Early life

Paul O. Zelinsky was born in 1953 in Evanston, IL. He grew up in Wilmette, Illinois. During his childhood years, he spent much of his time drawing. Often with his friends he would make up imaginary worlds and draw them. When he was only four, he submitted work to Highlights magazine, and his artwork was first showcased. Some of his influential childhood book favorites included The Color Kittens and The Tawny Scrawny Lion. Zelinsky said in reference to memories of what he had read, "Feelings come to me as a sort of flavor. I know that when I call up my earliest memories, what I remember seeing and hearing is accompanied by a flavor-like sense of what it felt like to be there and see that.” In later years of his youth, his favorite authors were William Pène du Bois and Robert Lawson. He especially loved the books The Twenty-One Balloons and The Fantastic Flight. His best friend growing up was named Steve.

Beginning as an author and illustrator

At New Trier High School, Paul Zelinsky was interested in natural history as well as architecture and saw himself following one of those paths for a career. However, he went to study at Yale. He took a class taught by Maurice Sendak on the history and art of children's books, and it inspired him to a career in the area. Zelinsky went to graduate school at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and Rome. The Renaissance and Italian art always fascinated him, and this time in his life influenced this love as well. His career in children's books began in 1978 with the illustrations for Avi's Emily Upham's Revenge. Since then he has continued to illustrate others' work as well as creating his own books. He won the 1998 Caldecott Medal for his illustrated retelling of Rapunzel and three Caldecott honors (for Hansel and Gretel (1985), Rumpelstiltskin (1987), and Swamp Angel (1995)). His most popular book is The Wheels on the Bus, which has sold millions. Zelinsky enjoys a quiet life in New York City with his wife and two daughters.

Paul O. Zelinsky does not have a recognizable style, suiting his artwork and techniques to the particular nature of the book to be illustrated. Linnea Lannon noted in a Detroit Free Press profile of the artist that "what has raised Zelinsky into the first rank of children's book illustrators is not just the pictures but the way they integrate with text." Zelinsky claims his desire to be, "I want the pictures to speak in the same voice as the words. This desire has led me to try various kinds of drawings in different books. I have used quite a wide stretch of styles, and I'm fortunate to have been asked to illustrate such a range of stories.” The Wheels on the Bus and Knick-Knack Paddywhack! are engineered books with moving parts.

As author and illustrator

• The Lion and the Stoat
• Knick-Knack Paddywhack! (adapted from the traditional song)
• The Wheels on the Bus (adapted from the popular children's song)
• The Maid and the Mouse and the Odd-Shaped House (adapted from a school exercise)
• Rapunzel (retold)
• Rumpelstiltskin (retold)

As illustrator

• Emily Upham's Revenge by Avi
• The History of Helpless Harry by Avi
• Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
• Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
• Strider by Beverly Cleary
• Doodler Doodling by Rita Golden Gelman
• The Sun's Asleep Behind the Hill by Mirra Ginsburg
• Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs
• Dust Devil by Anne Isaacs
• Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins
• Toy Dance Party by Emily Jenkins
• The Song in the Walnut Grove by David Kherdian
• What Amanda Saw by Naomi Lazard
• Hansel and Gretel retold by Rika Lesser
• The Shivers in the Fridge by Fran Manushkin
• The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit
• Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
• The Random House Book of Humor for Children collected by Pamela Pollack
• Awful Ogre's Awful Day by Jack Prelutsky
• Awful Ogre Running Wild by Jack Prelutsky
• Zoo Doings by Jack Prelutsky
• Three Romances by Winifred Rosen
• More Rootabagas by Carl Sandburg
• The Story of Mrs. Lovewright and Purrless Her Cat by Lore Segal
• How I Hunted the Little Fellows by Boris Zhitkov