Hamilton
Born: September 15, 1914
Died: June 30, 2003
Ohio connection: Birth
Born in Hamilton, Ohio, on September 15, 1914, Robert McCloskey was an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books. McCloskey was also a talented artist whose work included murals and sculpture. He was even awarded the Prix de Rome as a student. In 1934, McCloskey was commissioned to create over 20 bas-reliefs in stone for the municipal building in his hometown of Hamilton.
McCloskey wrote and illustrated eight of his own books. He celebrated his Midwestern upbringing in Lentil; Homer Price; and its sequel, Centerburg Tales. McCloskey also set several stories on an island off the coast of Maine where he spent summers with his wife and daughters. Blueberries for Sal and One Morning in Maine were both Caldecott Honor books. With Time of Wonder, McCloskey became in 1958 the first illustrator to receive the Caldecott Medal twice, receiving it the first time for Make Way for Ducklings in 1942. He also collaborated with other authors as the illustrator of their works.
McCloskey died in Maine on June 30, 2003, and his books continue to be treasured by young and old. This affection was made tangible by sculptor Nancy Schön whose creation of Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings – paying homage to the characters in McCloskey’s beloved book Make Way for Ducklings – stands in Boston Common, while her life-size replica of Lentil marches down the street in McCloskey’s hometown of Hamilton.
Selected Awards
Prix de Rome, 1939; Caldecott Medal, 1942, for Make Way for Ducklings, and 1958, for Time of Wonder; Caldecott Medal honor book award, 1949, for Blueberries for Sal, and 1953, for One Morning in Maine; D.Litt., Miami University, Oxford, OH, 1964; D.Let., Mount Holyoke College, 1967; Catholic Library Association’s Regina Medal, 1974, for “continued distinguished contribution to children’s literature”; D.Litt., University of Maine, 1990; Make Way for Ducklings, Homer Price, Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine, and Time of Wonder have been selected as notable books by the American Library Association.