Blair Lent facts for kids

Blair Lent was an American artist who wrote and illustrated children's books. He was born on January 22, 1930, and passed away on January 27, 2009. He sometimes used the pen name Ernest Small. Lent was famous for his books, especially those with Chinese themes, like Tikki Tikki Tembo.

In 1973, he won the important Caldecott Medal. This award is given for the best picture book illustrations in the U.S. He won it for his work in The Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel. Blair Lent used many different art styles in his books. These included acrylic paints, cut-out shapes, colored pencils, and ink washes.

Early Life and Art Training

Blair Lent was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He loved art from a young age. He went to the Boston Museum School. He earned his art degree there in 1953.

After finishing school, he traveled to Italy and Switzerland. He went there on a special grant to study art. When he returned, he worked in advertising. He designed labels for cans and created advertisements for banks.

His Own Stories

Blair Lent started writing and illustrating his own books. An editor at Atlantic Monthly Press liked his ideas. His first book, Pistachio, came out in 1964. It was a story he wrote and illustrated about a green cow and a circus.

He also wrote books using the name Ernest Small. In 1966, he published Baba Yaga, a story about a witch. He also wrote John Tabor's Ride, a fun tale about a sailor. Later, he wrote and illustrated Bayberry Bluff (1987), Molasses Flood (1992), and Ruby and Fred (2000).

Illustrating for Others

Blair Lent also created amazing pictures for other authors' books. Some of these became his most well-known works. In 1964, he illustrated The Wave by Margaret Hodges. This book was based on an old Japanese story.

He illustrated Tikki Tikki Tembo in 1968. This popular Chinese folk tale was retold by Arlene Mosel. In the same year, he illustrated Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky. This book was based on an African folk tale. He also illustrated a version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl.

His illustrations for The Funny Little Woman (1973) were very special. This Japanese folk tale, retold by Arlene Mosel, won him the Caldecott Medal. In 1997, Tikki Tikki Tembo was named one of the 50 best children's books of the past 50 years by The New York Times.

Where His Art Lives

Blair Lent's original artwork is kept in special collections. You can find some of his art at the Kerlan Collection. This is located at the University of Minnesota. Other pieces are at the Mazza Museum. This museum is at the University of Findlay in Ohio. These places help preserve his wonderful contributions to children's literature.

Later Life

Blair Lent lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He passed away on January 27, 2009, at the age of 79. He died from pneumonia in Medford, Massachusetts.