Most Popular Books by Leonard S. Marcus

“Will inspire, inform, and delight those of any age who areengaged in—or by—the arts.” — The Horn Book Renowned children’s literature authority Leonard S. Marcus speaks with twenty-one of the world’s most celebrated illustrators of picture books, asking about their childhood, their inspiration, their creative choices, and more. Amplifying these richly entertaining and thought-provoking conversations are eighty-eight full- color plates revealing each illustrator’s artistic process in fascinating, behind- the-scenes detail. This inspiring collection confirms that picture books matter because they make a difference in our children’s lives.

"A book of interviews with people who knew Madeleine L''Engle, author of the children''s classic A wrinkle in time, in the many facets of her life"--

"Leonard S. Marcus... has masterfully written about a fascinating woman who in her short life changed literature for the very young. I was throroughly enchanted."--Eric Carle Nearly fifty years after her sudden death at the age of forty-two, Margaret Wise Brown remains a legend and an enigma. Author of Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, and dozens of other children''s classics, Brown all but invented the picture book as we know it today. Combining poetic instinct with a profound empathy for small children, she understood a child''s need for security, love, and a sense of being at home in the world. Yet, these were comforts that had eluded her. Her sparkling presence and her unparalleled success as a legendary children''s book author masked an insecurity that left her restless and vulnerable. In this authoritative and moving biography, Leonard S. Marcus, who had access to never-before-published letters and family papers, portrays Brown''s complex character and her tragic, seesaw life. Colorful, thoughtful, and insightful, Margaret Wise Brown is both a portrayal of a woman whose stories still speak to millions and a portrait of New York in the 1930s and 1940s, when the literary world blossomed and made history.

Marcus offers this animated history of the visionaries--editors, illustrators, and others--whose books have transformed American childhood and American culture.

Describes the process by which several teams of authors and illustrators have created such picture books as "Louis the Fish," "The Glorious Flight," "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales," "Sam and the Tigers," and "The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses."

Celebrate a century of children''s book illustration! For families, art lovers, and history buffs alike, Leonard S. Marcus''s visual history tour of 100 years of children''s book illustration gathers in one glorious volume the posters of the annual Children''s Book Week! Featuring work from early luminaries such as N. C. Wyeth and Marcia Brown to more contemporary illustrators like David Wiesner, Mary GrandPré, Christian Robinson, and Jillian Tamaki, this beautiful collection showcases the conceptual and iconic images that have defined children''s books for generations of young readers. While the posters within these pages are linked in their resounding advocacy for young people''s literacy, they are distinguished by the styles and mediums of their creators and by the historical, social, and cultural influences of their times. Renowned historian Leonard S. Marcus traces these developments in the children''s book field with incisive descriptions to accompany each poster. Children''s Book Week has grown over the past one hundred years from a modest grassroots effort to a full-throttle nationwide annual celebration of literacy and the pleasures of reading. The posters in this book beautifully emphasize Book Week''s mission, with slogans such as "Build the Future with Books," "Get Lost in a Book," and "One World, Many Stories."

Pictured Worlds is a lavishly illustrated, large-format reference book highlighting the work of 101 top children’s illustrators. In Pictured Worlds, renowned historian Leonard S. Marcus shares his incomparable knowledge of illustrated children’s books, which came of age in the 18th century when John Newbery set a model for tailoring books to the interests and capabilities of young readers and went on to become a global cultural phenomenon. The author of more than 25 award-winning books, Marcus here highlights an international roster of 101 artists of the past 200 years whose touchstone achievements collectively chart the major trends and turning points in the history of children’s book illustration. While some illustrators explored in this lively volume (John Tenniel, Maurice Sendak) have become household names, Marcus’s wide-ranging survey also shines a light on several lesser-known figures whose unique contributions merit a closer look. The result is a sweeping chronicle of a vibrant art form and cultural driver that has touched the lives of literate peoples everywhere. More than 500 illustrations showcase landmark books from Great Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Czech Republic, Russia, Japan, China, Korea, Bulgaria, Argentina, Cameroon, and more. Each illustrated entry comprises an artist’s biography and career overview and a deep dive into a pivotal book and its legacy. Featured books include Ivan Bilibin’s The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, Leo Lionni’s Inch by Inch, Richard Doyle’s In Fairyland, Květa Pacovská’s One, Five, Many, Helen Oxenbury’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Anno Mitsumasa’s Anno’s Journey, and Zhu Cheng-Liang’s A New Year’s Reunion, as well as the books that introduced such iconic characters as Alice, Max, Struwwelpeter, the Little Prince, and Winnie-the-Pooh. At once a celebration of illustrated children’s books and an essential reference work, Pictured Worlds encapsulates, in the author’s words, “the special nature of the illustrated children’s book as a cultural enterprise that is at once a rewarding art form, a bridge across cultures, and a ladder between generations.”

Randolph Caldecott is best known as the namesake of the award that honors picture book illustrations, and in this inventive biography, leading children''s literature scholar Leonard Marcus examines the man behind the medal. In an era when the steam engine fueled an industrial revolution and train travel exploded people''s experience of space and time, Caldecott was inspired by his surroundings to capture action, movement, and speed in a way that had never before been seen in children''s picture books. Thoroughly researched and featuring extensive archival material and a treasure trove of previously unpublished drawings, including some from Caldecott''s very last sketchbook, Leonard Marcus''s luminous biography shows why Caldecott was indeed the father of the modern picture book and how his influence lives on in the books we love today.

What happens when freedom of expression comes under threat? In frank and wide-ranging interviews, historian and critic Leonard S. Marcus probes the experience of thirteen leading authors of books for young people. A powerful photo essay on transgender teens is called anti-religious and anti-family. A meticulously researched primer on sex education stirs up accusations of pornography and child abuse. Picture books about two mommies (or two penguin daddies) set off a hue and cry. Two hugely popular children’s series run afoul of would-be censors, one for its scatological humor, the other because it’s deemed too scary. Kids’ books that touch on race, sex, LGBTQ matters, the occult, “coarse language,” and more have found themselves under the scrutiny of those who challenge First Amendment rights. Tune in as thirteen top children’s and young adult authors speak out about what it’s like to have your work banned or challenged in America today. Prompted by Leonard S. Marcus’s insightful questions, they discuss why their books have faced censorship—both blatant and “soft”—how the challenges have or haven’t affected their writing, and why some people feel they have the right to deny access to books. In addition, Leonard S. Marcus puts First Amendment challenges in a historical context and takes a promising look at the vibrant support network that has risen up to protect and defend young people’s rights. Authors interviewed include: Matt de la Peña Robie H. Harris Susan Kuklin David Levithan Meg Medina Lesléa Newman Katherine Paterson Dav Pilkey Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell Sonya Sones R. L. Stine Angie Thomas.

From award-winning historian Leonard S. Marcus, Earthrise is a unique middle-grade nonfiction book about the astonishing photograph taken during the Apollo 8 mission that forever shifted the way we view ourselves and our planet. Gazing out the window of the Apollo 8 spacecraft on Christmas Eve, 1968, NASA astronaut Bill Anders grabbed his camera and snapped the iconic color photo of our planet rising over the lunar horizon. Not long after the crew’s safe return, NASA developed Anders’s film and released “Earthrise” to the world. It soon became one of the most viewed and consequential photographs in all of human history, inspiring the first Earth Day in 1970 and boosting the global environmental movement. In the decades since, this incredible photograph of our small yet beautiful, familiar yet strange, “blue marble” has moved billions to rethink their understanding of our home planet, and even their very idea of “home.” A companion to Marcus’s acclaimed Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait—a unique biography of America’s sixteenth president centered around one famous 1864 photo—Earthrise uses the same technique of exploring a key moment in US history through the lens of an iconic photograph. This rocket-paced, compact, and highly accessible nonfiction book includes a trove of black-and-white images and related materials throughout. This is perfect for elementary and middle school kids ages 10-14, or in grades 5 through 8, who love: ● Outer space, astronauts, and STEM-related books ● Fascinating dives into American history ● Quick and engaging nonfiction reads

Introduces five best-selling and award-winning families with an array of writing talents that span generations, with accounts of their family history and examples of their work.

A fascinating, beautiful, and definitive account of the life of esteemed artist Helen Oxenbury. Filled with insights that span Helen Oxenbury''s life — from her early childhood through a career in children''s books that started in the 1960s and is still going strong today — here is an exquisitely designed and thoroughly entertaining celebration of one of the finest illustrators of our time. Written by acclaimed author Leonard S. Marcus, Helen Oxenbury: A Life in Illustration is a keepsake that is sure to engage and delight everyone from scholars to art aficionados, as well as the many fans who have grown up with Helen Oxenbury’s enchanting books.

Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal, a noted children''s book historian profiles past and present winners of this prestigious illustration award, including Robert McCloskey, Marcia Brown, and Maurice Sendak.

Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait is a unique middle-grade depiction of America’s sixteenth president, through the story of one famous photograph, written by award-winning author Leonard S. Marcus. On February 9, 1864, Abraham Lincoln made the mile-long walk from the Executive Mansion to photographer Mathew Brady''s Washington, DC, studio, to be joined there later by his ten-year-old son, Tad. With a fractious re-election campaign looming that year, America''s first media-savvy president was intent on securing another portrait that cast him in a favorable light, as he prepared to make the case for himself to a nation weary of war. At least four iconic pictures were made that day. One was Lincoln in profile, the image that later found its way onto the penny; two more would be adapted for the 1928 and 2008 five-dollar bills. The fourth was a dual portrait of Lincoln and Tad. The pose, featuring Lincoln reading to his son, was a last-minute improvisation, but the image that came of it was—and remains—incomparably tender and enduringly powerful. Immediately after the president’s murder the following year, the picture of Lincoln reading to his son became a mass-produced icon—a cherished portrait of a nation’s fallen leader, a disarmingly intimate record of a care-worn father''s feeling for his child, and a timeless comment on books as a binding force between generations.

Gives a history of the publishing house with emphasis on children''s literature.

A sock monkey named Oscar saves the day for his little girl at the school pet show.

Presents twenty-one walking tours of New York City, including more than one hundred sites of literary significance and featuring more than two hundred books about New York written for young readers.

From the exhibition Americana on Parade: The Art of Robert McCloskey, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, June 19, 2016 - October 23, 2016.40 pages, full color. Includes essay "McCloskey''s Way" by Guest Curator, Leonard S. Marcus and "Robert McCloskey and ''What If?''" by Chief Curator Emeritus, H. Nichols B. Clark.

Exhibition catalog for Magician of the Modern: The Art of Leonard Weisgard at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA: March 8, 2016 - June 5, 2016.Softcover, 32 pages, full color. Includes "Shape Shifter: Leonard Weisgard''s Quest for the Modern in American Picture Book Art" by Guest Curator Leonard S. Marcus."The point for him was not to inject abstraction into the American picture book for abstraction''s sake but rather, by doing so, to leave more of the experience and interpretation of an image on the page to the child''s imagination." - Leonard S. Marcus

Tells the story of "Goodnight Moon," including ancedotes, previously unpublished photographs, and full-color studies of the artwork

After a cyclone transports her to the land of Oz, Dorothy must seek out the great Wizard in order to return to Kansas.

Over the last 75 years, Children''s Book Week has grown from a modest grassroots effort to the present-day nationwide annual celebration of literacy & the pleasures of reading. The posters encourage reading by children &, in turn, reflect a nation struggling with the responsibility of educating its young. The history, social climate, & wider concerns of the country can be traced through the posters, which also reflect the development & growth of the publishing industry. From Jessie Willcox Smith & N.C. Wyeth to Maurice Sendak & Chris Van Allsburg, here are all 69 posters, truly a celebration of great American children''s book illustrators. Leonard S. Marcus provides an introductory essay.

"Original artwork and materials explore children''s literature and its impact in society and culture over time. A favorite childhood book can leave a lasting impression, but as adults we tend to shelve such memories. For fourteen months beginning in June 2013, more than half a million visitors to the New York Public Library viewed an exhibition about the role that children''s books play in world culture and in our lives. After the exhibition closed, attendees clamored for a catalog of The ABC of It as well as for children''s literature historian Leonard S. Marcus''s insightful, wry commentary about the objects on display. Now with this book, a collaboration between the University of Minnesota''s Kerlan Collection of Children''s Literature and Leonard Marcus, the nostalgia and vision of that exhibit can be experienced anywhere. The story of the origins of children''s literature is a tale with memorable characters and deeds, from Hans Christian Andersen and Lewis Carroll to E. B. .

A picture book is a dialogue between two worlds: the world of images & the world of words. This is a book of conversations about that dialogue. In 14 interviews, Marcus sparks thoughtful, personal, & often humorous discussion with artists & writers who have made lasting contributions to the illustrated literature of childhood. Readers of this spirited collection will be rewarded with an appreciation of the hidden artistry & complex legacies that inform & animate the child-sized blocks of type & brilliant colors of a unique genre. The conversations here present an exciting foray into the creative process. Along the way, these picture book makers reveal their clear-sighted approaches, often hard-won, to life, art, & childhood. Illustrations.

Gives a history of the publishing house with emphasis on children''s literature.