author
Mrs. O'Neill
Best known for the classic children’s poetry book Hailstones and Halibut Bones, this writer brought color, sound, and everyday wonder to life with a playful, memorable voice. Before turning fully to books, she worked in advertising and later became a partner in her own agency.
1 Audiobook
The Bondman: A Story of the Times of Wat Tyler
by Mrs. O'Neill
About the author
Mary O'Neill was an American children's author whose best-known book, Hailstones and Halibut Bones, became a longtime favorite for its lively poems about color. Publisher biographies say she knew from childhood that she wanted to write, and that after working as an advertising copywriter and becoming a partner in her own agency, she moved to New York and began writing children's books for Doubleday.
Other biographical notes consistently describe her as having grown up in Berea, Ohio, in a large Victorian house where she wrote and directed plays for her younger brothers and sisters. Sources also say she studied at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Western Reserve in Cleveland, and the University of Michigan.
Alongside Hailstones and Halibut Bones, she wrote many other books for young readers, including People I'd Like to Keep and Saints: Adventures in Courage. The available sources also indicate that she died on January 2, 1990, at age 84.