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
- 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)
- The Trail of Courage: A Story of New Amsterdam, 1948
- Henry, Fisherman: A Story of the Virgin Islands, 1949 — a Caldecott Honor
- Face of Ennui, 1949
- 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: Jamaican Folk Tales, 1954
- Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper, 1954 — Caldecott Medal winner
- The Flying Carpet, 1956[7]
- God's Voice in the Folklore: Nonsense Rhymes and Great Legends, 1956
- Three Billy Goats Gruff, 1957
- Felice, 1958
- Peter Piper's Alphabet: Peter Piper's Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation, 1959
- Tamarindo!, 1960
- Once a Mouse...: A Fable Cut in Wood, 1961 — Caldecott Medal winner
- A Budget of Lively Exploits, or H.M. Indefatigable: Being the Merry History of Helen Masten behind the Library Lions, 1961
- The Wild Swans, 1963
- The Conquest of Mexico: A Study in Historiography, 1965
- Backbone of the King: The Story of Paka'a and his son Ku, 1966
- Neighbors, 1967
- How, Hippo!, 1969
- Giselle, or The Wilis, 1970
- The Bun: A Tale From Russia, 1972
- The Snow Queen, 1972
- All Butterflies: An ABC, 1974
- Bougainville: The Establishment of a Copper Mine, 1974
- From Tiger to Anansi, 1975
- American Picture Books from Noah's Ark to The Beast Within, 1976
- The Blue Jackal, 1977
- Giselle: A Role for a Lifetime, 1977
- A Man's Reach: The Autobiography of Glenn Clark, 1977
- Listen to a Shape, 1979
- Touch Will Tell, 1979
- Walk With Your Eyes, 1979
- Shape and Form, 1979
- Touch and Feel, 1979
- Look and See, 1979
- Shadow, 1982 — Caldecott Medal winner
- Le Roman Féminin d'Haïti: Forme et Structure, 1985
- Narragansett Bay Issue Assessment: Public Perceptions, 1987
- L'Acteur Féminin dans Amour: Colère et Folie de Marie Chauvet, 1987
- Sing A Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems, 1988
- The Sea of Gold and Other Tales from Japan, 1988
- Of Swans, Sugarplums, and Satin Slippers: Ballet Stories for Children, 1991
- Feminist Perspectives: Six Women from the South discuss Gender in the Development Process, 1993
- 75 Years of Children's Book Week Posters: Celebrating Great Illustrators of American Children's Books, 1994
- How the Ostrich Got its Long Neck: A Tale from the Akamba of Kenya, 1995
- We Were Innocent: Eight Vignettes, 1997
- Act It Out! Teacher's Planning Guide, 1997
- Arthur and the Lost Diary: A Chapter 9 Book, 1998
- Here Light Opens, 2000
- Arthur and the Pen-Pal Playoff: A Chapter 6 Book, 2001
- Vittoria Colonna, Gaspara Stampa, and Louise Labé: Their Contribution to the Development of Renaissance Sonnet, 2002
- Brand Me, Inc., 2004
- Rhinestone Jewelry Figurals, Animals, and Whimsicals: Identification & Values, 2006
- Calculate with Confidence, 2016
- Essays
- Lotus Seeds: Children, Pictures, and Books, Scribner's, 1986
References
- ↑ "Children's author, 3-time winner of caldecott Medal," Chicago Sun-Times, May 9, 2015, p. 33.
- 1 2 "Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938–Present". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). American Library Association (ALA).
"The Randolph Caldecott Medal". ALSC. ALA. Retrieved 2013-06-10. - 1 2 "Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, Past winners". ALSC. ALA.
"About the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award". ALSC. ALA. Retrieved 2013-06-10. - ↑ "Hans Christian Andersen Awards". International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Retrieved 2013-07-22.
- ↑ "US Nominees for the Hans Christian Andersen Award". AndersenAward-winners-and-nominees.pdf, page 2. United States Board on Books for Young People. 2008. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
- ↑ "Regina Medal". Catholic Library Association. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
- ↑ "The Flying Carpet". Library.albany.edu. Retrieved 2013-05-02.
External links
Library resources about Marcia Brown |
By Marcia Brown |
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- Britannica.com
- Hbook.com
- Albany.edu
- Bookhelpweb.com
- Marcia Brown at Library of Congress Authorities —with 45 catalog records
- Obituary - New York Times