Louis Slobodkin facts for kids
Louis Slobodkin (born February 19, 1903 – died May 8, 1975) was an American artist who was a sculptor, writer, and illustrator. He is best known for creating many popular children's books. He wrote and drew pictures for almost 90 books, and he even wrote 50 of them himself!
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Louis Slobodkin was born in Albany, New York, on February 19, 1903. He loved art from a young age and started sculpting when he was just ten years old. He went to the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in New York City from 1918 to 1923 to study art.
To earn money while he studied, Louis worked as an elevator operator. He was very clever and would sometimes make his elevator get "stuck" between floors. This gave him time to read important books by thinkers like Plato and Immanuel Kant. He was always eager to learn!
Louis Slobodkin's Creative Career
Louis Slobodkin married Florence Gersh, who was also a writer, in 1927. Even though he was an artist, he didn't start working on children's books right away.
Becoming a Children's Book Artist
In 1941, Louis illustrated his first children's book called The Moffats. It was written by his friend, Eleanor Estes. They worked together on five more books after that.
A big moment in his career came in 1944. He won the famous Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in the book Many Moons, written by James Thurber. This award is given to the artist of the most outstanding American picture book for children.
Louis Slobodkin also wrote and illustrated his own popular book series, The Space Ship Under the Apple Tree. These books were about exciting space adventures.
His Work as a Sculptor
Before he became famous for children's books, Louis Slobodkin was a talented sculptor. In the early 1930s, he helped a famous sculptor named Malvina Hoffman. They worked on sculptures for an exhibition called "The Races of Mankind" at the Field Museum of Natural History.
One of his most famous sculptures was "Abraham Lincoln, Rail Fence Mender." A plaster version of this statue was shown at the 1939 New York World's Fair in 1938. However, it was removed and destroyed because an official didn't like it. But with help from his friends, a bronze version of the statue was later placed permanently in the United States Department of the Interior building in Washington, D.C.. Another plaster copy is in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Louis Slobodkin and his wife, Florence, also worked together on five books, like The Cowboy Twins (1960). His last book, Wilbur the Warrior, was published in 1972.
Later Life and Legacy
Louis Slobodkin passed away at his home in the Bay Harbor Islands, Florida on May 8, 1975. He left behind a wonderful collection of books that continue to be enjoyed by children and families.
Books by Louis Slobodkin
Louis Slobodkin was very busy, writing and illustrating many books. Here are some of his well-known works:
Books He Wrote and Illustrated
- Clear the Track for Michael's Magic Train (1945)
- The Adventures of Arab (1946)
- The Seaweed Hat (1947)
- Bixxy and the Secret Message (1949)
- The Amiable Giant (1955)
- The Little Mermaid Who Could Not Sing (1956)
- Too Many Mittens (1958) – co-authored with Florence Slobodkin
- A Good Place to Hide (1961)
- The Polka-Dot Goat (1964)
The Spaceship Under the Apple Tree Series
- Spaceship Under the Apple Tree (1952)
- Spaceship Returns to the Apple Tree (1958)
- Three-Seated Spaceship (1958)
- Round-Trip Spaceship (1968)
- Spaceship in the Park (1972)
Books He Illustrated for Other Authors
- The Moffats (1941), written by Eleanor Estes
- Many Moons (1943), written by James Thurber (This book won him the Caldecott Medal!)
- The Hundred Dresses (1944), written by Eleanor Estes
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1946 reprint) by Mark Twain
- The Cowboy Twins (1960), written by Florence Slobodkin
