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Maud Fuller Petersham

モード・フラー・ピーターシャム

Mōdo Furā Pitāshamu

Aliases: Maud Petersham

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1890-08-05 (Kingston, New York)
Died
1971-11-29 age 81
Nationality
American
Languages
English
Religion
Baptist
Residence History
Kingston, New York → New York City → Greenwich Village, New York City → Woodstock, New York

Career

Occupations
children's book author, illustrator
Active Years
1912-1971
Affiliations
International Art Service, Doubleday
Influenced By
Willy Pogany, Louise Seaman Bechtel, May Massee

Education

Vassar College
Year of Graduation: 1912
Country: United States
New York School of Fine and Applied Art
Fine and Applied Art
Country: United States

Awards

Caldecott Honor
1942
Work: An American ABC
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Honor
Newbery Honor
1930
Work: Pran of Albania
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Honor
Caldecott Medal
1946
Work: The Rooster Crows
Category: picture book
Organization: American Library Association
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Rooster Crows

1945 Picture book

A collection of American songs, rhymes, and jingles.

American folklorenursery rhymes

Miki

1929 Picture book

The first book they both wrote and illustrated, about their son.

familychildhood

The Ark of Father Noah and Mother Noah

1930 Picture book

Picture book based on Noah's Ark.

Bibleanimals

An American ABC

1941 Picture book

An ABC book in American style.

alphabetAmerican culture

Bibliography

  • Tales from Shakespeare
  • The Billy Bang Book
  • Miki
  • Pran of Albania
  • The Ark of Father Noah and Mother Noah
  • The Christ Child
  • Auntie and Celia Jane and Miki
  • Get-a-Way and Háry János
  • The Story Book of Things We Use
  • Miki and Mary
  • The Story Book of Earth’s Treasures
  • The Story Book of Wheels, Ships, Trains, Aircraft
  • The Story Book of Foods from the Fields
  • David
  • Joseph and His Brothers
  • Moses
  • Ruth
  • Stories from the Old Testament
  • The Story Book of Things We Wear
  • An American ABC
  • Susannah, the Pioneer Cow
  • Story of Jesus
  • The Rooster Crows
  • America’s Stamps
  • My Very First Book
  • The Box with Red Wheels
  • The Circus Baby
  • A Bird in the Hand
  • Story of the Presidents of the United States of America
  • Off to Bed
  • The Boy Who Had No Heart
  • Miss Posy Longlegs
  • The Silver Mace
  • The Peppernuts
  • The Shepherd Psalm

Style & Themes

Literary Style
technical excellenceexuberant colorinternational folk style
Recurring Motifs
international folk themesmodernist themes

Legacy

American writers and illustrators who helped set the direction for illustrated children's books. Worked as a seamless partnership for more than five decades, producing over 120 books with technical excellence, exuberant color, and international folk and modernist themes.

Museums

  • Woodstock Artists Association and Museum Woodstock, New York

Archives

  • University of Minnesota, Children's Literature Research Collections
  • de Grummond Children's Literature Collection

Quotes

  • At first we illustrated books written by others, but often we found no place in the text that lent itself to illustration, so we decided to plan a book of our own with both pictures and text.
    Source: Lee Bennett Hopkins, Books Are by People (1969)

Trivia

  • Worked closely with husband Miska Petersham (born Petrezselyem Mihaly, 1888-1960) for over five decades.
  • They had two children: Miki and Elizabeth Petersham.
  • Met at International Art Service in New York and married in 1917.