Salvatore "Sal" Murdocca is a children's book illustrator.
Born on April 26, 1943, Salvatore Murdocca grew up in Brooklyn, NY. He attended the High School of Art and Design in New York City majoring in illustration. After graduating in 1960, he spent another year studying at the Art Students League while apprenticing in a commercial art studio.
After a successful nine-year career as an advertising and magazine illustrator Mr. Murdocca gradually turned to children's book illustration.
Since 1970 Mr. Murdocca has authored ten books and illustrated hundreds of education, mass market and trade books for a stellar array of authors. He has illustrated books by such noted authors as Eve Bunting, Bill Martin Jr., Olivia Newton-John, Charles Grodin, Alan Benjamin, Laura Numeroff, Edward Packard, Jeanne Bendick and Mary Pope Osborne.
He has illustrated several series, including George E. Stanley's Third Grade Detectives, Scaredy Cats, and Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series.
In the early 1980's Mr. Murdocca taught writing and illustration for two years at the Parsons School of Design.
His work has been recognized by The Society of Illustrators, the Art Director's Club in NYC and the Children's Book Council. His writing has been recognized by the Literary Guild. He was a winner in an international short story competition in 1978.
Mr. Murdocca is also an award winning fine artist who has participated in many one-man and group shows of his watercolor and acrylic paintings. His fine art has been represented by galleries in Nyack, NY, SOHO, NYC and in France.
He has written the libretto for an opera, The Hero of Hamblett, inspired by his own book, published in 1972. And he has made three films.
Salvatore Murdocca is best known as the illustrator of the NY Times best selling, and award winning "Magic Tree House" series written by Mary Pope Osborne. This classic series has been immensely popular for two decades and has sold tens of millions of copies world wide.
Mr. Murdocca continues to paint, write and illustrate the Magic Tree House series. He and his wife, Nancy, also an artist, divide their time between their home in New City, NY and their house in the south of France.