美国国家公共电台 NPR Anna Dewdney, Author Of Beloved 'Llama Llama' Children's Books, Dies

Anna Dewdney, Author Of Beloved 'Llama Llama' Children's Books, Dies

play pause stop mute¹ unmute max volume 00:0002:44repeat repeat off Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser² to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: 

Anna Dewdney wanted children to feel cared for and confident. She had that in mind as she wrote and illustrated³ her books.

ANNA DEWDNEY: (Reading) Llama llama red pajama reads a story with his mama. Mama kisses baby's hair. Mama Llama goes downstairs.

SHAPIRO: That's Anna Dewdney reading from her 2005 book "Llama Llama Red Pajama." It was the first in a series about a little llama experiencing the highs and lows of toddlerdom, like feeling alone at bedtime. The books went on to be best-sellers - millions of copies sold, millions of comforted kids and parents.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: 

Anna Dewdney died over the weekend at her home in Vermont after a battle with brain cancer. Her publisher says Dewdney always saw picture books as a powerful medium. Here's Jen Loja, president of Penguin⁴ Young Readers Group.

JEN LOJA: In Anna's core, she really believed that if more children were read to, the world would literally⁵ be a better place and that what a picture book does is it teaches empathy. It teaches kids how to operate in a bigger world, how to see themselves in other characters.

SHAPIRO: Anna's most famous character was in her mind since her two daughters were very young. At the National Book Festival a few years ago, she explained how Baby Llama came to life.

DEWDNEY: You know, you drive around the state of Vermont, and you see lots of animals everywhere. And when my children were small, they would sit in the back seat in their booster seats, and I would drive around the countryside. And I'd see the cows, and I'd go, oh, look, Girls. Look at the cows. And I'd go, moo, moo.

CORNISH: She did this with chickens and sheep, too, always giving them a voice. And then one day they drove past a llama.

DEWDNEY: Llamas don't really say much of anything. I didn't know that at the time. So I said, oh, look Girls, llamas. Oh, llama, llama, llama, llama, llama, llama. And then all of a sudden this story that was inside became, oh, "Llama Llama Red Pajama." And there I was. And I was off.

SHAPIRO: Before she was a full-time⁶ author, she was a teacher, mail carrier, daycare provider and waitress. Publisher's Weekly told us today that Anna Dewdney's obituary⁷ crashed its site. It ends with this line. She requested that in lieu of a funeral service, people read to a child instead. Children's author and illustrator Anna Dewdney died Saturday at age 50.

DEWDNEY: (Reading) Little llama, don't you know Mama Llama loves you so? Mama Llama's always near even if she's not right here. Llama llama red pajama gets two kisses from his mama, snuggles pillow soft and deep. Baby Llama goes to sleep.

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1 mute   

n.哑子，默音字母，弱音器；adj.哑的，无声的，沉默的；vt.减音，减弱；vi.（鸟）排泄

参考例句：

• He is mute on the subject of social system.他对社会制度的问题保持沉默。
• Her daughter was mute after a serious illness.她的女儿在一场重病之后失去了说话能力。

2 browser   

n.浏览者

参考例句：

• View edits in a web browser.在浏览器中看编辑的效果。
• I think my browser has a list of shareware links.我想在浏览器中会有一系列的共享软件链接。

3 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

4 penguin   

n.企鹅

参考例句：

• The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
• He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

7 obituary   

n.讣告，死亡公告；adj.死亡的

参考例句：

• The obituary records the whole life of the deceased.讣文记述了这位死者的生平。
• Five days after the letter came,he found Andersen s obituary in the morning paper.收到那封信五天后，他在早报上发现了安德森的讣告。