Raymond Bial
Raymond Bial (pronounced Beal) is the author and photo-illustrator of more than eighty critically-acclaimed books for children and adults, including Amish Home, The Underground Railroad, Where Lincoln Walked, One-Room School, Ghost Towns of the American West, Tenement: Immigrant Life on the Lower East Side, and many others. A highly skilled photographer, he works with ease in both color and in black and white. Working with both film cameras and digital equipment, he is best known for his versatility in portraiture, landscapes, and still lifes, and his sensitivity toward the people, places, and objects portrayed in his images.
The subjects of Raymond’s books range from farm life to American social and cultural history. Appealing to young and old alike, his books are ideal choices for parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians to share with children. His most recent photo-essay is Nauvoo: Mormon City on the Mississippi River published by Houghton-Mifflin. He has also published three popular collections of mystery fiction for children: The Fresh Grave and Other Ghostly Stories and The Ghost of Honeymoon Creek and most recently Shadow Island: A Tale of Lake Superior, published by Bluehorse Books. Moreover, he has published 28 titles in “Lifeways,” a series of distinctive books about Native American peoples. His books have received numerous awards from the American Library Association, National Council of Teachers of English, Children’s Book Council, and many other organizations.
Over the years, Raymond has often shared his experiences and insights as an author and photographer with children and adults in school visits, conferences, and workshops. His informal slide programs provide a wealth of fascinating facts, offered in a warm, friendly manner. As he presents slides drawn from his books, Raymond describes the art of making books illustrated with lyrical photographs that tell a story. He then discusses the subjects of his books, ranging from the Amish to the Underground Railroad. Children, teachers, and librarians tend to especially enjoy his programs.
Raymond will be pleased to autograph books and adapt any of these programs to the needs and wishes of students, teachers, and librarians.
Contact Information:
Email: ray@raybial.com
Website: http://www.raybial.com
Address: P. O. Box 593, Urbana, IL 61803
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