The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators

561 Pages·2002·3.63 MB·English

by  Anita Silvey

The Essential Guide to
Children’s Books and
Their Creators
Anita Silvey, Editor
Houghton Mifflin Company
The Essential Guide to
Children’s Books and Their Creators

T H E E S S E N T I A L G U I D E TO
................................................................
Children’s Books
and Their Creators
................................................................
     
A S
,
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY • BOSTON • NEW YORK • 2002
Copyright © byHoughton Mifflin Company
All rights reserved
For information about permission to reproduce selections from
this book,write to Permissions,Houghton Mifflin Company,
Park Avenue South,New York,New York .
Visit our Web site:www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com.
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
is available.
 ---x
 ---(pbk.)
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
Book design by Robert Overholtzer
          
  :
the women and men who have created,published,
sold,promoted,and championed children’s
and young adult books.They have loved and nurtured
the books described in these pagesand have
taught me all that I know.

Contents
Introduction ix
Getting Started: A Basic Reading List xi
Entries 1
Notes on the Contributors 499
Illustration Credits 504
Index 505

Introduction
“Only the rarest kind ofbest in anything is good enough for the young.”
—Walter de la Mare
L   and most of us starve. opportunity. The Essential Guide to Children’s
This adage applies particularly to readers of Books and Their Creators, alphabetically ar-
children’s books. Despite the wealth, the com- ranged,contains three types of entries: biogra-
plexity, and the beauty of children’s books, so phies about the creators; overviews of history,
few people have the time, or the resources, to issues,and genres;and “Voices ofthe Creators,”
experience the full richness offered. The Essen- written by thirty ofour finest authors and illus-
tial Guide to Children’s Books and Their Creators trators.
brings the banquet to everyone. Focusing primarily on contemporary Ameri-
For more than thirty years,first as editor of can authors and illustrators, I selected about
Horn Book Magazine, then as a publisher of  entries from the  text for this volume.
children’s books, I have lectured extensively in When necessary,I updated certain entries with
the United States and Canada about our most new information and titles.These essays repre-
important children’s books. Often when seek- sent our classic children’s literature, the canon
ing basic information,I found myselfsearching ofchildren’s books,which continue to be read in
through a dozen reference volumes.Gradually I the twenty-first century.Although not the only
formed an image ofthe reference book on chil- books ofmerit published,these books motivate
dren’s literature that I frequently reached for but children to read. They include captivating sto-
could not find. Such a book, I believed, would ries,compelling characters,and imaginative use
concentrate on the literature created for Ameri- of language.They appeal to a wide and diverse
can children over the past fifty years, treat its audience of children. Because childhood is so
subjects broadly, offer thoughtful evaluations, brief,we need to expose our children to the best
contain a wide range of critical perspectives, ofour literary heritage in their childhood years.
and allow children’s book authors and artists That remains the finestand most poignant
to speak for themselves. With these objectives gift we could ever give to the young.
in mind,I conceived Children’s Books and Their Thes proved a particularly exciting time
Creators,published in . in children’s book creation. Thanks to Harry
After using Children’s Books and Their Cre- Potter, children’s books became front-page
ators for a few years,I became aware of certain news,and some talented writers and illustrators
limitations. Because of the size of the volume, demonstrated their best work during this pe-
I could not adopt it for my college courses. riod. To present information and commentary
Although extensively covering the history of about these new voices, I added one hundred
children’s books, it became more outdated new essays.
with the passing years.Then Susan Canavan of Although I believe that at least one thousand
Houghton Mifflin suggested I revise the book people could be considered essential creators of
for a paperback volume, and I welcomed the children’s books,I could not offer information