Loren Long facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Loren Long
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Long at the 2017 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | 1964 Joplin, Missouri, SA |
| Occupation | Illustrator, writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | c. 2000–present |
| Genre | Children's picture books |
Loren Long, born in 1964, is an American writer and artist. He is well-known for creating wonderful children's books. He is especially famous for his beautiful illustrations. In 2004, he won a special prize called the Golden Kite Award. This award was for his amazing pictures in the book I Dream of Trains by Angela Johnson.
Contents
About Loren Long
Early Life and Education
Loren Long was born in Joplin, Missouri. He grew up loving art and drawing. Later, he went to the University of Kentucky. There, he earned a degree in Graphic Design. This helped him learn how to create visual art for many different things.
Starting His Career
Loren Long began his career working for Gibson Greeting Cards. This was in Cincinnati, Ohio. After that, he started working as a freelance illustrator. This means he worked for himself. He took on art projects for different companies. His illustrations for children's books became very popular.
A person from Simon & Schuster, a big book publisher, saw his art. They loved his work for the book Miles’ Song. This led to him illustrating I Dream of Trains by Angela Johnson. This book helped him become even more famous.
Awards and Recognition
In 2004, Loren Long won the Golden Kite Award. This was for his illustrations in I Dream of Trains. The next year, in 2005, he was honored again. This time it was for his pictures in When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer. This book featured a poem by Walt Whitman.
In 2010, he illustrated a very special book. It was called Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters. The author of this book was Barack Obama, who was the President of the United States at the time.
Overcoming Challenges
When Loren Long was 12 years old, he found out something important. He learned that he was colorblind. This means he sees colors differently than most people. It might seem like a big challenge for an artist.
However, Loren Long has found ways to create amazing art. He uses strong lighting in his pictures. He also studies color theory very carefully. His family helps him too, by checking his colors. This shows how he uses his skills to overcome difficulties.
Life in Cincinnati
Today, Loren Long lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. He shares his home with his wife and their two sons. He continues to create beautiful and inspiring books for children.
Selected Books and Illustrations
Loren Long has written and illustrated many popular children's books. He is known for his unique art style. Here are some of the books he has worked on:
- I Dream of Trains (2003) by Angela Johnson
- Mr. Peabody's Apples (2003) by Madonna
- When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer (2004) by Walt Whitman
- The Little Engine That Could (2005) by Watty Piper
- Otis (2009) by Loren Long (he wrote and illustrated this one!)
- Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters (2010) by Barack Obama
- Little Tree (2015) by Loren Long
- Love (2018) by Matt de la Peña
- There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake (2018) by Loren Long
- The Yellow Bus (2024) by Loren Long
