Anita Lobel facts for kids

Anita Lobel (born June 2, 1934) is a talented Polish-American artist and writer. She is famous for illustrating many wonderful children's books. Some of her well-known works include On Market Street, A New Coat for Anna, and Alison's Zinnia. Her book One Lighthouse, One Moon was even named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. Anita Lobel also wrote a book about her own childhood called No Pretty Pictures, which was a finalist for a big award called the National Book Award.

Anita Lobel's Life Story

Anita Lobel was born in Kraków, Poland, on June 2, 1934. Her family were merchants. When she was five years old, World War II began. She, her brother, and their nanny had to hide for over four years. They hid in the countryside, then in a special area called a ghetto, and later in a convent.

Sadly, the Nazis found them in the convent. Anita and her brother were sent to a camp in Germany. In 1945, the Swedish Red Cross helped rescue them. They were reunited with their parents in 1947. Even though she could read and write, Anita did not start school until she was 13.

In 1952, her family moved from Sweden to New York City. She finished high school there and then studied fine arts at the Pratt Institute. While at Pratt, she met Arnold Lobel, who would become her husband. He was directing a school play she was in.

Starting Her Career

After college, Anita worked as a textile designer for several years. Then, a publisher named Susan Hirschman asked her to create a book. In 1965, her first book, Sven's Bridge, was published. She wrote and illustrated it. The pictures in the book show Swedish folk designs, which were inspired by her childhood.

Her book Potatoes, Potatoes is partly based on her own childhood in Poland. Another book, The Troll Music, was inspired by old tapestries with plants and small animals.

Working with Arnold Lobel

For many years, Anita worked with her husband, Arnold Lobel, who was also a writer and illustrator. They had two children, a daughter named Adrianne Lobel and a son named Adam. They also had three grandchildren.

Anita and Arnold worked together on books like How the Rooster Saved the Day and A Treeful of Pigs. In 1982, Anita received a special award called a Caldecott Honor for her illustrations in On Market Street, which Arnold wrote.

After Arnold passed away in 1987, Anita continued to create books. She wrote and illustrated Alison's Zinnia and Away from Home. In 1998, she published No Pretty Pictures, a book about her childhood experiences during the war. This story starts when she was five years old in 1939 and ends in 1947 when she was reunited with her parents. She also illustrated a counting book called One Lighthouse, One Moon. Anita has also illustrated books for other authors, including Charlotte S. Huck and Kevin Henkes.

Awards and Recognition

Anita Lobel's childhood story, No Pretty Pictures, was a finalist for the 1998 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. It also won several other awards, including the Judy Lopez Memorial Medal for Children's Literature and the Golden Kite Award.

Two picture books that Arnold and Anita Lobel created together were recognized by the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. These were On Market Street in 1981 and The Rose in My Garden in 1984. On Market Street was also a finalist for the Caldecott Medal, which is a big award for children's picture book illustrations.

The New York Times Book Review has chosen Anita Lobel's illustrations as "Best Illustrated Book" three times. This happened in 1965 for Sven's Bridge, in 1981 for On Market Street, and in 2000 for One Lighthouse, One Moon.

Published Books

Anita Lobel has created many books throughout her career. Here are some of them:

Books She Wrote and Illustrated

• Sven's Bridge, 1965
• The Troll Music, 1966
• Potatoes, Potatoes, 1967
• Under a Mushroom, 1970
• The Seamstress of Salzburg, 1970
• A Birthday for the Princess, 1973
• The Dwarf Giant, 1991
• Alison's Zinnia, 1990
• Pierrot's ABC Garden, 1992
• Away from Home, 1994
• No Pretty Pictures: A Child of War, 1998 (This is her memoir)
• My Day in the Garden, 1999
• One Lighthouse, One Moon, 2000
• Animal Antics: A to Z, 2005
• Nini Here and There, 2007
• Hello, Day!, 2008
• Nini Lost and Found, 2010
• 10 Hungry Rabbits: Counting and Coloring Concepts, 2012
• Lena's Sleep Sheep: A Going-to-Bed Book, 2013
• Taking Care of Mama Rabbit, 2014
• Playful Pigs from A to Z, 2015
• Ducks on the Road: A Counting Adventure, 2021
• Good Morning, Good Night, 2023

Books She Illustrated for Other Authors

• Cock-a-Doodle Doo! Cock-a-Doodle Dandy!: A New Songbook for the Newest Singers (1966), by Paul Kapp
• Puppy Summer (1966), by Meindert DeJong
• The Wishing Penny and Other Stories (1967), an anthology
• The Wisest Man in the World: A Legend of Ancient Israel (1968), by Benjamin Elkin
• The Little Wooden Farmer (1968), by Alice Dalgliesh
• Indian Summer (1968), by F. N. Monjo
• Someone Small (1969), by Barbara Borack
• Three Rolls and One Doughnut: Fables from Russia (1970), retold by Mirra Ginsburg
• The Uproar (1970), by Doris Orgel
• How the Tsar Drinks Tea (1971), by Benjamin Elkin
• One for the Price of Two (1972), by Cynthia Jameson
• Soldier, Soldier, Won't You Marry Me? (1972), compiled by John Langstaff
• Little John (1972), by Theodor Storm, retold by Doris Orgel
• Clever Kate (1973), by Brothers Grimm, adapted by Elizabeth Shub
• Christmas Crafts: Things to Make the 24 Days Before Christmas (1974), by Carolyn Meyer
• King Rooster, Queen Hen (1975), retold
• Peter Penny's Dance (1976), by Janet Quin-Harkin
• Fanny's Sister (1980), by Penelope Lively
• How the Rooster Saved the Day (1977), by Arnold Lobel
• The Pancake (1978), retold
• A Treeful of Pigs (1979), by Arnold Lobel
• On Market Street (1981), by Arnold Lobel
• Singing Bee!: A Collection of Favorite Children's Songs (1982), an anthology
• The Straw Maid (1983), adapted
• Once: A Lullaby (1986), by B. P. Nichol
• The Rose in My Garden (1984), by Arnold Lobel
• The Night Before Christmas (1984), by Clement Clarke Moore
• A New Coat for Anna (1986), by Harriet Ziefert
• Princess Furball (1989), retold by Charlotte Huck
• Looking for Daniela: A Romantic Adventure (1988), by Steven Kroll
• This Quiet Lady (1992), by Charlotte Zolotow
• The Cat and the Cook and Other Fables of Krylov (1995), by Ivan Krylov, retold by Ethel L. Heins
• Toads and Diamonds (1995), retold by Charlotte Huck
• Not Everyday an Aurora Borealis for Your Birthday: A Love Poem (1998), by Carl Sandburg
• Mangaboom (1997), by Charlotte Pomerantz
• The Stable Rat and Other Christmas Poems (2001), by Julia Cunningham
• The Black Bull of Norroway: A Scottish Tale (2001), retold by Charlotte Huck
• All the World's a Stage (2003), by Rebecca Piatt Davidson
• My Grandmother's Stories: A Collection of Jewish Folk Tales (2003), by Adèle Geras
• So Happy! (2005), by Kevin Henkes