David Wiesner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Wiesner
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Wiesner at the Mazza Museum in 2011
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| Born | David Wiesner February 5, 1956 Bridgewater Township, New Jersey |
| Occupation | Illustrator, writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 1980–present |
| Genre | Children's picture books |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | Caldecott Medal 1992, 2002, 2007 |
David Wiesner (born February 5, 1956) is an American artist who writes and illustrates children's books. He is especially famous for his picture books, including many that tell amazing stories without using any words!
David Wiesner has won the important Caldecott Medal three times. This award celebrates the "most distinguished American picture book for children" each year. In 2008, he was also a finalist for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award, which is one of the highest honors for children's book creators.
Contents
About David Wiesner
David Wiesner was born on February 5, 1956. He grew up in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. He went to Bridgewater-Raritan High School and later studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. Today, he lives near Philadelphia with his family.
His Amazing Career
David Wiesner started his career illustrating books for other writers. His first book was Honest Andrew in 1980. He also illustrated a novel called Man From the Sky that same year.
After illustrating many books, he wrote his first picture book, Loathsome Dragon, with his wife, Kim Kahng, in 1987. Since then, Wiesner has created many of his own picture books. He often writes and illustrates them himself. Some of his most famous books don't have any words at all!
Stories Without Words
Wiesner's solo books often tell fantastic, dream-like stories using only pictures. His book Free Fall (1988) was a Caldecott Honor Book. This means it was a runner-up for the top Caldecott Medal.
He later won three Caldecott Medals for his wordless picture books:
- Tuesday (1991)
- The Three Pigs (2001)
- Flotsam (2006)
He was also a runner-up for Sector 7 (1999) and Mr. Wuffles! (2013).
In 2017, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art held a special art show about David Wiesner. It was called David Wiesner & the Art of Wordless Storytelling. The exhibition showed many of his amazing works from throughout his career.
Books by David Wiesner
David Wiesner has created many wonderful books. Here are some of them:
Books He Wrote and Illustrated
- 1987 Loathsome Dragon (with Kim Kahng)
- 1988 Free Fall
- 1990 Hurricane
- 1991 Tuesday
- 1992 June 29, 1999
- 1999 Sector 7
- 2001 The Three Pigs
- 2006 Flotsam
- 2010 Art & Max
- 2013 Mr. Wuffles!
- 2017 Fish Girl
- 2018 I Got It!
- 2020 Robobaby
Books He Illustrated for Other Writers
- 1980 Honest Andrew by Gloria Skurzynski
- 1980 Man from the Sky by Avi
- 1981 Ugly Princess by Nancy Luenn
- 1981 One Bad Thing about Birthdays by David R. Collins
- 1981 Boy who Spoke Chimp by Jane Yolen
- 1982 Owly by Mike Thaler
- 1982 Neptune Rising: Songs and Tales of the Undersea Folk by Jane Yolen
- 1983 Miranty and the Alchemist by Vera Chapman
- 1984 Dark Green Tunnel by Allan W. Eckert
- 1985 Wand: the Return to Mesmeria by Allan W. Eckert
- 1985 E.T., the Storybook of the Green Planet by William Kotzwinkle; based on the film story by Steven Spielberg and Melissa Mathison
- 1986 Kite Flier by Dennis Haseley
- 1988 Firebrat by Nancy Willard
- 1989 The Rainbow People by Laurence Yep
- 1989 The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Marianna Mayer
- 1991 Tongues of Jade by Laurence Yep
- 1994 Night of the Gargoyles by Eve Bunting
Other Projects
- 1989 Cover for The Glass Salamander by Ann Downer
- 1997 Story and Design for CD-ROM adventure game The Day the World Broke
