Bruce Degen

Degen was born on June 14, 1945, in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where he was raised. == Career ==

Degen's working life has included designing advertisements, teaching art, making prints, painting scenery for opera productions, and directing a lithography studio in Israel. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, Degen taught art in public schools of New York City and worked as a freelance artist and illustrator on the side. In the mid-1980s, he became the illustrator for The Magic School Bus book series written by Joanna Cole. The first book, The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks, came out in 1986. The success of the series allowed him to become a full-time artist and "to teach at colleges for fun." The book series sold over 95 million copies and became a franchise with many adaptations, such as the 1994–1997 TV series. Degen and Cole made 14 books together over a few decades of collaboration. Their last was The Magic School Bus Explores Human Evolution; Cole died in 2020. ==Patronage==

Bruce and Christine Degen are Lifetime Giving Society members at the Cooper Union. Bruce and Christine Degen contributed "Gifts to the Garden" for the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. They sat as appointed members of the Newtown, Connecticut, Hattertown Historic District Commission. ==Selected works==

Credited authors are the writers of books illustrated by Degen. • Aunt Possum and the Pumpkin Man (1977) • Forecast by Malcolm Hall (1977; 1st UK edition published by World's Work, 1979). • A Big Day for Scepters by Stephen Krensky (1977) • Ig Lives in a Cave by Carol Chapman (1979) • Brimhall Turns to Magic by Judy Delton (1979) • Mr. Jameson and Mr. Phillips by Marjorie W. Sharmat (1979) • Commander Toad series, written by Jane Yolen (1980–1997) • The Forgetful Bears Help Santa by Larry Weinberg (1988) • Lion and Lamb by William H. Hooks and Barbara Brenner (1989) • Dinosaur Dances by Jane Yolen (1990) • Lion and Lamb Step Out by William H. Hooks and Barbara Brenner (1990) • Teddy Bear Towers (1991) • Goblin Walk by Tony Johnston (1991) • Ups and Downs with Lion and Lamb by William H. Hooks and Barbara Brenner (1991) • ''Little Chick's Friend, Duckling'' by Mary DeBall Kwitz (1992) • ''Mouse's Birthday'' by Jane Yolen (1993) • A Beautiful Feast for a Big King Cat by John Archambault (1994) • Will You Give Me a Dream? by Joan Lowery Nixon (1994) • Sailaway Home (1999) • Daddy Is a Doodlebug (2000) • I Gotta Draw (2012) • I Said, "Bed!" (2014) • Snow Joke (2014) • Nate Likes to Skate (2016) ==References==