Robert Lawson (author) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Lawson
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| Born | October 4, 1892 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 27, 1957 (aged 64) Westport, Connecticut, U.S. |
Robert Lawson (born October 4, 1892 – died May 27, 1957) was an American writer and artist. He was famous for writing and illustrating children's books. He won two very important awards for his work.
In 1941, he received the Caldecott Medal for his amazing pictures in the book They Were Strong and Good. A few years later, in 1945, he won the Newbery Medal for his own story, Rabbit Hill.
Contents
Robert Lawson's Early Life and Art Career
Robert Lawson was born in New York City. He spent his younger years in Montclair, New Jersey. After high school, he studied art for three years. He learned from a famous illustrator named Howard Giles.
In 1922, he married Marie Abrams, who was also an artist. Lawson started his career as an illustrator in 1914. His first published drawing was for a poem in Harper's Weekly magazine. He then drew for many other popular magazines.
Lawson's Work in World War I
During World War I, Robert Lawson joined the first U.S. Army camouflage unit. This group was called the American Camouflage Corps. He served in France with other artists.
One of his friends, Barry Faulkner, said that Lawson had a great sense of humor. This was very helpful when the artists put on shows for French children.
Creating Wonderful Children's Books
After the war, Lawson continued his art. In 1922, he illustrated his first children's book. It was called The Wonderful Adventures of Little Prince Toofat. He went on to draw pictures for many books by other authors.
Some of these books became very famous. He illustrated The Story of Ferdinand (1936) by Munro Leaf. He also drew the pictures for Mr. Popper's Penguins (1938) by Richard and Florence Atwater.
In total, Robert Lawson illustrated about 40 books by other writers. He also wrote and illustrated 17 of his own books. These include:
- They Were Strong and Good (1940), which won the Caldecott Medal.
- Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin By His Good Mouse Amos (1939).
- Rabbit Hill (1944), which won the Newbery Medal.
Some of the books he worked on were even made into movies! The Story of Ferdinand became an animated short film by Walt Disney Productions in 1938. His own book, Ben and Me, was also made into an animated short by Disney in 1953.
Lawson was a very clever and creative writer. His children's stories are fun for adults too. He often told stories from the point of view of an animal. For example, in Ben and Me, the story of Benjamin Franklin is told by his mouse, Amos. He used this idea for other famous people too.
In Captain Kidd's Cat, the story is told by a cat named McDermot. McDermot tells the tale of the famous pirate, Captain Kidd. Lawson's artistic humor can also be seen in The Story of Ferdinand. He drew a cork tree that grew corks ready to be picked!
Later Years and Legacy
In the early 1930s, Lawson became interested in etching. This is a type of printmaking. One of his etchings won a special award.
Robert Lawson passed away in 1957 at his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 64 years old. He called his home "Rabbit Hill" because it was the setting for his famous book. He is buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery.
Today, you can find many of Robert Lawson's original artworks at the Free Library of Philadelphia. His papers are also kept at the University of Minnesota.
Books Written by Robert Lawson
- Country Colic. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1944.
- Rabbit Hill. New York: Viking Press, 1944.
- Mr. Wilmer. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1945.
- At That Time. New York: Viking Press, 1947.
- Mr. Twigg's Mistake. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1947.
- Robbut: A Tale of Tails. New York: Viking Press, 1948.
- Dick Whittington and His Cat. New York: Limited Editions Club, 1949.
- The Fabulous Flight. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1949.
- Smeller Martin. New York: Viking Press, 1950.
- McWhinney's Jaunt. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1951.
- Edward, Hoppy and Joe. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1952.
- Mr. Revere and I. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1953.
- The Tough Winter. New York: Viking Press, 1954.
- Captain Kidd's Cat. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1956.
- The Great Wheel. New York: Viking Press, 1957.
- Yolen, Jane. Spaceships & Spells: A collection of new fantasy and science-fiction stories. New York: Harper & Row, (1987) Contains Robert Lawson Short Story "The Silver Leopard".
Books Illustrated by Robert Lawson
- Chester, George Randolph, The Wonderful Adventures of Little Prince Toofat. New York: James A. McCann, 1922.
- Mason, Arthur, The Wee Men of Ballywooden. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran, 1930.
- Bianco, Margery Williams, "The House That Grew Small". St. Nicholas Magazine 58 (September 1931): 764–66, 782–83.
- Mason, Arthur, From the Horn of the Moon. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran, 1931.
- Mason, Arthur, The Roving Lobster. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran, 1931.
- Untermeyer, Louis, "The Donkey of God". St. Nicholas Magazine 59 (December 1931): 59–61, 105–108.
- Ring, Barbara, Peik. Translated by Lorence Munson Woodside. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1932.
- Young, Ella, The Unicorn with Silver Shoes. New York: Longmans, Green, 1932.
- Bianco, Margery Williams, The Hurdy-Gurdy Man. New York: Oxford University Press, 1933.
- Marquand, John P., Haven's End. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1933.
- Haines, William Wister, Slim. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1934.
- Tarn, William Woodthorpe, The Treasure of the Isle of Mist. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1934.
- Coatsworth, Elizabeth, The Golden Horseshoe. New York: Macmillan & Co., 1935.
- Sterne, Emma Gelders, Drums of Monmouth. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1935.
- Bates, Helen Dixon, Betsy Ross. New York: Whittlesey House and McGraw-Hill, 1936.
- Bates, Helen Dixon, Francis Scott Key. New York: Whittlesey House and McGraw-Hill, 1936.
- Gale, Elizabeth, Seven Beads of Wampum. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1936.
- Glenn, Mabelle, et al., eds., Tunes and Harmonies. Boston: Athenaeum Press, 1936.
- Leaf, Munro, The Story of Ferdinand. New York: Viking Press, 1936.
- Barnes, Ruth A., ed., I Hear America Singing: An Anthology of Folk Poetry. Chicago: John C. Winston Co. and the Junior Literary Guild, 1937.
- Bowie, Walter Russell, The Story of Jesus for Young People. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1937.
- Brewton, John E., Under the Tent of the Sky: A Collection of Poems about Animals Large and Small. New York: Macmillan & Co., 1937.
- Cormack, Maribelle, Wind of the Vikings: A Tale of the Orkney Isles. New York: D. Appleton-Century, 1937.
- Fish, Helen Dean, ed., Four and Twenty Blackbirds: Nursery Rhymes of Yesterday Recalled for Children of To-Day. New York: Frederick. A. Stokes, 1937.
- MacDonald, Rose Mortimer Ellzey. Nelly Custis Daughter of Mount Vernon. Boston: Athenaeum Press, 1937.
- Rosmer, Jean, In Secret Service: A Mystery Story of Napoleon's Court. Translated by Virginia Olcott. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1937.
- Sterne, Emma Gelders, Miranda Is a Princess: A Story of Old Spain. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1937.
- Stratton, Clarence, Swords and Statues: A Tale of Sixteenth Century Italy. New York: John C. Winston Co. and the Junior Literary Guild, 1937.
- Twain, Mark, The Prince and the Pauper. Chicago: John C. Winston Co., 1937.
- Atwater, Richard, and Florence Atwater, Robert Lawson (illustrator). Mr. Popper's Penguins. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1938.
- Farjeon, Eleanor, One Foot in Fairyland. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1938.
- Haines, William Wister, High Tension. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1938.
- Leaf, Munro, Wee Gillis. New York: Viking Press, 1938.
- Lawson, Robert. Ben and Me. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1939.
- Bunyan, John, Pilgrim's Progress. Text revised by Mary Godolphin. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1939.
- White, T. H., The Sword in the Stone. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1939.
- Lawson, Robert. Just for Fun: A Collection of Stories and Verses. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1940.
- Lawson, Robert. They Were Strong and Good. New York: Viking Press, 1940.
- Brewton, John E, Gaily We Parade: A Collection of Poems about People, Here, There and Everywhere. New York: Macmillan & Co., 1940.
- Lawson, Robert. I Discover Columbus. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1941.
- Leaf, Munro, Aesop's Fables. New York: Heritage Press, 1941.
- Leaf, Munro, The Story of Simpson and Sampson. New York: Viking Press, 1941.
- C. S. Forester, Poo-Poo and the Dragons. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1942.
- Gray, Elizabeth Janet, Adam of the Road. New York: Viking Press, 1942.
- Lang, Andrew, Prince Prigio. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1942.
- Stephens, James, The Crock of Gold. New York: Limited Editions Club, 1942.
- Lawson, Robert. Watchwords of Liberty. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1943.
- Teal, Val, The Little Woman Wanted Noise. New York: Rand McNally, 1943.
- The Woman's Club of Westport. The Connecticut Cookbook. Westport, Connecticut: Westport Women's Club, 1943.
- Neilson, Frances F., and Winthrop Neilson, Benjamin Franklin. Reader in Real People Series. New York: Row, Peterson, 1950.
- Hall, William, The Shoelace Robin. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1945.
- Robinson, Tom, Greylock and the Robins. New York: Viking Press and the Junior Literary Guild, 1946.
- Potter, Mary A., et al., Mathematics for Success. Boston: Athenaeum Press, 1952.
