Oregon daily emerald., April 18, 1978, Page 7, Image 7

Art from children’s books displayed
Di/ II InV/ nrrnrr _
Of the Emerald
Remember when life was Cap
tain Kangaroo and fantasy
heroes? Those were days of
childhood games and cookie
crumbs on pages of well-read
storybooks.
There were books we knew
even before we could read just by
looking at the illustrations. To chil
dren, books were judged not only
by their covers, but by the number
_- /
But genre s golden age’ over
of pictures inside. The colors, the
action — we couldn’t wait to turn
the pages!
As a tribute to the creators of
these delightful stories and pic
tures, the University Library is
featuring original illustrations from
10 award-winning books for chil
dren and young adults. The art
\ A • '
Photo by Dennis Hickok
The University Library is displaying, until May 1, original illustrations
from 10 award-winning books for children and young adults, including
this drawing by Louis Slobodkin for James Thurber's “Many Moons."
Slobodkin is a Caldecott Medal winner.
work is on display until May 1 in
the lobby of the Main Library and
in the Oregon Collection on the
second floor of the old library.
The awards are given annually
by the American Library Associa
tion in honor of Randolph J. Cal
decott, a nineteenth century illus
trator, and Hogn Newbery, the first
publisher to print books especially
for children. The Caldecott Medal
is awarded for the most disting
uished picture book for children,
and the Newbery Medal is given
for the best contribution to
children’s literature.
The artwork on display is from
the Special Collections Division of
the University Library. The art
work, along with original manu
scripts, illustrations and personal
correspondence files of 300 au
thors or illustrators of books for
children and young adults, makes
up one of the three largest collec
tions of its kind in the country.
All the material was donated to
the University by the
author/illustrator or heirs. Edward
Kemp, special collections lib
rarian, says the collection is cur
rently worth about $3.5 million, but
in terms of jts research value, the
material is priceless.
Kemp, who is primarily respon
sible for the size and high caliber
of the University's collection, says
little effort is needed to persuade a
children’s author/illustrator to pre
serve his working material so
others can use it.
"In this area, unlike any other,
the children’s author is anxious to
perpetuate his craft.” Kemp says
only missionaries are as willing to
share the details of their lives and
work. The library also has a large
missionary collection.
Kemp was well acquainted with
many of the persons who donated
their collections to the University.
“I’ve never met a more well
adjusted and active group of peo
ple than the children’s
author/illustrator. They are a giv
ing, outgoing, unique people,
unusually capable of talking about
what they’re doing,” says Kemp.
James Daugherty, whose
Newbery-Award-winning ‘Daniel
Boone” is on display in the lib
rary, had little respect for his own
talent. Kemp says Daugherty’s
studio was piled high with illustra
tions and manuscripts. Some art
work was strewn on the floor.
“So many of the illustrations we
have have Daugherty’s footprints
on them,” Kemp says.
Elizabeth Orton Jones was one
of the first illustrators to draw chil
dren of different nationalities play
ing and working together. Jones
was a Caldecott winner for her
illustrations in “Prayer for a Child”
by Rachel Field. Jones’s children
are so charming and cherubic
they make Holly Hobby look like
the neighborhood bully.
Jones currently writes and di
rects plays for French-Canadian
children in Mason, N.H.
Kurt Wiese, author/illustrator of
“You Can Write Chinese” which
was named the 1946 Caldecott
Honor Book, was perfectly at
home seated in his fireplace with
his sketchbook. Wiese, who was
sharply attuned to politics, en
joyed sketching political figures
from television. Kemp says
Wiese's political views are re
flected in the sketchbooks, which
are part of the collection.
Berta and Elmer Hader, who
gave all their working material to
the library, were nature lovers
long before it was fashionable to
be that way. Books about their
furry friends and nature’s wonders
reflect the Hader’s excitement
with life. Neither of the Haders is
living now, but Kemp remembers
them with joy and affection.
“If nature came in the door,
whether in the form of leaves or a
four-footed creature, it was ac
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V.
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