About Crescent Dragonwagon
Born 1952. Crescent Dragonwagon is an American writer, novelist and children's writer.
Crescent Dragonwagon (née Ellen Zolotow; November 25, 1952) is a multigenre writer. She has written fifty books, including two novels, seven cookbooks and culinary memoirs, more than twenty children's books, a biography, and a collection of poetry. In addition, she has written for magazines including The New York Times Book Review, Lear's, Cosmopolitan, McCall's, and The Horn Book.
Dragonwagon was born in New York City and is the daughter of the writers Charlotte and Maurice Zolotow and sister of professional poker player Steve Zolotow. Although many of her cookbooks include non-vegetarian recipes, she has been a vegetarian since the age of 22.
Dragonwagon and her late husband, Ned Shank, owned Dairy Hollow House, a country inn and restaurant in the Ozark Mountain community of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Dragonwagon later co-founded the non-profit Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow, and was active in the cultural and literary life of Arkansas throughout the 31 years she lived in the state full-time.
Awards and nominations Dragonwagon's tenth children's book, Half a Moon and One Whole Star, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and published in 1986, was the winner of a Coretta Scott King Award, as well as a Reading Rainbow Selection. In 1991, she won Arkansas' Porter Prize.
+ Year Awards and nominations Book 2003 Won: James Beard Foundation Award: Vegetarian/Healthy Focus Passionate Vegetarian (2002) 1993 Nominated: James Beard Foundation Award: Americana The Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread: A Country Inn Cookbook (1992)
Books
Biography
Cookbooks
Putting Up Stuff for the Cold Time: Canning, Preserving & Pickling for Those New to the Art or Not (1973) The Dairy Hollow House Cookbook (1986) , Nominee, 1993 James Beard Awards, Americana. Passionate Vegetarian (2002), Winner, 2003 James Beard Award, Vegetarian/Healthy Focus The Cornbread Gospels (2007) Bean by Bean: A Cookbook (2011)
Children's books Rainy Day Together (Harper & Row, 1971), as by Ellen Parsons, children's picture book illustrated by Lillian Hoban Strawberry Dress Escape (1975), When Light Turns into Night (1975), Wind Rose (1976) (with Ronald Himler) Will It Be Okay? (1977), Your Owl Friend (1977), , picture book illus. Ruth Lercher Bornstein If You Call My Name (1981), , picture book illus. David Palladini "Katie in the Morning" (1983), , picture book illus. Betsy A. Day I Hate My Brother Harry (1983) Always, Always (1984), Coconut (1984) , picture book illus. Nancy Tafuri Alligator Arrived With Apples: A Potluck Alphabet Feast (1985) Half a Moon and One Whole Star (1986), , picture book illus. Jerry Pinkney This Is the Bread I Baked for Ned (1989), Home Place (1990), , picture book illus. Jerry Pinkney Winter Holding Spring (1990), Alligators and Others All Year Long (1993) Annie Flies the Birthday Bike (1993) Brass Button (1997) Bat in the Dining Room (1997) And Then It Rained / And Then the Sun Came Out (2002) Sack of Potatoes (2002) All the Awake Animals Are Almost Asleep (2012)
Novels The Year It Rained (1985) To Take A Dare (1982) (co-authored with the late Paul Zindel)
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Important facts
People in Crescent Dragonwagon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Crescent Dragonwagon's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Crescent Dragonwagon?
American children's and food writer
When was Crescent Dragonwagon born?
Crescent Dragonwagon was born on 25 November 1952 in New York City.
What is Crescent Dragonwagon's occupation?
Crescent Dragonwagon is a writer, novelist and children's writer.
What nationality is Crescent Dragonwagon?
Crescent Dragonwagon is American.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Crescent Dragonwagon
· DBpedia: Crescent Dragonwagon
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Crescent Dragonwagon. https://biography.guide/crescent-dragonwagon/
MLA: "Crescent Dragonwagon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/crescent-dragonwagon/.
Chicago: "Crescent Dragonwagon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/crescent-dragonwagon/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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