Paul O. Zelinsky facts for kids

Paul Oser Zelinsky is a famous American artist and writer. He is best known for illustrating children's picture books. In 1998, he won the important Caldecott Medal for his amazing pictures in the book Rapunzel. One of his most popular books is Wheels On the Bus, which is a best-selling book with moving parts.

Paul Zelinsky was also a runner-up for the Caldecott Medal three other times. This shows how talented he is! His book Swamp Angel was also recognized later. Books are chosen not just for their beautiful pictures, but also for how well the pictures and words work together.

About Paul Zelinsky

His Early Life

Paul O. Zelinsky was born in Evanston, Illinois. He grew up in a town called Wilmette. When he was a kid, he loved to draw all the time. He would even create imaginary worlds with his friends and draw them.

When he was only four years old, he sent his artwork to Highlights magazine. This was the first time his art was shown to others! Some of his favorite books when he was little were The Color Kittens and The Tawny Scrawny Lion. He remembers that reading these books gave him a special feeling.

How He Became an Artist

When Paul Zelinsky was in high school, he was interested in nature and buildings. He thought he might work in one of those areas. But then he went to Yale University. There, he took a class about children's books taught by a famous artist named Maurice Sendak. This class really inspired him to become a children's book artist.

After Yale, Zelinsky went to art school in Philadelphia and Rome. He loved the art from the Renaissance period in Italy. This time in his life influenced his art. He started his career in 1978. He illustrated a book called Emily Upham's Revenge. Since then, he has drawn pictures for many other writers. He also writes his own books.

He won the Caldecott Medal in 1998 for his version of Rapunzel. He also received three Caldecott Honor awards for other books. His book Wheels On the Bus is very popular and has sold millions of copies.

His Artistic Style

Paul Zelinsky is special because he doesn't have just one style of drawing. He changes his artwork and techniques to fit each book's story. He wants the pictures to "speak" in the same way the words do. This means he uses many different drawing styles. He is lucky to have illustrated so many different kinds of stories.

For example, Wheels On the Bus and Knick-Knack Paddywhack! are special books. They are called engineered books because they have parts that move. Paul Zelinsky doesn't build these moving parts himself. Other people, like Rodger Smith and Andrew Baron, are experts at that.

Books by Paul O. Zelinsky

As Writer and Illustrator

• The Maid and the Mouse and the Odd-Shaped House: A Story in Rhyme (1981)
• The Lion and the Stoat (1984)
• Rumpelstiltskin, retold (1986) – based on the Brothers Grimm story
• Wheels On the Bus (1990) – a moving parts book based on the children's song
• Rapunzel, retold (1997) – from the Brothers Grimm
• Knick-Knack Paddywhack! (2002) – a moving parts book adapted from "This Old Man"

As Illustrator Only

• Emily Upham's Revenge, or How Deadwood Dick Saved the Banker's Niece: A Massachusetts Adventure, by Avi (1978)
• How I Hunted the Little Fellows, by Boris Zhitkov (1979)
• The History of Helpless Harry, to Which is Added a Variety of Amusing and Entertaining Adventures, by Avi (1980)
• What Amanda Saw, by Naomi Lazard (1981)
• Three Romances: Love Stories from Camelot Retold, by Winifred Rosen (1981)
• Ralph S. Mouse, by Beverly Cleary (1982)
• The Sun's Asleep Behind the Hill, by Mirra Ginsburg (1982)
• The Song in the Walnut Grove, by David Kherdian (1982)
• Dear Mr. Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary (1983)
• Zoo Doings: Animal Poems, by Jack Prelutsky (1983)
• Hansel and Gretel, retold by Rika Lesser (1984)
• The Story of Mrs. Lovewright and Her Purrless Cat, by Lore Segal (1985)
• The Random House Book of Humor for Children, selected by Pamela Pollack (1988)
• The Big Book for Peace, by Myra Cohn Livingston (1990)
• Strider, by Beverly Cleary (1991)
• The Enchanted Castle, by E. Nesbit (1992)
• More Rootabagas, by Carl Sandburg (1993)
• Swamp Angel, by Anne Isaacs (1994)
• Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit (1999)
• Awful Ogre's Awful Day, by Jack Prelutsky (2000)
• Doodler Doodling, by Rita Golden Gelman (2004)
• Toys Go Out series, by Emily Jenkins:
  • Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone called Plastic (2006)
  • Toy Dance Party: Being the Further Adventures of a Bossyboots Stingray, a Courageous Buffalo, and a Hopeful Round Someone called Plastic (2008)
  • Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand-New Someone called Plastic (2011)
  • Toys Meet Snow: Being the Wintertime Adventures of a Curious Stuffed Buffalo, a Sensitive Plush Stingray, and a Book-Loving Rubber Ball (2015)
• The Shivers in the Fridge, by Fran Manushkin (2006)
• Awful Ogre Running Wild, by Jack Prelutsky (2008)
• Dust Devil, by Anne Isaacs (2010) – a sequel to Swamp Angel
• Z is for Moose, by Kelly Bingham (2012)
• Earwig and the Witch, by Diana Wynne Jones (2012)
• Circle, Square, Moose, by Kelly Bingham (2014) – a sequel to Z is for Moose