Irwin Shapiro (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Irwin Shapiro
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 1911 Pittsburgh
|
| Died | 1981 (aged 69–70) |
| Occupation | writer |
| Years active | 1938–1979 |
| Employer | Golden Books |
| Spouse(s) | Edna Richter |
Irwin Shapiro (born in 1911, died in 1981) was an American writer and translator. He wrote more than 40 books, mostly for young readers. Many of his stories were about American history and folklore.
Contents
About Irwin Shapiro
Irwin Shapiro was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We don't know much about his early life. His family might have come from what is now Hungary. This is because his first books, published in the late 1930s, were translations from Hungarian.
His Education and Early Life
Shapiro studied art at the Art Students League of New York in New York City. He took a class with the famous painter Thomas Hart Benton. During the Great Depression, a time when many people struggled to find jobs, Shapiro worked at different temporary jobs.
Family Life and Political Involvement
Irwin Shapiro married Edna Richter. She worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression. Edna was also active in a government workers' union.
According to their son, both Irwin and Edna were involved in political groups during that time. Edna Richter even worked as a reporter in Moscow for a newspaper called the Daily Worker. Later, they realized that some of their political beliefs were not what they thought.
Shapiro's brother-in-law, Irving Richter, worked with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. He was questioned by a government committee called the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1956. Edna Richter's name and her work at the WPA were mentioned during this time.
Irwin Shapiro and his wife later moved to Florida, where he passed away in 1981.
His Books and Writings
After writing some political articles early in his career, Irwin Shapiro started writing children's books. He wrote these books for most of his career, from 1938 to 1979. He published many books with Golden Books, a well-known children's book publisher.
He also adapted many classic stories into comic book form. These were illustrated by different artists for Pendulum Press in the 1970s. The Library of Congress, a very large library, has 44 books listed under his name.
Plays He Wrote
- 90 Percent of the People (1938, this play was never published) (you can find it at the New York Public Library)
Books He Translated
- Prelude to Love by Jolán Földes, translated with Alexander G. Kenedi and Irwin Shapiro (1938)
- Egyptian Interlude by Jolán Földes, translated by Irwin Shapiro (1939)
Books He Wrote
- How Old Stormalong Captured Mocha Dick with pictures by Donald McKay (1942)
- Steamboat Bill and the Captain's Top Hat with pictures by Donald Mckay (1943)
- Gremlins of Lieut. Oggins with illustrations by Donald McKay (1943)
- Yankee thunder: The Legendary Life of Davy Crockett with pictures by James Daugherty (1944)
- Casey Jones and Locomotive No. 638 with pictures by Donald McKay (1944)
- John Henry and the Double Jointed Steam-Drill with drawings by James Daugherty (1945)
- Joe Magarac and His USA Citizen Papers with pictures by James Daugherty (1948) (LOC entry)
- J. Fred Muggs (1955)
- Walt Disney's Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race (1955)
- Walt Disney's Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955)
- Daniel Boone (1956)
- Presidents of the United States illustrated by Mel Crawford and Edwin Schmidt (1956)
- Cleo. Photos. by Durward B. Graybill (1957)
- Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights: The Most Famous Stories from the Great Classic A Thousand and One Nights (1957)
- Golden book of America: Stories from Our Country's Past adapted for young readers by Irwin Shapiro from the pages of American Heritage, with a foreword by Bruce Catton (1957)
- Lassie Finds a Way: A New Story of the Famous Dog (1957)
- Circus Boy with pictures by Joan Walsh Anglund (1957)
- Tall Tales of America illustrated by Al Schmidt (1958)
- The Story of Flight: From the Ancient Winged Gods to the Age of Space by John Lewellen and Irwin Shapiro, illustrated with old prints, photos, and original paintings and drawings by Harry McNaught (1959)
- Aviation, des origines aux vols interplanétaires (1959) (translation)
- The Story of Yankee Whaling" by the editors of American heritage with narrative by Irwin Shapiro in consultation with Edouard A. Stackpole (1960)
- The Golden Book of California: From the Days of the Spanish Explorers to the Present (1961)
- The Golden book of Aviation (1961) (second printing)
- Heroes in American Folklore illustrated by James Daugherty and Donald McKay (1962)
- Jonathan and the Dragon illustrated by Tom Vroman (1962)
- The Golden Book of the Renaissance adapted for young readers by Irwin Shapiro from theHorizon Book of the Renaissance (1962)
- The Universal History of the World edited by Irwin Shapiro (1966)
- Gretchen and the White Steed with drawings by Herman Vestal (1972)
- Sam Patch, Champion Jumper illustrated by Ted Schroeder (1972)
- Willie's Whizmobile with drawings by Paul Frame (1973)
- Twice upon a Time illustrated by Adrienne Adams (1973)
- Tom Sawyer (adaptation), illustrated by E. R. Cruz (Pendulum Press, 1973). Reprinted in Marvel Classics Comics #7 (1976)
- Moby-Dick (adaptation), illustrated by Alex Niño & Dan Adkins (Pendulum Press, 1973). Reprinted in Marvel Classics Comics #8 (1976)
- The Red Badge of Courage (adaptation), illustrated by E .R. Cruz (Pendulum Press, 1974). Reprinted in Marvel Classics Comics #10 (1976)
- Uncle Sam's 200th Birthday Parade illustrated by Frank Brugos (1974)
- Paul Bunyan Tricks a Dragon illustrated by Raymond Burns (1975)
- Dan McCann and His Fast Sooner Hound illustrated by Mimi Korach (1975)
- Smokey Bear's Camping Book illustrated by Mel Crawford (1976)
- Darwin and the Enchanted Isles illustrated by Christopher Spollen (1977)
- The Hungry Ghost Mystery illustrated by William M. Hutchinson (1978)
- Joe Magarac and His USA Citizen Papers (1979) (second printing)
- The Gift of Magic Sleep: Early Experiments in Anesthesia illustrated by Pat Rotondo (1979)
- Tenggren's Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren, retold by Margaret Soifer and Irwin Shapiro, introduction by Mary Pope Osborne (2003)
