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Don Freeman facts for kids

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For the basketball player, see Donnie Freeman.
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Don Freeman
DonFreeman.jpg
Freeman at work c. 1954
Born (1908-08-11)August 11, 1908
San Diego, California
Died January 1, 1978(1978-01-01) (aged 69)
Nationality American
Area(s) Cartoonist, Penciller
Notable works
 Corduroy

Don Freeman (born August 11, 1908 – died January 1, 1978) was an American artist. He was a painter, printmaker, cartoonist, and a writer and illustrator of children's books. He worked from the 1930s to the 1970s. Many of his famous artworks showed Times Square in New York City.

Don Freeman's Early Life and Art School Days

Don Freeman was born in San Diego, California. He went to high school in St. Louis. In late 1928, he moved to New York City.

He first studied art at the San Diego School of Fine Arts. After finishing there, he earned his trip to New York. He played the cornet in a ship's orchestra to pay for his passage. He arrived in New York just before the stock market crash of 1929. To make money, he played music in a dance band. He then joined the Art Students League of New York. Here, he learned about graphic design and lithography (a type of printmaking). His teachers included famous artists like John French Sloan.

Don Freeman's Artistic Career and Subjects

Don Freeman often drew pictures of Broadway theater, politics, and the circus. He was known for always carrying a sketchbook. He drew scenes from New York City. He captured the faces of people he saw on the streets. He also drew people in theaters and on subways. His drawings often showed showgirls, street kids, and many different city dwellers. Don was also a jazz musician.

As he got older, Freeman's art became brighter and more cheerful. In 1951, he started illustrating children's books. His wife, Lydia, was also a talented artist. She wrote some of the books that Don illustrated. Later, the Freemans moved to Santa Barbara, California. They lived there for the rest of their lives.

How Don Freeman Started in Children's Books

Don Freeman first got into children's books when writer William Saroyan asked him to illustrate some. One of these was Human Comedy. This book is considered one of Saroyan's best works.

However, a French artist named Honoré Daumier was a huge influence on Freeman. Daumier was famous for his caricatures (funny drawings of people). Freeman studied many of Daumier's works. He also owned a large collection of books about Daumier.

Don Freeman's Famous Children's Books

Don Freeman wrote and illustrated more than 20 children's books. He is most famous for his book Corduroy. This story is about a teddy bear in a department store.

His wife, Lydia Freeman, helped him a lot. She co-wrote two books with him: Chuggy and the Blue Caboose and Pet of the Met. She was a big source of ideas for his work. He would read his stories aloud to her. He also read them to any children nearby to get their thoughts. Lydia also became a well-known artist later in her life. Don even joked in his autobiography that she was the better watercolor artist.

Don Freeman once said, "Simplicity is the essence of children's-book stories, not simple-mindedness." He said this to people interested in writing and illustrating children's books. He meant that children's stories should be clear and easy to understand, but not silly or too simple.

Freeman's Art of City Life

When Don Freeman lived in New York City in the 1930s, 40s, and early 1950s, he was a brilliant artist of city life. He drew actors and actresses from Broadway. He also drew everyday people, like those on the street or the cleaners who tidied the stage after shows.

His cartoons and other drawings appeared regularly in newspapers. These included the New York Herald Tribune, The New York Times, and The Christian Science Monitor. He also drew for Theater Magazine. Freeman even created his own short magazine called Don Freeman's Newsstand. Each page of this magazine was an original lithograph print.

In 1976, the City of New York honored Freeman for his art about the city. The New York Daily News reported on this honor. Mayor Abraham D. Beame gave Freeman an award at an art show. This show displayed many of Freeman's drawings, paintings, and prints. In 2018, Freeman's work was featured in an exhibit. It was called "A City for Corduroy" at the Museum of the City of New York.

Selected Works by Don Freeman

  • It Shouldn't Happen (1945)
  • Come One, Come All! (1949) – This book was drawn from Don Freeman's own memories.
  • Chuggy and the Blue Caboose, written by Don and Lydia Freeman (1951)
  • Pet of the Met, written by Don and Lydia Freeman (1953)
  • Beady Bear (1954)
  • Mop Top (1955)
  • Fly High, Fly Low (1957)
  • The Night the Lights Went Out (1958)
  • Norman the Doorman (1959)
  • Space Witch (1959)
  • Cyrano the Crow (1960)
  • Come Again, Pelican (1961)
  • Ski Pup (1963)
  • Dandelion (1964)
  • The Turtle and the Dove (1964)
  • A Rainbow of My Own (1966)
  • The Guard Mouse (1967)
  • Add-a-line Alphabet (1968)
  • Corduroy (1968)
  • Quiet! There's a Canary in the Library (1969)
  • Tilly Witch (1969)
  • Forever Laughter (1970)
  • Hattie the Backstage Bat (1970)
  • Penguins, of All People (1971)
  • Inspector Peckit (1972)
  • Flash the Dash (1973)
  • Paper Party (1974)
  • The Seal and the Slick (1974)
  • Will's Quill (1975)
  • Bearymore (1976)
  • Chalk Box Story (1976)
  • A Pocket for Corduroy (1978)
  • Gregory's Shadow (2000)
  • Manuelo the Playing Mantis (2004)
  • Earl the Squirrel (2005)

The two Corduroy books by Freeman (1968 and 1978) were also put together into one book called All About Corduroy. Other writers and illustrators have continued the Corduroy series, using the character Don Freeman created.

Books Don Freeman Illustrated for Other Authors

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