University Distinguished Professor of English, Kansas State University
Philip Nel is University Distinguished Professor of English at Kansas State University. He is the author or co-editor of thirteen books, including: "Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books" (Oxford UP, 2017), four volumes of Crockett Johnson’s "Barnaby" (co-edited with Eric Reynolds, Fantagraphics, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020), a double biography of Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss (UP Mississippi, 2012), "Keywords for Children’s Literature" (2nd edition co-edited with Lissa Paul and Nina Christensen, NYU P, 2021), and "Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children’s Literature" (co-edited with Julia Mickenberg, NYU P, 2008).
His forthcoming book, "How to Draw the World: Harold and the Purple Crayon and the Making of a Children's Classic," will be published in November 2024 by Oxford University Press.
The fifth and final volume of Crockett Johnson's "Barnaby" will be published in February 2025 by Fantagraphics Books.