustrated by Russell Hoban 1964
Tom and the Two Handles by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1965
The Story of Hester Mouse Who Became a Writer and Saved Most of Her Sisters and Brothers and Some of Her Aunts and Uncles from the Owl by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1965
What Happened When Jack and Daisy Tried to Fool the Tooth Fairies by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1965
Henry and the Monstrous Din by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1966
The Little Brute Family by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1966
Goodnight by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1966
Save My Place by Russell Hoban 1967
Charlie the Tramp by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1967
The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1967
A Birthday for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1968
The Stone Doll of Sister Brute by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1968
The Pedaling Man, and Other Poems by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1968
Harvey's Hideout by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1969
Best Friends for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1969
Ugly Bird by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1969
The Mole Family's Christmas by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1969
A Bargain for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1970
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1971
The Sea-Thing Child by Russell Hoban and illustrated by son 1972
Egg Thoughts, and Other Frances Songs by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hoban 1972
Letitia Rabbit's String Song by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Mary Chalmers 1973
The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz by Russell Hoban 1973
How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Quentin Blake 1974
Ten What?: A Mystery Counting Book by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Sylvie Selig 1974
La Corona and the Tin Frog by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Nicola Bayley 1974
Kleinzeit by Russell Hoban 1974
Crocodile and Pierrot: A See the Story Book by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Sylvie Selig 1975
Dinner at Alberta's by Russell Hoban and illustrated by James Marshall 1975
A Near Thing for Captain Najork by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Quentin Blake 1975
Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban 1975
Arthur's New Power by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Byron Barton 1978
The Twenty-Elephant Restaurant by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully 1978
The Dancing Tigers by Russell Hoban and illustrated by David Gentlemen 1979
Flat Cat by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Clive Scruton 1980
Ace Dragon Ltd. by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Quentin Blake 1980
Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban 1980
Come and Find Me by Russell Hoban 1980
They Came from Aargh! by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Colin McNaughton 1981
The Serpent Tower by Russell Hoban and illustrated by David Scott 1981
The Great Fruit Gum Robbery by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Colin McNaughton 1981
The Battle of Zormla by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Colin McNaughton 1982
The Flight of Bembel Rudzuk by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Colin McNaughton 1982
Big John Turkle by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Martin Baynton 1983
Jim Frog by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Martin Baynton 1983
Pilgermann by Russell Hoban 1983
Lavinia Bat by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Martin Baynton 1984
Charlie Meadows by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Martin Baynton 1984
The Carrier Frequency by Russell Hoban 1984
The Rain Door by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Quentin Blake 1986
The Marzipan Pig by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Quentin Blake 1986
Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban 1986
The Medusa Frequency by Gary Fisketjohn and illustrated by Russell Hoban 1987
Household Tales by Wilhelm K. Grimm and illustrated by Mervyn Peake 1987
Ponders by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Martin Baynton 1988
Monsters by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Quentin Blake 1989
Jim Hedgehog and the Lonesome Tower by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Betsy Lewin 1990
Jim Hedgehog's Supernatural Christmas by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Betsy Lewin 1992
M.O.L.E.: Much Overworked Little Earthmover by Russell Hoban 1993
The Court of the Winged Serpent by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Patrick Benson 1995
Trokeville Way by Russell Hoban 1996
Fremder by Russell Hoban 1996
Mr Rinyo-Clacton's Offer by Russell Hoban 1998
A Russell Hoban Omnibus by Russell Hoban 1999
Angelica's Grotto by Russell Hoban 1999
Trouble on Thunder Mountain by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Quentin Blake 2000
Jim's Lion by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Ian Andrew 2001
Amaryllis Night and Day by Russell Hoban 2002
The Bat Tattoo by Russell Hoban 2003
Her Name Was Lola by Russell Hoban 2004
Come Dance with Me by Russell Hoban 2006
Linger Awhile by Russell Hoban and illustrated by 2006
My Tango with Barbara Strozzi by Russell Hoban 2007