Virginia Lee Burton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Virginia Lee Burton
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| Born | Virginia Burton August 30, 1909 Newton Centre, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | October 15, 1968 (aged 59) Boston, Massachusetts |
| Occupation | Illustrator, writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Children's picture books |
| Notable works | |
| Notable awards | Caldecott Medal 1943 |
Virginia Lee Burton (born August 30, 1909 – died October 15, 1968) was an American writer and artist. She is famous for writing and drawing children's books. Her most well-known books include Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939) and The Little House (1943). The Little House even won the important Caldecott Medal award! Virginia Lee Burton also drew pictures for six other books written by different authors.
She also started a group called the Folly Cove Designers in Cape Ann, Massachusetts. This group created beautiful fabric designs. Their work was shown in many museums. Today, you can find some of their designs in famous museums like the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Contents
Virginia Lee Burton's Story
Her Early Life and Learning
Virginia Burton was born in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. When she was a child, her family called her "Jinnee." Her mother, Lena Yates, was a poet and artist from England. Her father, Alfred E. Burton, was a dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Virginia had an older sister, Christine, and a younger brother, Alexander. She also had two older half-brothers from her father's first marriage.
When Virginia was about eight years old, her family moved to San Diego, California. They later settled in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, which was a small town known for artists. Virginia and her sister took dance and art lessons there.
After high school, Virginia won a scholarship to the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco. She studied both art and dance. She used her long trips on trains and ferries to practice drawing people quickly from memory.
Becoming a Children's Author
In 1928, Virginia moved to Boston, Massachusetts. She worked as a "sketcher" for a newspaper called the Boston Evening Transcript. She drew pictures of actors and performers.
In 1930, Virginia took an art class where she met sculptor George Demetrios. They got married the next spring. They had two sons, Aristides (called Ari) and Michael.
Virginia learned a lot about writing for kids from her own children. She said her first book idea, Jonnifer Lint, was about a piece of dust. Her son, Ari, fell asleep when she tried to read it to him! This taught her an important lesson. From then on, she would tell her stories to her children first. She watched their reactions and changed the story and drawings based on what they liked. She knew that children are very honest critics!
Virginia was known for designing her entire books, including the pictures, words, and even the style of the letters. She usually drew her pictures first, and then wrote the story. Her books often teach about teamwork, caring for the environment, never giving up, and accepting change while remembering the past.
The Folly Cove Designers
In 1941, Virginia started a group called the Folly Cove Designers in Cape Ann, Massachusetts. This group made beautiful designs for fabrics using a special printing method. Their work was shown in many art exhibitions in the 1940s and 1950s. They even sold their fabrics to big stores like Lord & Taylor.
The group's designs were unique and won many awards. Their work is now kept in the collections of famous museums. Virginia Lee Burton passed away on October 15, 1968.
Her Family and Legacy
Virginia's son, Aristides Demetrios, became a sculptor. Her other son, Michael Burton Demetrios, became a businessman who led amusement parks.
Virginia Lee Burton's work continues to be celebrated.
- In 1943, her book The Little House won the prestigious Caldecott Medal.
- A documentary film about her life, called Virginia Lee Burton: A Sense of Place, was released in 2007.
- Her original drawings and writings are kept in special collections at places like the Free Library of Philadelphia and the University of Oregon.
Books by Virginia Lee Burton
Virginia Lee Burton wrote and illustrated these seven books:
- Choo Choo (1937)
- Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939)
- Calico the Wonder Horse, or the Saga of Stewy Stinker (1941): Virginia wrote this comic-strip-style book to get her sons interested in reading.
- The Little House (1942): This book won the Caldecott Medal. Virginia based the house in the story on her own small house.
- Katy and the Big Snow (1943): The city in this book, Geoppolis, was based on Gloucester, Massachusetts.
- Maybelle the Cable Car (1952): This book was inspired by Virginia's school days in San Francisco.
- Life Story (1962): This book tells the history of the world, from the Big Bang to her time, like a play.
Books She Illustrated
Virginia Lee Burton also drew the pictures for these books by other authors:
- Sad-Faced Boy, by Arna Bontemps (1937)
- Fast Sooner Hound (1942) by Arna Bontemps and Jack Conroy
- Don Coyote, by Leigh Peck (1942)
- The Song of Robin Hood (1947), stories by Anne Malcolmson
- The Emperor's New Clothes (1949) by Hans Christian Andersen
- La Casita by Burton and Maria Elena Herrera (1994)
