Elsa Beskow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elsa Beskow
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Elsa Beskow in 1901
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| Born | Elsa Maartman 11 February 1874 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 30 June 1953 (aged 79) Stockholm, Sweden |
| Occupation | Author |
| Language | Swedish |
| Nationality | Sweden |
| Education | Anna Whitlock's school |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Notable works | Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lavender |
| Spouse | Natanael Beskow |
| Children | 6 |
| Relatives | Elisabeth Beskow husband's cousin |
| Website | |
| www.elsabeskow.se | |
Elsa Beskow (born Maartman) (11 February 1874 – 30 June 1953) was a very famous Swedish author. She was also a talented illustrator of children's books. Some of her most well-known books include Tale of the Little Little Old Woman and Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lavender.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elsa Beskow was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her father was Bernt Maartman, a businessman from Norway. Her mother was Augusta Fahlstedt.
Elsa studied art education at a school in Stockholm. Today, this school is known as Konstfack, the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design.
Family Life
In 1897, Elsa married Natanael Beskow. He was a former minister and social worker. They met when Elsa was a teacher at Djursholms samskola, where Natanael was the headmaster.
From 1900, they lived in a house called Villa Ekeliden. This house was first built for the author Viktor Rydberg. Elsa and Natanael had six sons. Two of their sons became famous: Bo Beskow was an artist, and Gunnar Beskow was a geologist.
Her Amazing Career
Elsa Beskow started her career in 1894. She began by drawing for a children's magazine called Jultomten. Soon, she started writing and illustrating her own books. She created about forty books with her own stories and pictures.
Storytelling Style
Elsa Beskow often mixed real life with magical fairy tale elements. In her books, children might meet elves or goblins. Farm animals could even talk to people!
Her stories often focused on how children and adults relate to each other. They also showed children taking their own initiative. Her work often showed a happy home life in the Swedish countryside. This was how life was in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Lasting Impact
Elsa Beskow became one of the most famous Swedish children's book artists. Many of her books are now considered classics. They are still printed and loved by new generations.
She also illustrated ABC books and songbooks for Swedish schools. The pages of her books often have beautiful, decorative borders. These borders are in the Art Nouveau style. Elsa Beskow received international praise for her simple, cheerful stories and wonderful illustrations.
Illustrated Poem
Elsa Beskow also created beautiful illustrations for poems. Here is an example of a poem she illustrated:
Sof du lilla vide ung,
än så är det vinter.
Än så sofva björk och ljung
ros och hyacinter.
Än så är det långt till vår,
innan rönn i blomning står.
Sof du lilla vide,
än så är det vinter.
Her Legacy
Elsa Beskow's work continues to be celebrated. In 1958, the Elsa Beskow Award was created. This award recognizes the best Swedish picture book illustrator each year.
Popular Books by Elsa Beskow
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Further Reading
- Hammar, Stina Elsa Beskow (1958)
- Håkansson, Gunvor Elsa Beskow och Astrid Lindgren (1967)
- Sjögren, Margareta Elsa Beskow och hennes värld (1983)
See also
In Spanish: Elsa Beskow para niños
