Donald Crews facts for kids

Donald Crews (born August 30, 1938) is an American illustrator and writer. He is famous for his children's picture books. In 2015, the American Library Association (ALA) gave him the Children's Literature Legacy Award. This award recognized his lasting impact on children's books.

Two of his books, Freight Train (1978) and Truck (1980), received Caldecott Honors. This means they were recognized as outstanding picture books for children.

Donald Crews' Early Life

Donald Crews was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1938. His mother was a seamstress, and his father worked for the railroad. Donald grew up in Newark. Every summer, he and his three siblings visited their grandparents in Cottondale, Florida. These summer trips later inspired his books Bigmama's (1991) and Shortcut (1992).

A high school teacher encouraged Donald to study art. He went to Cooper Union in New York City. He graduated in 1959. While at Cooper Union, he met his future wife, Ann Jonas, who was also a graphic artist.

Donald Crews' Career as an Author

Donald Crews joined the U.S. Army in 1963. He was sent to Frankfurt, Germany. While there, he designed an alphabet book for children. He wanted to add it to his art portfolio. After many rejections, the book was finally published in 1967. It was called We Read: A to Z.

His second children's book, Ten Black Dots, came out the next year. Besides writing children's books, he also worked as a freelance graphic designer.

Books About Transportation

Many of Donald Crews' books are about transportation. You can see this in books like Freight Train (1978) and Truck (1980). Other examples include Harbor (1982), School Bus (1984), and Flying (1986). Both Freight Train and Truck earned Caldecott Honors.

These books use very few words. They focus mostly on the pictures. Donald Crews explained that Freight Train was made when he was doing a lot of design work. He liked using simple shapes and symbols.

Personal Stories in Books

In the 1990s, Donald Crews started writing more personal stories. His books Bigmama's (1991) and Shortcut (1992) are about his childhood summers. They tell about visiting his grandparents, "Bigmama" and "Bigpapa," in Florida.

Donald Crews said that Bigmama's came from telling stories to his nieces and nephews. He also talked about it with his own parents and siblings. He wanted to help young people imagine what his childhood looked like. He also wanted to show more books about Black families and their lives.

Donald Crews' Family Life

Donald Crews and Ann Jonas got married in Germany in 1963. They had two daughters. Their first daughter, Nina, was born in Germany. Their second daughter, Amy, was born in New York. Nina Crews also became a successful children's book author.

The family lived in New York City until 1996. Then, they moved to a renovated farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley. Ann Jonas passed away in September 2013.

Selected Works by Donald Crews