Long Bio
Danny Schnitzlein has been crazy about monsters since he was a kid. Some say he never grew up. “As a boy, I was fascinated with dinosaurs. Dinosaurs proved that fantastic things could exist, so anything was possible. My mom read poetry to us and took us to the library frequently. I was lucky to have teachers who enjoyed reading to the class. Listening as those stories come to life in my imagination was magical. It inspired me to want to be an author.”
Danny directed his high school band as Drum Major, and received a creative writing medal from the English Department. He went on to study writing at Eckerd College and Television Production at The University of Florida.
Danny’s first book, The Monster Who Ate My Peas, was inspired by his childhood fear of peas. The book received Indiana’s Young Hoosier Book Award, and Virginia’s VSRA Readers’ Choice Award. It was nominated for awards in Maryland, Missouri, and Pennsylvania and was selected to represent the state of Georgia at the 2004 National Book Festival. It’s also listed in Best Books for Children: Preschool Through Grade 6. The book was adapted for musical theatre by ArtsPower, and as a ballet by the Grand Rapids Ballet Company.
The Monster Who Did My Math, was listed as one of the Best Books of 2007 by Parent and Child Magazine and Atlanta Parent Magazine. It was chosen by the Georgia Center for the Book as “A Book All Young Georgians Should Read.”
Trick or Treat on Monster Street, was inspired by a “what if.” “I wondered, what if monsters celebrated Halloween upside down from humans? As a kid I was nutty about Halloween. I used to dress as a monster and visit every house in my neighborhood. Then I’d dress as a different monster, do it all over again, and hope no one recognized me.
Danny’s gnu-est book, Gnu and Shrew, made the National Science Teaching Association’s list of Best STEM Books 2021. It’s also nominated for a Triple Crown award by the National Christian School Association, for books that are wholesome and uplifting.
Danny’s books have been featured in the Georgia Department of Education’s “Read More” initiative and the Atlanta Mayor’s Summer Reading Club. Danny also creates scripts and songs for children’s educational television. In his spare time he enjoys playing guitar, reading, painting, hiking, watching movies, and collecting monster toys. He lives in Marietta, GA with his family and a dog with snuggly super powers.
