Mrs. O'Neill

Mary O'Neill was an American writer and poet for children whose best-known book, Hailstones and Halibut Bones: Adventures in Color, became a longtime favorite for its lively, sensory poems about color. The book’s playful approach helped make it a staple for many young readers and classrooms.

Before focusing on writing, she also worked in advertising and later became a partner in her own agency. That mix of creativity and clear, memorable language shows in her writing, which is easy to read aloud and full of strong images.

Although she wrote other books as well, she is most closely associated with Hailstones and Halibut Bones, the work that continues to introduce children to poetry through curiosity, sound, and imagination.