“Both kids and adults can enjoy children’s author/illustrator Peter J. Welling’s explorations into the fun and fancy tales behind seldom-celebrated holidays with each quirky page.”
—Herald Bulletin (Anderson, IN)
Peter J. Welling is the kind of person who tries to find the humor in everything. An avid artist, Welling got the idea to write children’s books from paper lunch bags he drew for his sons when they were schoolchildren. Here’s how he puts it: “I am a drawer. Now I hear I might be a renderer. Renderer might be better, though, because [my] brother said drawers go in bureaus.”
Welling’s skill as a storyteller came into focus at the age of eleven when he would entertain neighborhood children with stories he created. He continued telling tales through his young adulthood. Following military service, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Indiana University South Bend. He then put the stories of several decades down on paper. He received the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2003 and the Indiana University Continuing Studies Teaching Excellence Award in 2005.
Some of Welling’s books are based loosely on myth, legend, or history and involve a US holiday and residents or descendants of a foreign land. He creates a new spin on an old tale, inserting historical anachronisms in the art. He also includes a brief glossary of the appropriate language, whether Gaelic, Celtic, French, Russian, or Dutch.
In his spare time, this father of four volunteered at his youngest son’s school, where he won the Parent Volunteer of the Year Award twice. With five grandchildren, he visits their schools from time to time for storytelling and writing lessons. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. He has had several “moral stories” published and has illustrated several stories for other authors.
To learn more about Peter Welling, visit his Web site at
www.peterjwelling.com.