Roz Abisch, children's book author, dies at age 86

  • Roslyn "Roz" Abisch, a 30-year resident of Tamarac, passed away on Sunday, January 26, 2014 after a long illness. She was 86.
Roslyn "Roz" Abisch, a 30-year resident of Tamarac, passed… (Courtesy, Ellen Pickering )
February 4, 2014|By Lisa J. Huriash, Sun Sentinel

Roslyn "Roz" Abisch, the author of dozens of children's books in the 1960s and 1970s that were meant to spark interest in learning and in crafts, died Jan. 26.

Mrs. Abisch, of Tamarac, was 86.

Mrs. Abisch was born in Brooklyn, and she and her husband raised their three daughters in their Long Island home. She worked as an advertising copywriter and fashion artist before pursuing her writing passion at the same time she was a stay-at-home mother.

She turned her den into a writing office where she collaborated with her friend from junior high school, Boche Kaplan.

"They always had a dream they would write children's books together," said her daughter, Ellen Pickering.

Often, Mrs. Abisch did the writing, and Kaplan did the art; but they sometimes switched or shared responsibilities. The books were published under different names, including "A.K. Roche" incorporating letters from both names.

"Boche would come over and they would just work during the day and put together manuscripts and go into Manhattan" to meet with publishers, said Pickering, of Gainesville. "She got royalties and residuals for years."

Among the titles: "Art is for you," 1967; "Do you know what time it is?" 1968; "Let's find out about butterflies; 1972; "Easy-to-make holiday fun things," 1973 and "The save-it and use-it craft book," 1976.

The theme of the books was to "have kids be creative, to have them explore ... teaching kids magic tricks and make crafts and do stuff in the kitchen," Pickering said. "She was extremely talented."

Mrs. Abisch and her husband, Howard Abisch, moved to Coral Springs in 1977 because the cold weather aggravated his health conditions. They moved to Tamarac a few years later.

In addition to her husband and daughter, Mrs. Abisch is survived by daughters Janet Abisch Scott, of Cornwall Bridge, Conn.; and Susan Saslow, of Boca Raton; and three grandsons.

A private service was held in Tamarac.

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