Marcia Brown

Marcia Joan Brown (July 13, 1918 – April 28, 2015) was an American writer and illustrator of more than 30 children's books.^[1] She has won three annual Caldecott Medals from the American Library Association, recognizing the year's best U.S. picture book illustration,^[2] and the ALA's Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal in 1992 for her career contribution to children's literature.^[3] Many of her titles have been published in translation, including Afrikaans, German, Japanese, Spanish and Xhosa-Bantu editions.

Life

Born in Rochester, New York, she enrolled in the New York State College for Teachers, predecessor to the University at Albany. She taught at Cornwall High School in New York City, where she began her writing career. Her first book was The Little Carousel, a 32-page picture book that she both wrote and illustrated, published by Scribner's in 1946.

Growing up during the Depression, Brown considered becoming a doctor. She decided, however, to take up teaching and, later, writing.

Awards

For her contribution as a children's illustrator Brown was U.S. nominee in both 1966 and 1976 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition available to creators of children's books.^[4][5] She received the 1977 Regina Medal from the Catholic Libraries Association for "continued, distinguished contribution to children's literature without regard to the nature of the contribution"^[6] and the 1992 Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the American Library Association for "substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature"; it was then conferred every three years.^[3]

From 1955 to 1983 Brown won three Caldecott Medals, the annual American Library Association award to the illustrator of the year's "most distinguished American picture book for children" (only David Wiesner has also won three). Her books have been named Honor Books six times from 1948 to 1954, and display silver rather than gold seals.^[2]

Selected works

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• The Little Carousel (Scribner's, 1946), a picture book she wrote and illustrated
• Stone soup, an old tale, 1947 — a Caldecott Honor (she also narrated an audio version of it for Weston Woods’ Picture Book Parade in the 1960s)
• Henry, fisherman; a story of the Virgin Islands, 1949 — a Caldecott Honor
• Dick Whittington and his cat, 1950 — a Caldecott Honor
• Skipper John's Cook New York: Junior Literary Guild and Charles Scribner's Sons, c1951; Copyright not renewed — a Caldecott Honor
• Puss in Boots, 1952 — a Caldecott Honor
• The Steadfast Tin Soldier, 1953 — a Caldecott Honor
• Anansi, the Spider Man, 1954,
• Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, 1954 — Caldecott Medal winner
• The Flying Carpet, 1956^[7]
• Three Billy Goats Gruff, 1957
• Felice, 1958
• Peter Piper's alphabet; Peter Piper's practical principles of plain and perfect pronunciation. Manifold manifestations made by Marcia Brown, 1959
• Tamarindo!, 1960
• Once a Mouse, 1961 — Caldecott Medal winner
• The Wild Swans, 1963
• Backbone of the king; the story of Paka'a and his son Ku, 1966
• Neighbors, 1967
• How, Hippo, 1969
• Bun: A Tale From Russia, 1972
• Snow Queen, 1972
• All butterflies; an ABC, 1974
• Blue jackal, 1977
• Listen to a Shape, 1979
• Touch Will Tell, 1979
• Walk With Your Eyes, 1979
• Shadow, 1982 — Caldecott Medal winner
• Of Swans, Sugarplums, and Satin Slippers : ballet stories for children, 1991
• How the Ostrich Got a Long Neck, 1995

Essays

• "Lotus Seeds - Children, Pictures, and Books", Scribner's, 1986

References

External links

• Britannica.com
• Hbook.com
• Albany.edu
• Bookhelpweb.com
• Marcia Brown at Library of Congress Authorities —with 45 catalog records
• Obituary - New York Times