Petra Mathers
Petra Mathers (born 1945) is a German-born American writer and illustrator of children’s picture books.
Life and work
Mathers was born in Todtmoos, Germany. She served as an apprentice in the book business before moving to the United States at the age of 23.[1] Upon her arrival in the U.S., she worked with a friend who owned a children's bookstore in Oregon.[2] After that, Mathers worked in bookstores, for Brockhaus (a German encyclopedia company), as a waitress jobs, and as a freelance artist and illustrator before creating her own picture books. Her first published book came at age 40 in 1985. She is the writer and illustrator of more than thirty picture books, and currently resides in Astoria, Oregon.[1]
Style
Mathers is a self-taught artist and has a very distinct artistic style. Critic H. Nichols B. Clark describes her formal aesthetic, explaining that Mathers “[creates] simplified forms that comprise flat shapes. She assembles a carefully articulated formal arrangement whose visual dynamics are as integral to the production as the pictorial narrative.” [3] Linnea Hendricks explains that Mathers’ picturebooks “combine a flat, naive, folklike style with wit and a strong sense of design” and are “praised for their freshness, originality, subtlety, and genuine feeling.” [4]
Awards and honors
Petra Mathers’ work has earned much acclaim, including the following accolades:[5]
- 1985—Ezra Jack Keats Award [6] for Maria Theresa
- 1986—New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year for Molly's New Washing Machine (by Laura Geringer).
- 1988—New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year for Theodor and Mr. Balbini.
- 1990—New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year for I'm Flying (by Alan Wade).
- 1991—Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Sophie and Lou.
- 1995—Society of Illustrators Silver Medal:[7] for Kisses from Rosa.
- 1999—New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year for Lottie's New Friend.
- 1999—Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award for Illustration for Lottie's New Friend.
- 1999—Society of Illustrators Silver Medal for Lottie's New Friend.
References
- 1 2 "Petra Mathers (1945-)". Children's Literature Review. Ed. Rebecca Blanchard. Vol. 76. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. 108–35. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. 1 April 2010 Retrieved 1 April 2010
- ↑ "Bio". Trumpetclub.com. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
- ↑ Hearn, Michael Patrick , Trinkett Clark, and H. Nichols B. Clark (1996). Myth, Magic, and Mystery: One Hundred Years of American Children’s Book Illustration, p. 114. Roberts Rinehart, Boulder, CO.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 22, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ↑ "The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation". Ezra-jack-keats.org. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
External links
- Children's Literature Independent Information and Reviews
- Petra Mathers at Library of Congress Authorities, with 40 catalogue records