Fran Manushkin, born on November 2, 1942, is an American children's book author. She started her career as a children's book editor before becoming an author. Manushkin studied at the University of Illinois and Roosevelt University. She has written over 20 children's books, earning high critical acclaim. In 2000, she received the Notable Children's Book Citation Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries for her book Come Let Us Be Joyful: The Story of Hava Nagila.