Gerald McDermott facts for kids

Gerald McDermott (born January 31, 1941 – died December 26, 2012) was an American filmmaker and author. He created many popular children's picture books. He was also an expert on myths and old stories. His art often used bright colors and old images. His picture books shared folktales and cultures from all over the world.

About Gerald McDermott

Gerald McDermott was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents loved art and reading. They encouraged him to explore his creative side.

He started studying art at age four. He took Saturday classes at the Detroit Institute of Arts. In the mornings, he learned basic art skills. Later, he sketched from the museum's collections.

In elementary and middle school, he kept sketching and painting. He also acted in a weekly radio show. He studied ballet and music too. All these experiences helped him later. They prepared him to create animated films and books.

McDermott went to Cass Tech, a public high school. This school was for gifted students. It had a famous art program. He also made short films with his school friend, Harrison Engle. One film, "Hello, My Baby!," was filmed at the Detroit Historical Museum.

In 1959, he won a scholarship to the Pratt Institute of Design. This art school is in New York City. For a summer project, McDermott decided to make an animated film. He chose The Stonecutter, a story he loved as a child. He researched the cultures and customs of the story's origin.

In 1962, during his third year at Pratt, McDermott took a break. He worked as a graphic designer for WNET. This was an educational TV channel in New York. He also made animated parts for The Electric Company on PBS. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pratt in 1964.

After graduating, he made three more short films. These were Sunflight in 1966, Anansi the Spider in 1969, and The Magic Tree in 1970.

In 1970, a children's book editor named George Nicholson contacted McDermott. He suggested turning his films into picture books. The first was Anansi the Spider: a tale from the Ashanti. It was published in 1972. This book retells an Ashanti folktale. It explains how Anansi was saved by his sons. It also tells how the moon came to be in the sky.

The Magic Tree, Arrow to the Sun, and Stone-cutter soon became picture books. Arrow to the Sun (1974) was also a film released in 1973. This was McDermott's last animated film.

In the 1980s, he published two books. These honored his Irish background. They were Daniel O'Rourke and Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk. During this time, he also drew pictures for books by Marianna Mayer. In the early 1990s, McDermott started working on trickster tales. He also created two books about creation stories.

Gerald McDermott passed away on December 26, 2012.

Awards and Recognition

• 1972, Anansi the Spider was a runner-up for the Caldecott Medal. This award is for the best American picture book.
• 1973, Anansi was added to the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award list.
• 1974, Arrow to the Sun won the Caldecott Medal. It was named the best U.S. picture book.
• 1993, Raven: A Trickster Tale From The Pacific Northwest was a runner-up for the Caldecott. It also was a runner-up for the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.
• 1997, Musicians of the Sun was recognized by the American Orff-Schulwerk Association.
• 1999, he was named an Advocate by the American Orff-Schulwerk Association.

Books by Gerald McDermott

As writer and illustrator

• 1972 Anansi the Spider: a tale from the Ashanti
• 1973 The Magic Tree: a tale from the Congo
• 1974 Arrow to the Sun: a Pueblo Indian tale
• 1975 The Stone-cutter: a Japanese tale
• 1977 The Voyage of Osiris
• 1979 The Knight of the Lion
• 1980 Sunflight
• 1984 Daughter of Earth: a Roman myth
• 1986 Daniel O'Rourke: an Irish tale
• 1990 Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk: an Irish tale
• 1994 Musicians of the Sun
• 1998 The Fox and the Stork
• 2003 Creation

Trickster tales

• 1980 Papagayo: the mischief maker (a Brazilian folktale)
• 1992 Zomo The Rabbit: A Trickster Tale From West Africa
• 1993 Raven: a trickster tale from the Pacific Northwest
• 1994 Coyote: a trickster tale from the American Southwest
• 2001 Jabuti the Tortoise: a trickster tale from the Amazon
• 2009 Pig-Boy: a trickster tale from Hawai'i
• 2011 Monkey: a trickster tale from India

As illustrator

• 1981 Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio by Marianna Mayer
• 1985 Alley Oop! by Marianna Mayer
• 1985 Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp by Marianna Mayer
• 1985 The Spirit of the Blue Light (a German folktale) by Marianna Mayer
• 1987 The Brambleberrys Animal Book of Big & Small Shapes by Marianna Mayer
• 1987 The Brambleberrys Animal Alphabet ABC by Marianna Mayer
• 1987 The Brambleberrys Animal Book of Colors by Marianna Mayer
• 1991 The Brambleberrys Animal Book of Counting by Marianna Mayer
• 1991 Marcel the Pastry Chef by Marianna Mayer
• 2004 Can Turtle fly? : A Lakota tale by Joseph Bruchac

Films by Gerald McDermott

• The Stonecutter, 1960
• Sunflight, 1966
• Anansi the Spider, 1969
• Moments Spent, 1969
• The Magic Tree, 1970
• "Steady Freddy" and "Shall I Shoot the Fish?", 1971 (short films for "The Electric Company")
• Arrow to the Sun, 1974