Liza Dawson Associates represents a select list of fiction and nonfiction authors. As the newest member of the agency, Anna Olswanger invites editors to visit this page regularly for an update on her projects that range from picture book to young adult fiction and nonfiction, adult fiction and nonfiction, graphic novels, gift books, and Judaica. Anna is also the creator of the website Host-a-Jewish-Book-Author.com and author of Shlemiel Crooks, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and Koret International Jewish Book Award Finalist.

Adult Nonfiction

Nell Dickerson's GONE pairs gorgeous photographs of the Old South with "Pillar of Fire," a chapter from the novel JORDAN COUNTY by Nell's uncle, Shelby Foote. Nell began documenting her heritage over thirty years ago and is passionate about historic preservation. She directs ArchiFilm, a multi-disciplined design studio in Lyon, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Margaret Peot's THE HAND-PAINTED WEDDING is a book for the bride who grew up sewing appliqués on her t-shirts and now reads Martha Stewart. For twenty years, Margaret has painted and dyed costumes for the Broadway theater (The Lion King, Wicked, Spamalot, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, and hundreds more). She believes that every woman should have the chance to design and wear a costume, and that weddings are the perfect occasion for that.

Adult nonfiction in development: Mrs. Bacon's Kosher Kitchen

Adult Nonfiction Sold

Devorah Goldman's THE JEWISH WOMAN'S WEEKLY PLANNER 2007-2008 and THE JEWISH WOMAN'S WEEKLY PLANNER 2008-2009 are luscious, full-color 16-month planners. The recipe pages in each planner fold out to reveal shopping lists, guest lists and menu ideas, all on a perforated page that can be torn out and filed away for permanent reference. If a calendar can bring order and a sense of well being to a woman's life, this one—with its beautiful photographs, delicious recipes, and fold-out pages—can. World Rights Sold: Pomegranate

Children's Picture Books

Ryo Takagi's RAINMAN MAKES A FRIEND is the simple but poignant story of a lonely little man who seems to have bad luck, but who finds happiness when a frog wants to become his friend. Ryo, who lives in Tokyo, is the creator of a line of popular cards and calendars. His "Rainman" doll is part of a popular line of Asian string dolls that sell more than 10,000 each month.

Children's Picture Books Sold

Luli Gray's ANT & GRASSHOPPER is a retelling of the classic Aesop's fable, minus the self-righteous ethos. In Luli's version, Grasshopper's music turns out to be as valuable as Ant's bean-counting. Young readers will laugh as they question our "get more stuff" culture, if just a little. Luli Gray is the author of a fantasy quartet published by Houghton Mifflin. After years of knocking around the world, she now lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she admits to being a Grasshopper who lives frugally, barters cooking for services, and makes music in the form of books. World rights sold: Simon & Schuster

Jennifer Sattler's SYLVIE stars a little pink flamingo who, like her human preschool and elementary school counterparts, has endless curiosity and wants something new and exciting. She discovers it's better to stay true to who and what she is...with a colorful flair. Jennifer is the winner of a National Endowment for the Arts grant. World rights sold: Random House Children's Books. Motion picture, television, radio, lyric, dramatic, and merchandising rights: Liza Dawson Associates

Children's Nonfiction

Bruce Balan's AM I JEWISH? is a roller-coaster romp of a book in which a young Jewish boy innocently examines the Judaism of his friends and family, from secular to religious. In the end, he discovers the meaning of being exactly who he is. Bruce Balan lives on his sailboat Migration, and is currently sailing south from California to, in his words, "everywhere." The author of fourteen books for young readers, including the CYBER.KDZ novels from Avon Camelot, and the Parent's Choice Gold Medal-winner Buoy, Home at Sea from Delacorte Press, he plans to keep sailing, writing and traveling the world.

Fauzi Osman's MY LOVELY OMAR RIVER: A TALE FROM MALAYSIA is a sensuous "goodnight" picture book told in the rich cadences of the author's Asian-flavored English. Fauzi wrote the book when he was a student at The University of Memphis and homesick for his country. In simple words and lilting musicality, he imagines the river near his grandparents' home. Listen to My Lovely Omar River in MP3 format.

Margaret Peot's Inkblot: A Fun Tool for Seeing and Feeding Your Creative Self shows kids how to get their creative juices flowing through inkblot daily journals, inkblot sketchbooks, inkblot fortune telling cards, inkblot trading cards, inkblot specimen boxes—and more! Margaret is a professional costume painter and dyer for the Broadway theater. Her credits include the costumes for hundreds of plays, including Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Wicked, and Spamalot.

Children's books in development: Luli Gray's fourth book in her unsentimental "Falcon" dragon series, and a series of picture books by composer Marvin Hamlisch.

For more information about these books and authors, contact Anna Olswanger. Liza Dawson Associates is located at 350 Seventh Avenue, Ste. 2003, New York, NY 10001. Image from Nell Dickerson's GONE.