Eugene Yelchin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eugene Yelchin
|
|
|---|---|
Yelchin in 2018
|
|
| Native name |
Евгений Аркадьевич Ельчин
|
| Born | Yevgeny Arkadievich Yelchin October 18, 1956 Leningrad, Soviet Union |
| Occupation | Illustrator, writer, designer |
| Nationality | Russian-American |
| Education | Design, Leningrad Institute of Theater Arts, 1979 Film, University of Southern California |
| Genre | Books For Young Readers (as author/illustrator); Theater and Film (as designer) |
| Relatives | Anton Yelchin (nephew) |
Eugene Yelchin (born Yevgeny Arkadievich Yelchin on October 18, 1956) is a Russian-American artist. He is well-known for illustrating and writing books for children and young adults.
Yelchin's books have won many awards. He was a finalist for the National Book Award for The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge. He also received a Newbery Honor for his book Breaking Stalin's Nose. Other awards include the Sydney Taylor Award for The Genius Under the Table and the Golden Kite Award for The Haunting of Falcon House. His illustrations for Won Ton and The Rooster Prince of Breslov also won awards. Many major publications have named his books among the best of the year.
Eugene Yelchin is the uncle of actor Anton Yelchin.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Eugene Yelchin was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. At that time, the city was called Leningrad. He grew up in a Jewish family.
Studying Theater and Design
In 1979, Yelchin finished his studies at the Leningrad State Theater Academy. He focused on design there. From 1979 to 1983, he worked as a designer. He created sets and costumes for important Russian theater companies. These included the Alexandrinsky (Pushkin's) Theater.
In 1980, he helped start the Tomsk Children's Theater in Siberia. He worked with other students from the Theater Academy.
Moving to the United States
In 1983, Yelchin moved to the United States. He continued his education in Los Angeles. In 1988, he graduated from the Southern California Film School. After that, he began directing TV commercials. He also created illustrations for advertising campaigns.
Writing and Illustrating Books
In 2006, Eugene Yelchin won the Tomie DePaola Illustration Award. This award is given by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. After this, he started writing and illustrating books for children.
His books are published by major companies. These include Scholastic Press, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. His stories have been translated into many languages. These include French, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean.
Notable Awards for Books
Yelchin has received several important awards for his work:
- In 2021, The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain won the Sydney Taylor Honor Award. This award is from the Association of Jewish Libraries.
- In 2018, The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge was a National Book Award Finalist. He wrote this book with Matthew Tobin Anderson.
- In 2012, his novel Breaking Stalin's Nose received the Newbery Honor. He wrote and illustrated this book for middle school readers.
- In 2010, his illustrations for The Rooster Prince of Breslov won a National Jewish Book Award.
- In 2017, his novel The Haunting of Falcon House received the Golden Kite Award. This award is from the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators.
- In 2011, Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku received the Golden Kite Award. Yelchin created the illustrations for this book.
Art Exhibitions
Eugene Yelchin's paintings and drawings have been shown in art exhibitions. These exhibitions often feature art from former Soviet non-conformist artists.
- In 2002, his work was part of "Russian Revolutions" at the Mizel Center for Arts and Culture.
- In 2006, his art was in "Territories of Terror" at Boston University.
- In 2010, he showed art in "Shattered Utopia" at Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art.
Yelchin is a member of the Jewish Artists Initiative of Southern California. His art is represented by the Sloane Gallery of Contemporary Russian Art.
Other Creative Works
Beyond books, Yelchin has worked on other creative projects. He created original storyboards for the famous Coca-Cola Polar Bears commercials. He also designed characters for animated movies. One of these was Rango, which won an Oscar in 2012 for Best Animated Feature.
