Mary Calhoun was born on August 3, 1926 in Keokuk, Iowa. She received a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the University of Iowa. She worked at the Omaha World Herald before marrying fellow journalist Frank Calhoun. Her first book, Making the Mississippi Shout, was published in 1957. She wrote more than 50 children's books during her lifetime including the Katie John series, Julie's Tree, Henry the Sailor Cat, and Cross-Country Cat. She died on October 27, 2015 at the age of 89.
030