Aliki Brandenberg

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Aliki Liacouras Brandenberg (born September 3, 1929) is an American author and illustrator of books for children.

Brandenberg was born in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey. Her parents, who lived in Philadelphia, were originally from Greece, and they taught her to speak Greek before she learned to speak English. Aliki started to draw at an early age, and her supportive parents enrolled her in art classes. She also took piano lessons.

After graduating from the Philadelphia Museum School of Art in 1951, Aliki worked briefly at the J. C. Penney Company in New York, in that company’s display department. She then moved back to Philadelphia and put her skills to use as a freelance artist, creating art for advertising and display purposes. She also taught classes in art, worked as a muralist, and started a greeting card company.

In 1956 Aliki decided to explore her Greek heritage, as well as many other parts of Europe. During her travels she met Franz Brandenberg, whom she married the following year. After moving to Franz’s native Switzerland, Aliki wrote her first book The Story of William Tell, about the legendary Swiss archer. The book, published in 1960, was well received. Aliki and her husband moved to New York, where Aliki began in earnest her long career as an illustrator and author of books for children.

She has written and illustrated many books and she has also illustrated books for other authors, including her husband Franz Brandenberg. Aliki’s long and prolific career as an author and illustrator led her to explore many subjects of historic and scientific interest. Her nonfiction books, either written by herself or by others, touch upon matters as varied as dinosaurs, book manufacturing, Shakespeare, evolution, and growing up. Aliki’s fictional works explore such themes as family and friendship. Aliki’s Greek heritage is also a recurring theme in her works, both fiction and nonfiction.

Since 1977 Aliki and her husband Franz have lived in London, England, where she continues to create meticulously researched and carefully crafted books for children[1][2].

[edit] Reference

  1. ^ Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children's Literature
  2. ^ Pennsylvania Center for the Book

[edit] Bibliography

  • The Story of William Tell. New York: Barnes, 1961.
  • My Five Senses. New York: Crowell, 1962.
  • The Story of Johnny Appleseed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice Hall, 1964.
  • The Story of William Penn. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1964.
  • Three Gold Pieces: A Greek Folk Tale. New York: Pantheon, 1967.
  • Corn is Maize: The Gift of the Indians. New York: Crowell, 1976.
  • Mummies Made in Egypt. New York: Crowell, 1979. (this book was shown on the PBS TV series Reading Rainbow in 1989)
  • Feelings. New York: Greenwillow, 1984.
  • Dinosaur Bones. New York: Crowell, 1988.
  • Marianthe’s Story (including Painted Words and Spoken Memories). New York: Greenwillow, 1998.
  • Ah, Music! New York: HarperCollins, 2003.
  • A Play’s the Thing. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

[edit] External links

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