Wilfrid S. Bronson facts for kids

Wilfrid Swancourt Bronson (born October 24, 1894 – died April 23, 1985) was an American artist. He was known for drawing nature and for writing and illustrating many children's books. These books were all about different kinds of animals and sea life.

Bronson was born in Chicago, Illinois. He studied art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War I, he worked in New York City. He helped paint large pictures on walls, called murals. In the 1930s and 1940s, he painted murals for a government program called the Works Progress Administration.

Wilfrid Bronson also joined several science trips to the ocean. He went as an artist to draw what they found. These trips helped him create many nature books for kids. In 1930, he went on a trip to the Galapagos Islands. The goal was to collect plant and animal samples for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. In the 1920s, he joined trips led by Harry Payne Bingham. They studied sea creatures and brought back samples and drawings to the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. The museum still has many of Bronson's drawings. He made them on the ship to show the true colors and shapes of sea animals before color photography was common.

His Amazing Books

Wilfrid S. Bronson wrote and illustrated many popular books for young readers. His books often combined fun stories with lots of facts about nature.

• Fingerfins: The Tale of a Sargasso Fish (1930) – This book tells a delightful story about a fish. It is praised for being very accurate and having great drawings.
• Water People (1936)
• Children of the Sea (1939) – This is a charming story about a dolphin and a boy. It has Bronson's beautiful drawings and is full of facts about sea life.
• Stooping Hawk and Stranded Whale: Sons of Liberty (1942) – An exciting story about a group of people who lived freely many years ago.
• The Grasshopper Book (1943)
• Turtles (1945) – A book all about turtles.
• Pinto's Journey (1948) – This book has good pictures and a story about Native American life and nature in New Mexico.
• Starlings (1948) – This engaging book teaches a lot about birds, especially starlings. It does so with humor and warmth. It's a great way to learn about bird life in general.
• Cats (1950) – This book is highly recommended for any family that has a cat. It's full of interesting information.
• Freedom and Plenty: Ours to Save (1953) – This book talks about how to protect and save nature in the United States.
• Beetles (1963) – This book provides complete information about beetles. It's based on Bronson's own observations and knowledge from scientists.
• Dogs: Best Breeds for Young People (1969) – This book offers common sense advice about dogs.