Margot Ladd Tomes was an artist and children's book illustrator. In 1977 Jack and the Wonder Beans, which she illustrated was cited by The New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

as one of the best Children's books of the year; a feat she repeated in 1984 with If There Were Dreams to Sell.

Life and career

She was born in Park Hill, Yonkers

Park Hill, Yonkers

Park Hill is a neighborhood in southwestern Yonkers, New York. The neighborhood is located east of South Broadway. Park Hill contains many vintage single-family homes, many overlooking the Hudson River. The neighborhood was developed in 1888 by the American Real Estate Company of Manhattan. The...

, 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...

 cousin of painter Guy Pène du Bois

Guy Pène du Bois

Guy Pène du Bois was an early 20th century American painter. Born in the US to a French family, his work specialised in the culture and society around him: cafes, theatres, and in the twenties, flappers....

 and illustrator William Pène du Bois

William Pène du Bois

William Pène du Bois , was a French American author and illustrator. He was best known for The Twenty-One Balloons, published in April 1947 by The Viking Press...

. She grew up in rural Nassau County

Nassau County, New York

Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...

. Before illustrating books she designed wallpaper and fabric. In 1959 she illustrated her first book The Breaking Point

The Breaking Point (anthology)

The Breaking Point is a collection of eight short stories by Daphne Du Maurier first published in 1959 by Victor Gollancz in the UK and Doubleday in the US. It has also been published under the title The Blue Lenses and Other Stories...

by Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier

Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning DBE was a British author and playwright.Many of her works have been adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and the short stories "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now". The first three were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.Her elder sister was...

 before specialising in children's books from 1963; illustrating over 60 during her career. They included books by Jean Fritz

Jean Fritz

Jean Guttery Fritz, born November 16, 1915, is an American children's author and biographer.-Life:Jean Fritz was born to American missionaries in Hankow, China, where she lived until she was thirteen. She was an only child . Growing up, Fritz kept a journal about her days in China with Lin Nai-Nai...

 (Homesick:My Own Story winning a Newbery Honor), Judith St. George

Judith St. George

Judith Saint George is an American author, most famous for writing So You Want to Be President? Author and illustrator David Small was awarded the 2001 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in the book. She has written more than 40 books, most being historical fiction. Mrs. St. George was born in...

 and Aileen Fisher

Aileen Fisher

Aileen Fisher was a prominent writer for children.In her long writing career, Fisher produced dozens of volumes of stories, poetry, plays, and nonfiction for children...

.

Sources

• Fifth Book of Junior Authors & Illustrators, vol. 36, pp. 186-190.
• Illustrators of Children's Books: 1957-1966, p. 182.
• Something About the Author, vol. 36, pp. 186-190.

External links

• Meet the Illustrator
• USM de Grummond Collection - MARGOT TOMES PAPERS
• Margot Tomes, 73, A Book Illustrator obituary from The New York Times
  The New York Times
  The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...