Jean Van Leeuwen: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|American author (1937–2025)}}

'''Jean Van Leeuwen''' (December 26, 1937 – March 3, 2025) was an American children's book author, of over forty children's books, including the ''Oliver Pig'' series, and ''Bound for Oregon''.

{{BLP sources|date=June 2015}}

==Background==

'''Jean Van Leeuwen''' (Decemberwas 26,born 1937in –[[Glen March 3Ridge, 2025)<ref>LibraryNew ofJersey]], Congresson AuthoritiesDecember database26, retrieved 1/8/2008</ref> was an American children's book author1937, ofand overraised fortyin children's books, including the ''[[OliverRutherford, PigNew (book character)|Oliver PigJersey]]''.<ref series,name and= ''Bound for Oregon''.<refSandomir>{{cite web|title=Jean Van Leeuwen, 87, Dies; Wrote ‘Oliver Pig’ Series of Children’s Books|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/books/jean-van-leeuwen-dead.html|publisher=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 4, 2025|last=Sandomir|first=Richard | author-link=Richard Sandomir |access-date=April 4, 2025}}</ref> She studied journalism at [[Syracuse University]], and currentlyworked lives infor ''[[ChappaquaTV Guide]],'' [[Newand Yorkas (state)|Newa York]]book editor for several years.<ref name = Sandomir/><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/van-leeuwen-jean-1937| title = Van Leeuwen, Jean 1937- {{!}} Encyclopedia.com}}</ref>

Van Leeuwen and her husband, Bruce Gavril, had two children.<ref name = Sandomir/> She died from cancer at her home in [[Chappaqua, New York]], on March 3, 2025, at the age of 87.<ref name = Sandomir/>

==The Great Mouse Gang Series==

From 1969 to the present, Van Leeuwen wrote five children's novels about a gang of three mice in New York City, led by the daredevil Marvin, who prefers to be called "Merciless Marvin the Magnificent". His two cohorts in adventure are the scholarly Raymond ("the Rat") and the sensitive, explosive-loving Fats ("the Fuse", although his birth name is revealed to be Dudley in the most recent story). Originally, the trio lived in the Bijou Theater, but Marvin led them in a semi-successful robbery of a cheese shop down the street, and they temporarily moved in there. At the start of the second story, they move into a dollhouse in the toy section of Macy's Department Store, and all subsequent adventures have either taken place or begun there. All titles of the gang's stories have been titled "The Great something-or-other", and take place in Manhattan(except for the fourth, which begins when the gang is accidentally sent to Vermont in a care package).

==Career==

===The Great Mouse Gang Series===

From 1969 to the present, Van Leeuwen wrote five children's novels about a gang of three mice in New York City, led by the daredevil Marvin, who prefers to be called "Merciless Marvin the Magnificent". His two cohorts in adventure are the scholarly Raymond ("the Rat") and the sensitive, explosive-loving Fats ("the Fuse", although his birth name is revealed to be Dudley in the most recent story). Originally, the trio lived in the Bijou Theater, but Marvin led them in a semi-successful robbery of a cheese shop down the street, and they temporarily moved in there. At the start of the second story, they move into a dollhouse in the toy section of Macy's Department Store, and all subsequent adventures have either taken place or begun there. All titles of the gang's stories have been titled "The Great something-or-other", and take place in Manhattan(except for the fourth, which begins when the gang is accidentally sent to Vermont in a care package).

* ''The Great Cheese Conspiracy'' (1969)

*:In 1986, the book was adapted into a [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakian]] animated film ''[[The Great Cheese Robbery (1986 film)|The Great Cheese Robbery]]'' ({{langx|cs|Velká sýrová loupež}}) directed by Václav Bedřich.<ref>''International Film Guide'', Tantivy Press, 1989, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ENlkAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Jean+van+Leeuwen%22+%22Velk%C3%A1+s%C3%BDrov%C3%A1+loupe%C5%BE%22&dq=%22Jean+van+Leeuwen%22+%22Velk%C3%A1+s%C3%BDrov%C3%A1+loupe%C5%BE%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj94sHcz-GJAxVWIDQIHVyYFNQQ6AF6BAgFEAI p.136]</ref>

* ''The Great Christmas Kidnaping Caper'' (1975)

* ''The Great Rescue Operation'' (1981)

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* ''The Great Googlestein (Guggenheim) Museum Mystery'' (2003)

===Oliver and Amanda===

* ''Tales of Oliver Pig'' (1979)

* ''More Tales of Oliver Pig'' (1981)

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Leeuwen, Jean}}

[[Category:1937 births]]

[[Category:2025 deaths]]

[[Category:American children's writers]]

[[Category:American people of Dutch descent]]

[[Category:American women novelists]]

[[Category:Writers from Bergen County, New Jersey]]

[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]

[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]

[[Category:2025 deaths]]

[[Category:American women children's writers]]

[[Category:20th-century American women writers]]

[[Category:21st-century American women writers]]

[[Category:American literary editors]]

[[Category:People from Chappaqua, New York]]

[[Category:People from Glen Ridge, New Jersey]]

[[Category:People from Rutherford, New Jersey]]

[[Category:Novelists from New York (state)]]

[[Category:Novelists from New Jersey]]

[[Category:Deaths from cancer in New York (state)]]