Louis Darling facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis Darling
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Darling (published 1963)
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| Born | April 26, 1916 |
| Died | January 21, 1970 (aged 53) |
| Occupation | Illustrator |
| Spouse(s) | Lois MacIntyre Darling (1917–1989) |
Louis Darling, Jr. (born April 26, 1916 – died January 21, 1970) was a talented American artist, writer, and a champion for nature. He is most famous for drawing the pictures for many of Beverly Cleary's beloved children's books, like the Henry Huggins series. He and his wife, Lois, also created illustrations for the first edition of the very important book Silent Spring.
Contents
About Louis Darling
Louis Darling was born in Stamford, Connecticut. He lived in Connecticut for most of his life. He studied art at the Grand Central School of Art in New York City. After finishing his studies, he worked for a while. In 1942, he joined the Army Air Force. He served for four years as a photographer.
In 1946, Louis married Lois MacIntyre. Lois was also an artist and a zoologist, someone who studies animals. They worked together often on books and illustrations. They did not have any children.
That same year, Louis started illustrating books for a company called William Morrow. Soon, he began to write his own books too. He once said he started writing because he wanted authors and illustrators to work better together. He thought the best way was to become an author himself!
Working with Beverly Cleary
Louis Darling became very well known for his work with author Beverly Cleary. In 1950, he illustrated her first book, Henry Huggins. This was the start of a long partnership. He drew pictures for most of Cleary's books until he passed away. The character of Henry Huggins was even called a "modern Tom Sawyer" back in the 1950s!
Illustrating Silent Spring
In 1962, a friend suggested that Louis and Lois Darling illustrate a new book. This book was Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Their drawings were used at the beginning of each chapter and on the title page of the first edition. This book was very important for the environmental movement.
The Gull's Way
Louis Darling wrote and illustrated a book called The Gull's Way. It was about American herring gulls living on an island in Maine. To research this book, he camped alone on the uninhabited island for six weeks! He watched and photographed the gulls very closely. The book won an award called the John Burroughs Medal in 1966.
Louis's last book with his wife Lois was A Place in the Sun: Ecology and the Living World. It was published in 1968. Louis Darling died from cancer in 1970. Beverly Cleary dedicated her book Runaway Ralph to him.
Caring for the Environment
Louis Darling loved nature and the outdoors his whole life. He was one of the early environmentalists and conservationists. This means he worked to protect nature and wildlife. He was even the president of a group called Connecticut Conservationists. This group worked to stop a project that would have harmed Long Island Sound. They tried to stop the project in court, but they were not successful. However, they did manage to make a planned parking lot smaller, which helped protect a salt marsh in Connecticut.
Awards and Recognition
- 1966: John Burroughs Medal, for The Gull's Way
Books by Louis Darling
As writer and illustrator
- Greenhead (1954)
- Chickens and How to Raise Them (1955)
- Seals and Walruses (1955)
- Penguins (1956)
- Kangaroos and Other Animals with Pockets (1958)
- Before and After Dinosaurs (1959) – with Lois Darling
- Sixty Million Years of Horses (1960) – with Lois Darling
- The Science of Life (1961) – with Lois Darling
- Bird (1962) – with Lois Darling
- Turtles (1962)
- Coral Reefs (1963) – with Lois Darling
- The Gull's Way (1965)
- The Sea Serpents Around Us (1965) – with Lois Darling
- A Place in the Sun: Ecology and the Living World (1968) – with Lois Darling
- Worms (1972) – with Lois Darling
As illustrator only
- A River Never Sleeps by Roderick Haig-Brown (1946)
- Hank and the Kitten by Ruth Dudley (1949)
- Swimming Hole by Jerrold Beim (1950)
- Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary (1950)
- Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary (1951)
- Waggles and the Dog Catcher by Marion Belden Cook (1951)
- Country Garage by Jerrold Beim (1952)
- Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary (1952)
- Eric on the Desert by Jerrold Beim (1953)
- Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary (1953)
- Shoeshine Boy by Jerrold Beim (1954)
- Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary (1954)
- Country School by Jerrold Beim (1955)
- Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary (1955)
- Thin Ice by Jerrold Beim (1956)
- The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth (1956)
- Time for Gym by Jerrold Beim (1957)
- Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary (1957)
- Tropical Rain Forests by Delia Goetz (1957)
- Mr. Bass's Planetoid by Eleanor Cameron (1958)
- The Arctic Tundra by Delia Goetz (1958)
- Miss Charity Comes to Stay by Alberta Wilson Constant (1959)
- Grasslands by Delia Goetz (1959)
- Exploring Science by Jonathan N. Leonard (1959)
- Shag by Robert M. McClung (1960)
- Swamps by Delia Goetz (1961)
- Kids' Letters to President Kennedy by Bill Adler (1961)
- Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962)
- Henry and the Clubhouse by Beverly Cleary (1962)
- Mountains by Delia Goetz (1962)
- Ribsy by Beverly Cleary (1964)
- The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (1965)
- Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary (1968)
- Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary (1970)
- Islands of the Ocean by Delia Goetz (1970)
