death_date birth_date genre article_title name occupation
2004 1923 children 's literature ruth heller
 ruth heller author
ruth heller

ruth heller -lrb- 1923 -- 2004 -rrb- was a children 's author and graphic artist known for her use of bright color and detail in both geometric design and the representation of creatures , plants , patterns , and puzzles .
she worked primarily with a combination of colored pencil and marker for her book illustrations .
born in winnipeg , canada , she grew up in san francisco , california , usa , where she lived until she died of cancer in 2004 .
heller began her career designing wrapping paper , cocktail napkins , greeting cards , and coloring books .
she then went on to start writing and illustrating children 's books in 1981 .
after a 6-year struggle she found a publisher for her first book , `` chickens are n't the only ones '' .
her books are written in a rhyming verse reminiscent of gilbert and sullivan , hilaire belloc , or dr. seuss .
