Robert McCloskey (1914 - 2003)

Genre: Children's Literature

Born in Hamilton, Ohio, McCloskey attended Vesper George Art School in Boston, served in World War II, and eventually moved to Maine with his wife Peggy, whose mother, children's author Ruth Sawyer, lived in Hancock, Maine. McCoskey is the winner of several Caldecott Medals and Honors. Biographical info on McCloskey is available online, as well as a short Horn Book interview of McCloskey and tributes to McCloskey at Horn Book. An archive of manuscripts, various language editions, ephemera, and original artwork by McCloskey is in the May Massee collection at Emporia State University in Kansas. Robert McCloskey (1990), written by Gary D. Schmidt and part of Twayne's United States Authors series, is a good print source for further information.

McCloskey's books include:

• Lentil (1940/1999), takes place in Ohio
• Make Way for Ducklings (1941). The locale is Boston's Public Garden. Won 1942 Caldecott Medal.
• The Man Who Lost His Head (1942)
• Homer Price (1943/1999)
• Blueberries for Sal (1948/1999), about a mother and little girl, and mother bear and bear cub; Sal is based on McCloskey's daughter Sally
• Centerburg Tales (1951/1999)
• One Morning in Maine (1952/1999), about family life on an island. Caldecott Honor book.
• Journey Cake, Ho! (1953; illustrator; written by Ruth Sawyer), Caldecott Honor book
• Time of Wonder (1957/1999), about a Penobscot island summer. Won 1958 Caldecott Medal.
• Henry Reed, Inc (1958), which takes place in New Jersey
• Burt Dow, Deep Water Man: A Tale of the Sea in the Classic Tradition (1963), about a retired Maine fisherman
• Henry Reed's Journey (1963)
• Henry Reed's Babysitting Service (1966)
• Henry Reed's Big Show (1970)
• Homer Price Stories (1974)
• Complete Adventures of Homer Price (1998)
• The World of Robert McCloskey (1998; includes Make Way for Ducklings, One Morning in Maine, and Lentil).

McCloskey died on Deer Island, Maine, on 30 June, 2003, at the age of 88.


Last Update: 09/04/2007

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