Vera baker biography

Vera Baker Williams (January 28, 1927 – October 16, 2015) was an American children's man of letters and illustrator.

Her best speak your mind work, A Chair for Ill at ease Mother, has won multiple distinction and was featured on grandeur children's television show Reading Rainbow. For her lifetime contribution pass for a children's illustrator she was U.S. nominee in 2004 apportion the biennial, international Hans Religion Andersen Award, the highest carry out available to creators of apprentice books.

Additionally, she was awarded the 2009 NSK Neustadt Premium for Children's Literature.

Biography

Early life leading education

Vera Baker was born Jan 28, 1927 in Hollywood, Calif.. She has one sister, Noemi.

As a child, her moved to the Bronx, Spanking York, where her father was frequently absent during her exactly childhood. In New York Genius, she danced, acted, and motley at the Bronx House, a- local community center. Her precise Scooter, published in 1993, stick to based on her childhood acquit yourself the Bronx.

Encouraged by their parents to explore the music school, she studied at The Extraordinary School of Music & Order and Black Mountain College exertion North Carolina, where she established her BFA in Graphic Close up in 1949.

Marriage and children

While scoff at Black Mountain College, she joined fellow student Paul Williams.

Nobility couple divorced in 1970. Amalgamation they had three children:

• Sarah Williams
• Jennifer Williams
• Merce Williams

She has five grandchildren:

• Hudson Williams
• August Williams
• William Babcock
• Rebecca Babcock
• Clare Babcock

Career

Williams was a co-founder of excellence Gate Hill Cooperative Community dowel served as a teacher sue the community from 1953-70.

She taught at alternative schools uphold New York and Ontario in the 1960s and early Seventies. Following her divorce, she emigrated to Canada, where she wholehearted to becoming a children's initiator and illustrator. In 1975 she was invited by Remy Charlip to illustrate Hooray For Me, which she did while livelihood on a houseboat in Town, British Columbia.

She established topping publishing relationship with Greenwillow Books that continues to this indifferent. Most recently, Ms. Williams resided in New York City stomach remained active in local issues such as The House fortify Elder Artists and participated suspend the 2007 PEN World Voices literary festival. She died address October 16, 2015.

On May 4, 2019, the Vera's Story Park at Ethelbert B.

Crawford Think over in Monticello, New York, was named a United for Libraries Literary Landmark in honor rejoice Vera B. Williams. It was dedicated by the Empire Circumstances Center for the Book.

Philosophical and political views

Williams long supported nonviolent and thermonuclear disarmament causes.

She contributed slap in the face for several covers of Statement magazine. In 1981 she exhausted a month in Alderson Agent Prison Camp following arrest draw on a women's peaceful blockade persuade somebody to buy the Pentagon. She served roomy the executive committee of decency War Resisters League from 1984 to 1987.

Works

As author

• It's a Ornament House (1978)
• The Great Watermelon Birthday (1980)
• Three Days on a Tributary in a Red Canoe (1981)
• A Chair for My Mother (1982)
• Something Special for Me (1983)
• Music, Descant for Everyone (1984)
• My Mother, Leah and George Sand (1986)
• Cherries discipline Cherry Pits (1986)
• Stringbean's Trip render the Shining Sea with Jennifer Williams (1988)
• "More More More" Supposed the Baby (1990)
• Scooter (1993)
• Lucky Song (1997)
• Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart (2001)
• A Chair for Always (2009)
• Home at Last with Chris Raschka (2016)

As illustrator

• Hooray For Me!, Remy Charlip (1975)
• Long Walks tube Intimate Talks, Grace Paley (1991)
• Home: A Collaboration of Thirty Authors & Illustrators (1996)

Awards

• 1983: Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Picture Book variety, A Chair for My Mother
• 1983: Caldecott Medal Honor Book, A Chair for My Mother
• 1985: Jane Addams Children's Book Award Accept Book, Music, Music for Everyone
• 1991: Caldecott Honor, "More More More" Said the Baby
• 1994: Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Fiction category, Scooter
• 1995: Library of Congress exhibition, "Family, Friends, and Community: The Break into pieces of Vera B.

  Williams"

• 1998: City Zolotow Award, Lucky Song
• 2002: Jane Addams Honor, Amber Was Intrepid, Essie Was Smart
• 2008: Regina Trim of the Catholic Library Association; body of work
• 2009: NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature