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Lois Ehlert

ロイス・エールト

Lois Ehlert

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1934-11-09 （Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, U.S.）
Died
2021-05-25 （Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.） age 86
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin (birthplace) → Milwaukee, Wisconsin (later life)

Career

Occupations
illustrator, children's author, graphic designer
Active Years
1987-2017

Education

University of Wisconsin–Madison
English and Psychology (major)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Country: United States
Degree in English and psychology
Layton School of Art
Advertising design (certificate)
Country: United States
Attended on a scholarship; certificate in advertising design

Awards

Caldecott Honor
1990
Work: Color Zoo
Organization: American Library Association (ALA)
Result: Honor
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
1995
Work: Snowballs
Organization: Publishers Weekly
Result: 選出
Booklist Editors' Choice
1997
Work: Cuckoo/Cucú: A Mexican Folktale
Organization: Booklist
Result: 選出
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
1990
Work: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (illustrator)
Organization: Boston Globe–Horn Book
Result: 受賞
National Outdoor Book Award (Honorable Mention)
2005
Work: Leaf Man
Category: Children's
Organization: National Outdoor Book Awards
Result: Honorable Mention
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Picture Book)
2006
Work: Leaf Man
Category: Picture Book
Organization: Boston Globe–Horn Book
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Growing Vegetable Soup

1987 Children's picture book 32 pages

A garden-to-table picture book for young children that follows planting seeds through preparing vegetables in the kitchen.

naturegrowthgarden-to-table

Planting a Rainbow

1988 Children's picture book 32 pages

A picture book that teaches colors through planting a garden of colorful flowers.

colorgardeningnature

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

1989 Children's picture book (illustrator) 40 pages

A rhythmic alphabet book in which letters climb a coconut tree. Ehlert illustrated the book using vivid collage artwork.

alphabetrhythmcolor

Color Zoo

1989 Children's picture book 32 pages

A book exploring color and shapes with fold-outs and transformations; known for bold colors and collage technique.

colorshapeinteractive mechanisms

Leaf Man

2005 Children's picture book 40 pages

A visually driven picture book following a figure made of leaves who is carried by the wind through seasonal landscapes.

natureseasonscollage

Bibliography

  • Growing Vegetable Soup (1987)
  • Planting a Rainbow (1988)
  • Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (illustrator, 1989)
  • Color Zoo (1989)
  • Eating the Alphabet (1989)
  • Color Farm (1990)
  • Feathers for Lunch (1990)
  • Snowballs (1995)
  • Cuckoo/Cucú: A Mexican Folktale (1997)
  • Hands: Growing Up to Be An Artist (2004)
  • Leaf Man (2005)
  • Heart to Heart (2017)

Translations of Works

  • Market Day / Día de mercado (Spanish edition)
  • Moon Rope / Un Lazo a La Luna (Spanish edition)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Signature collage technique with bold colors and crisp shapesVisually clear, straightforward compositions appealing to young children
Recurring Motifs
leaves, plants, gardensanimalscolor and shape

Legacy

Lois Ehlert was widely recognized as a children's author and illustrator known for bold color collage work. Her books have been beloved in educational settings and storytimes, earned multiple awards, and influenced visual approaches in picture books.

In Popular Culture

  • 'Chicka Chicka Boom Boom' became a bestseller and was read by President Barack Obama at the 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll.

Quotes

  • "Her signature collage artwork features bold colors and crisply cut shapes as well as found objects."
    Source: Publishers Weekly (profile) (1990)

Trivia

  • 'Chicka Chicka Boom Boom' reportedly sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
  • Her mother taught her to sew and shared fabric scraps, which influenced her collage technique.
  • She preferred working by cutting out each piece individually and gluing them — a collage process.