Jack Kent (illustrator) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jack Kent |
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| Born | John Wellington Kent March 10, 1920 Burlington, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | October 18, 1985 (aged 65) U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist, Artist |
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Notable works
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King Aroo |
| Spouse(s) | June |
John Wellington Kent, known as Jack Kent, was an American cartoonist. He was born on March 10, 1920, and passed away on October 18, 1985. Jack Kent was a talented author and illustrator. He created 40 children's books and drew pictures for 22 others. Kent is most famous for his comic strip called King Aroo. People often compared it to Walt Kelly's Pogo.
Jack Kent was born in Burlington, Iowa. He left high school at 15. He started working as a freelance artist. He continued this work until he joined the U.S. Army in 1941.
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King Aroo Comic Strip
Jack Kent's first nationally recognized work was King Aroo. This comic strip was shared with newspapers around the world. It ran from November 1950 to June 1965. The strip was not a huge money-maker. However, it had many loyal fans who loved it. They praised its clever wordplay and funny conversations.
The first King Aroo comic strips were put into a book. This 192-page book was published in 1953. It was called King Aroo. In 2010, a company called IDW started reprinting all of King Aroo. The first book covered strips from 1950 to 1952.
Kent also wrote and drew a special Christmas comic strip. It was called Why Christmas Almost Wasn't. This strip was offered to newspapers in 1968.
In 1968 and 1969, he wrote articles for Mad. He also illustrated one of them. He made his last contribution to Mad in 1977.
Jack Kent started writing and illustrating children's books in 1968. He continued creating these books until he passed away.
Jack Kent's Family Life
Jack Kent married Juliet Bridgman in September 1952. However, they divorced eight months later. In March 1954, Kent married again. His second wife was June Kilstofte. She was a reporter who had interviewed him for a magazine. They stayed married until Kent's death. Their only child, John Wellington "Jack" Kent Jr., was born in July 1955.
Jack Kent and his wife June lived by the San Antonio River. They named their home King Aroo's Castle. Jack Kent died in 1985 from a serious illness called leukemia.
Awards and Recognition
Jack Kent's book Just Only John received awards. It was honored by the Chicago Graphics Associates and the Children's Book Clinic. The New York Times newspaper also recognized his work. They named his book Mr. Meebles an outstanding picture book in 1970.
Selected Works by Jack Kent
Jack Kent wrote and illustrated many books. Here are some of his popular titles:
- 1987 Jack Kent's Valentine Sticker Book
- 1985 The Caterpillar and the Polliwog
- 1985 Joey Runs Away
- 1984 Joey
- 1984 Jim Jimmy James
- 1984 Round Robin
- 1983 Silly Goose
- 1982 The Once-Upon-a-Time Dragon
- 1981 Jack Kent's Sticker-Fun Drawing Book
- 1981 Little Peep
- 1981 The Biggest Shadow in the Zoo
- 1981 The Scribble Monster
- 1980 Knee High Nina
- 1979 Floyd, the Tinniest Elephant
- 1979 Hoddy Doddy (which included three stories)
- 1979 Jack Kent's Hokus Pokus Bedtime Book
- 1978 Socks For Supper
- 1978 Jack Kent's Cindy Lou and the Witch's Dog
- 1978 Piggy Bank Gonzales
- 1978 Supermarket Magic: A Sniffy Book (a scratch and sniff book)
- 1977 Jack Kent's Merry Mother Goose
- 1976 The Animobile Book
- 1976 There's No Such Thing as a Dragon
- 1976 Jack Kent's Happy-Ever-After Book
- 1975 The Christmas Piñata
- 1975 The Egg Book
- 1974 Bremen Town Musicians
- 1974 More Fables of Aesop
- 1974 Jack Kent's Hop, Skip, and Jump Book: An Action Word Book
- 1973 Mrs. Mooley
- 1973 Jack Kent's 12 Days of Christmas
- 1972 Jack Kent's Fables of Aesop
- 1972 Dooley and the Snortsnoot
- 1971 The Fat Cat: A Danish Folktale
- 1971 The Wizard of Wallaby Wallow
- 1970 The Blah
- 1970 Mr. Meebles
- 1970 Jack Kent's Book of Nursery Tales
- 1969 Mrs. Mooley
- 1969 Mr. Elephant's Birthday Party
- 1969 Clotilda
- 1969 Fly Away Home
- 1969 The Grown-Up Day
- 1968 Just Only John
- 1953 King Aroo
Books Illustrated by Jack Kent for Other Authors
Jack Kent also created illustrations for books written by other authors:
- 1985 The Twiddle Twins' Haunted House by Howard Goldsmith
- 1985 Q Is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game by Marcia McClintock Folsom and Mary Elting
- 1985 Easy As Pie: A Guessing Game of Sayings by Marcia Folsom and Michael Folsom
- 1984 Grime Doesn't Pay: Law & Order Jokes compiled by Charles Keller
- 1980 Big Bear, Spare That Tree by Richard J. Margolis
- 1979 Laura's Story by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
- 1978 Janie and the Giant by Sarah Barchas
- 1978 The Simple Prince by Jane Yolen
- 1977 More Spaghetti, I Say! by Rita Golden Gelman
- 1976 The Magic Carrot Seeds by Carla Stevens
- 1976 Seven at One Blow by Freya Littledale
- 1976 Why Can't I Fly by Rita Golden Gelman
- 1975 I Was Walking Down the Road by Sarah E. Barchas
- 1975 How to Make Possum's Honey Bread, Skunk's Chocolate Sprinkle Bread, and Racoon's Raisin Bread, Too by Carla Stevens
Ralph Series
Jack Kent illustrated the Ralph series. These books are about a parrot named Ralph. They were written by Bonnie Bishop:
- 1979 No One Noticed Ralph
- 1979 Ralph Rides Away
Books for Ruth Belov Gross
Jack Kent also illustrated books by Ruth Belov Gross:
- 1983 The Girl Who Wouldn't Get Married
- 1982 If You Grew Up with George Washington
- 1977 The Emperor's New Clothes retold by Ruth Belov Gross
- 1974 The Bremen-town Musicians retold by Ruth Belov Gross
