Karla Kuskin
Encyclopedia
Karla Kuskin (July 17, 1932
– August 20, 2009
) was a prolific author, illustrator and reviewer of children's literature. Kuskin was known for her poetic, alliterative style.
, New York City
. She attended the Little Red School House, followed by Elizabeth Irwin High School. She then attended Antioch College
in 1950–53, and transferred to Yale
where she studied with, among others, Josef Albers
, Herbert Matter
and Alvin Eisenman
. She earned her B.F.A in graphic design in 1955 from Yale. Before working as a full-time author, she worked as an assistant to a fashion photographer, a design assistant, and in advertising. Her first book, Roar and More (Harper, 1956), came out of her senior graphic-arts project at Yale to design and print a book on a small press. She was married to Charles M. Kuskin, oboist
, from 1955–1979 and in 1989 married William L. Bell Jr, a lawyer with the Center for Naval Analyses
. She lived and worked in Brooklyn for most of her life, moving to Bainbridge Island, Washington
, then settling in Seattle at the end of her life. In August 2009, Kuskin died of corticobasal degeneration
in Seattle, at age 77.
, which had originally been created for an abandoned children's book, to go with a (now lost) story by writer H. R. Hays, nearly thirty years after the painter's death.
She was the recipient of a National Council of Teachers of English
Award for Excellence in Poetry.
Kuskin reviewed children's literature in The New York Times Book Review
.
Roar and More (1956)
James and the Rain (1957)
In the Middle of the Trees (poems) (1958)
The Animals and the Ark (1958)
Just like Everyone Else (1959)
Which Horse Is William? (1959)
Square as a House (1960)
The Bear Who Saw the Spring (1961)
All Sizes of Noises (1962)
Alexander Soames: His Poems (1962 - as Nicholas J. Charles)
How Do You Get from Here to There? (1962)
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ (1963)
The Rose on My Cake (poems) (1964)
Sand and Snow (1965 - as Nicholas J. Charles)
Jane Anne June Spoon and Her Very Adventurous Search for the Moon (1966)
The Walk the Mouse Girls Took (1967)
Watson, the Smartest Dog in the U.S.A. (1968)
In the Flaky Frosty Morning (1969)
Any Me I Want to Be (poems) (1972)
What Did You Bring Me? (1973)
Near the Window Tree (poems and notes) (1975)
A Boy Had a Mother Who Bought Him a Hat (1976)
Herbert Hated Being Small (1979)
Dogs and Dragons, Trees and Dreams: A Collection of Poems (1980)
Night Again (1981)
Something Sleeping in the Hall (1985)
Soap Soup (1992)
City Dog (1994)
(1978)
The Philharmonic Gets Dressed, illustrated by Mark Simont (1982), nominated for a National Book Award
The Dallas Titans Get Ready for Bed, illustrated by Mark Simont (1986)
Jerusalem, Shining Still, illustrated by David Frampton (1987)
A Great Miracle Happened There: A Chanukah Story, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker (1993)
Paul, paintings by Milton Avery
(1994)
Patchwork Island, illustrated by Petra Mathers (1994)
City Noise, illustrated by Renee Flower (1994)
James and the Rain, illustrated by Reg Cartwright (1995)
The Upstairs Cat, illustrated by Howard Fine (1997)
The Animals and the Ark, illustrated by Michael Grejniec (2002)
The Sky Is Always in the Sky, illustrated by Isabelle Dervaux (1998)
I Am Me, illustrated by Dyanna Wolcott (2000)
Moon, Have You Met My Mother? The Collected Poems of Karla Kuskin, illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier (2003)
Under My Hood I Have a Hat, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka (2004)
Ice Cream Dreams, illustrated by Lewis Matheney (2005)
Toots the Cat, illustrated by Lisze Bechtold (2005)
So, What's It Like to Be a Cat?, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
(2005), 2006 Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award
winner
, Virginia Cary Hudson, 1962
Traces, Paula Fox
, 2008
1932 in literature
The year 1932 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*E. V. Knox replaces Sir Owen Seaman as editor of Punch magazine.*Samuel Beckett's first novel, Dream of Fair to Middling Women, is rejected by several publishers....
– August 20, 2009
2009 in literature
The year 2009 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*8 October - Romanian-born German novelist Herta Müller wins the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature....
) was a prolific author, illustrator and reviewer of children's literature. Kuskin was known for her poetic, alliterative style.
Personal life and education
Born in 1932 in Manhattan, New York, Karla Seidman was the only child of Sidney and Mitzi Seidman, and was raised in Greenwich VillageGreenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She attended the Little Red School House, followed by Elizabeth Irwin High School. She then attended Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
in 1950–53, and transferred to Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
where she studied with, among others, Josef Albers
Josef Albers
Josef Albers was a German-born American artist and educator whose work, both in Europe and in the United States, formed the basis of some of the most influential and far-reaching art education programs of the 20th century....
, Herbert Matter
Herbert Matter
Herbert Matter was a Swiss-born American photographer and graphic designer known for his pioneering use of photomontage in commercial art...
and Alvin Eisenman
Alvin Eisenman
Alvin Eisenman was an influential American graphic designer and educator throughout the last half of the 20th century. He is most notable for founding and heading Yale University's graduate program in graphic design beginning in 1951 — the first graduate program in graphic design in the United States...
. She earned her B.F.A in graphic design in 1955 from Yale. Before working as a full-time author, she worked as an assistant to a fashion photographer, a design assistant, and in advertising. Her first book, Roar and More (Harper, 1956), came out of her senior graphic-arts project at Yale to design and print a book on a small press. She was married to Charles M. Kuskin, oboist
Oboist
An oboist is a musician who plays the oboe or any oboe family instrument, including the cor anglais, oboe d'amore, shawm and oboe musette....
, from 1955–1979 and in 1989 married William L. Bell Jr, a lawyer with the Center for Naval Analyses
Center for Naval Analyses
CNA's Center for Naval Analyses is a federally funded research and development center for the Navy and the Marine Corps. It also provides research and analysis services to other military and government agencies to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of U.S...
. She lived and worked in Brooklyn for most of her life, moving to Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Bainbridge Island is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, and the name of the island in Puget Sound on which the city is situated...
, then settling in Seattle at the end of her life. In August 2009, Kuskin died of corticobasal degeneration
Corticobasal degeneration
Corticobasal degeneration or Corticobasal Ganglionic Degeneration is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease involving the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia. It is characterized by marked disorders in movement and cognitive dysfunction...
in Seattle, at age 77.
Children's books
Kuskin wrote Paul in 1994, with paintings by Milton AveryMilton Avery
Milton Avery was an American modern painter. Born in Altmar, New York, he moved to Connecticut in 1898 and later to New York City.-Biography:...
, which had originally been created for an abandoned children's book, to go with a (now lost) story by writer H. R. Hays, nearly thirty years after the painter's death.
She was the recipient of a National Council of Teachers of English
National Council of Teachers of English
The National Council of Teachers of English is an American professional organization dedicated to "improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education...
Award for Excellence in Poetry.
Kuskin reviewed children's literature in The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the industry. The offices are located near Times Square in New York...
.
Partial bibliography as author/illustrator
Kuskin both wrote and illustrated nearly half of the books credited to her. She sometimes wrote under the pseudonym "Nicholas J. Charles".Roar and More (1956)
James and the Rain (1957)
In the Middle of the Trees (poems) (1958)
The Animals and the Ark (1958)
Just like Everyone Else (1959)
Which Horse Is William? (1959)
Square as a House (1960)
The Bear Who Saw the Spring (1961)
All Sizes of Noises (1962)
Alexander Soames: His Poems (1962 - as Nicholas J. Charles)
How Do You Get from Here to There? (1962)
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ (1963)
The Rose on My Cake (poems) (1964)
Sand and Snow (1965 - as Nicholas J. Charles)
Jane Anne June Spoon and Her Very Adventurous Search for the Moon (1966)
The Walk the Mouse Girls Took (1967)
Watson, the Smartest Dog in the U.S.A. (1968)
In the Flaky Frosty Morning (1969)
Any Me I Want to Be (poems) (1972)
What Did You Bring Me? (1973)
Near the Window Tree (poems and notes) (1975)
A Boy Had a Mother Who Bought Him a Hat (1976)
Herbert Hated Being Small (1979)
Dogs and Dragons, Trees and Dreams: A Collection of Poems (1980)
Night Again (1981)
Something Sleeping in the Hall (1985)
Soap Soup (1992)
City Dog (1994)
Partial bibliography as author
A Space Story, illustrated by Marc SimontMarc Simont
Marc Simont is an artist, political cartoonist, and illustrator of more than a hundred children's books. Marc, inspired by his father, Spanish painter Joseph Simont, began drawing at a very young age. Mr...
(1978)
The Philharmonic Gets Dressed, illustrated by Mark Simont (1982), nominated for a National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
The Dallas Titans Get Ready for Bed, illustrated by Mark Simont (1986)
Jerusalem, Shining Still, illustrated by David Frampton (1987)
A Great Miracle Happened There: A Chanukah Story, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker (1993)
Paul, paintings by Milton Avery
Milton Avery
Milton Avery was an American modern painter. Born in Altmar, New York, he moved to Connecticut in 1898 and later to New York City.-Biography:...
(1994)
Patchwork Island, illustrated by Petra Mathers (1994)
City Noise, illustrated by Renee Flower (1994)
James and the Rain, illustrated by Reg Cartwright (1995)
The Upstairs Cat, illustrated by Howard Fine (1997)
The Animals and the Ark, illustrated by Michael Grejniec (2002)
The Sky Is Always in the Sky, illustrated by Isabelle Dervaux (1998)
I Am Me, illustrated by Dyanna Wolcott (2000)
Moon, Have You Met My Mother? The Collected Poems of Karla Kuskin, illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier (2003)
Under My Hood I Have a Hat, illustrated by Fumi Kosaka (2004)
Ice Cream Dreams, illustrated by Lewis Matheney (2005)
Toots the Cat, illustrated by Lisze Bechtold (2005)
So, What's It Like to Be a Cat?, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Betsy Lewin
Betsy Reilly Lewin is an American illustrator from Clearfield, Pennsylvania. She studied illustration at Pratt Institute. After graduation, she began designing business cards. She began writing and illustrating stories for children's magazines and eventually children's books...
(2005), 2006 Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award
Washington State Book Award
The Washington State Book Awards are presented annually in recognition of notable books written by Washington authors in the previous year.This literary awards program was established in 1967 as the Governor's Writers Awards. The program was based at the Washington State Library in Olympia...
winner
Partial bibliography as illustrator
O Ye Jigs & Juleps!O Ye Jigs & Juleps!
O Ye Jigs & Juleps! is a short book by Virginia Cary Hudson, first published in 1962 with illustrations by Karla Kuskin. It is a series of 10 short essays written by the then 10 year old Hudson in 1904, while attending an Episcopalian school in "Leesville"...
, Virginia Cary Hudson, 1962
Traces, Paula Fox
Paula Fox
Paula Fox is an American author of novels for adults and children and two memoirs. Her novel The Slave Dancer received the Newbery Medal in 1974; and in 1978, she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. More recently, A Portrait of Ivan won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 2008.Her...
, 2008