Lois Lenski

  Lois Lenski (a little bio here) was a prolific writer and illustrator of mostly children's and young adult books. She illustrated at least 50 books by different authors, and wrote and illustrated at least 100 more of her own. Lois won a Newbery award for Strawberry Girl, one book in a collection of stories about children in different parts of the United States.

  Here's the fun connection. You might recognize her art if you are a fan of the Betsy-Tacy series, written by Maud Hart Lovelace. Betsy-Tacy books have a huge cult following, and my favorite thing about them is they are set in Mankato, Minnesota, which is near where I lived during my high school days.

 I collect vintage school readers and children's picture books, choosing mostly by what illustrations attract me. I didn't realize until recently that I had quite a few Lois Lenski books because the illustrations are irresistible. They are charming, of course, but they also portray a sense of adventure and playfulness. They are wonderful as simple line drawings, and delightful in color.

 

Here is the first book I found:

Then I spied this at a Salvation Army: