Kurt Werth facts for kids

Kurt Werth (born September 21, 1896 – died August 25, 1983) was a talented artist who became famous for illustrating children's books in America. He was born in Germany but later moved to the United States.

Kurt Werth's Early Life and Art School

Kurt Werth was born on September 21, 1896, in Leipzig, Germany. He began studying art in 1913 at a special art school in Leipzig called the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig. He studied there for two years. Then, he joined the German army for two years. After his time in the army, he went back to the art school. One of his teachers was inspired by the artist Paul Cézanne. At the school, Werth learned new ways to create art, especially for illustrating books. After he finished his studies, Werth started illustrating books. His first book was William Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, which was very well received.

Moving to Munich and Berlin

After graduating, Werth moved to Munich, Germany. There, he started drawing funny pictures, called satirical cartoons, for different magazines in Munich. In 1928, he and his wife, Margaret, moved to Berlin, Germany. Margaret, who was Jewish, wanted to work in the City Theater there. In Berlin, Kurt Werth kept drawing satirical cartoons for local magazines.

Life in the United States

As Adolf Hitler gained more power in Germany, many magazines that Werth worked for closed down. Also, because Margaret was Jewish, she was no longer allowed to work. In 1939, the Werths decided to leave Germany and moved to the United States. In America, Werth found a job illustrating a Sunday newspaper section for the New York Times magazine.

When the United States joined World War II, Werth began drawing political cartoons for many American magazines that focused on politics. After the war ended, Werth started illustrating children's books. One of his first children's books was The Merry Miller by Rosalys Hall. This led to many more opportunities for him to illustrate books. Kurt Werth became a citizen of the United States in 1947.

Werth once said that his German background taught him to be very exact and thorough in his drawing. He believed this skill came from famous artists like Dürer. He also wanted his children's book illustrations to have a "modern style." He felt that books should show the art style of their own time.

Kurt Werth passed away in New York City on August 25, 1983.

Awards for His Work

Kurt Werth received several important awards for his illustrations:

• In 1969, he won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for McBroom Tells the Truth by Sid Fleischman.
• In 1973, he received the Golden Kite Award for McBroom the Rainmaker by Sid Fleischman.
• In 1971, he was given the New Jersey Institute of Technology Award for That Jefferson Boy.

Books Illustrated by Kurt Werth

Here are some of the many books that Kurt Werth illustrated:

• No Ducks For Dinner; story by Rosalys Hall. 1953
• Once the Mullah; Persian folk tales retold by Alice Geer Kelsey. 1954
• One Mitten Lewis; by Helen Kay, pseud. 1955
• The story of San Francisco; by Charlotte E Cobden Jackson. 1955
• An Elephant in the Family by James Playsted Wood; 1957
• Danger in the Everglades by Frederick W. Keith. 1957
• The year without a Santa Claus. by Phyllis McGinley. 1957
• The thing at the foot of the bed and other scary tales. by Maria Leach. 1959
• Stop It, Moppit! by Geraldine Ross, 1959
• Noodles, nitwits, and numskulls by Maria Leach. 1961
• Tony's birds. by Millicent Selsam. 1961
• A tiger called Thomas. by Charlotte Zolotow. 1963
• Hear ye of Boston. by Polly Curren. 1964
• The luck book. by Maria Leach. 1964
• The valiant tailor, by Kurt Werth. 1965
• Sailor Tom, by Edna Boutwell. 1966
• The legends of Paul Bunyan. by Roberta Strauss Feuerlicht. 1966
• McBroom tells the truth, by Sid Fleischman. 1966
• McBroom and the big wind, by Sid Fleischman. 1967
• The monkey, the lion, and the snake, by Kurt Werth. 1967
• King Thrushbeard. by Kurt Werth. 1968
• That Lincoln boy. by Earl Schenck Miers. 1968
• One dark night. by Edna Mitchell Preston. 1969
• McBroom's Ear, by Sid Fleischman; Kurt Werth. 1969
• Lazy Jack. by Kurt Werth. 1970
• Samuel Clemens. by Charles Michael Daugherty. 1970
• How a piglet crashed the Christmas party, by Boris Vladimirovich Zakhoder. 1971
• McBroom's zoo, by Sid Fleischman. 1972
• Herbert's stilts, by Hazel Hutchins Wilson. 1972
• McBroom the rainmaker, by Sid Fleischman. 1973
• Molly and the giant, by Kurt Werth; Mabel Watts. 1973
• Dick Whittington and His Cat. by Eva Moore. 1974
• The three beggar kings. by Rosalys Haskell Hall. 1974
• The newcomers; ten tales of American immigrants by Joseph Raskin; Edith Raskin. 1974