The California School Library Foundation is excited to begin a series of monthly posts celebrating the children’s book illustrators who have so generously donated their artwork for use on products at The Library Advocacy Store, thereby helping us in our mission to support advocacy for school libraries. Their work is timeless and inspiring!
This month’s illustrator is Aliki. I’m sure that most elementary school libraries have a number of her books on their shelves….she has written and illustrated over 80!
Aliki Brandenburg was born in 1929 in New Jersey. Drawing seemed to come very naturally to her, and with her parents support she took art classes during her childhood. She graduated from The Philadelphia School of Art in 1951. Before beginning her illustrative career in children’s books, she worked as a freelance artist, taught art classes, worked in advertising, and started a greeting card company. When she decided to learn more about her Greek heritage, she began to travel, met her husband, and wrote and illustrated her first book, The Story of William Tell, after moving to Switzerland with her husband. However, it wasn’t until she wrote My Five Senses that she chose a career as a book creator. That was the beginning of a remarkable career, writing and illustrating both fiction and non-fiction.
In preparation for an exhibit at the Free Library of Philadelphia, Aliki sat down for an interview in May of 2019 to talk about her life, and her craft.
You can find Aliki’s Library Cat on a number of different products at The Library Advocacy Store. A percentage of the cost is donated to the California School Library Foundation.
Katie Williams, President, California School Library Foundation
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