Phoebe Gilman
Encyclopedia
Phoebe Gilman was an American
children's book author and illustrator. Her books were notable for their strong lead female characters. Her book Something for Nothing, adapted from an old Yiddish tale, won the 1993 Ruth Schwartz Award for best childrens' book, and was later adapted for television.
Born in The Bronx
, New York
, where she also spent her early years, she later lived in Europe
, Israel
, and finally settled in Canada
in 1972.
She attended the High School of Art and Design
, spent a brief time at Hunter College
and went to Art Students League of New York
. After this she travelled to Europe, where she lived in Rome for a short period before moving to Jerusalem, where she made a living making and selling paintings. She visited Montreal on her return to North America in the early 1970s before settling in Toronto, where she met her future husband Brian Bender, whom she married in 1974. Gilman taught for fifteen years at the Ontario College of Art
.
Gilman's books were notable for their strong female lead characters. Something for Nothing went on to win the 1993 Ruth Schwartz Award for best childrens' book, and was later made into a television special.
in a Toronto hospital at age 62, two years after recovering from breast cancer
. She was survived by her husband, Brian Bender, and three children, and two grandchildren. During her illness, she completed her last works, Jillian Jiggs and the Great Big Snow and The Blue Hippopotamus, though was unable to illustrate the latter work due to illness.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
children's book author and illustrator. Her books were notable for their strong lead female characters. Her book Something for Nothing, adapted from an old Yiddish tale, won the 1993 Ruth Schwartz Award for best childrens' book, and was later adapted for television.
Born in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where she also spent her early years, she later lived in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and finally settled in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1972.
Early life
The second of three children, Phoebe Gilman was born to John and Hanna Gilman on April 4, 1940 in the Bronx. Her father was a textile worker originally and loved photography. Gilman cited her mother as the inspiration for her love of books, and she was an avid reader all her life.She attended the High School of Art and Design
High School of Art and Design
The High School of Art and Design is a Career and Technical Education high school located at 1075 Second Avenue, between 56th and 57th Streets in Manhattan, New York City, New York.It is operated by the New York City Department of Education...
, spent a brief time at Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
and went to Art Students League of New York
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
. After this she travelled to Europe, where she lived in Rome for a short period before moving to Jerusalem, where she made a living making and selling paintings. She visited Montreal on her return to North America in the early 1970s before settling in Toronto, where she met her future husband Brian Bender, whom she married in 1974. Gilman taught for fifteen years at the Ontario College of Art
Ontario College of Art & Design
OCAD University is Canada's largest and oldest educational institution for art and design. It is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on McCaul Street beside the Art Gallery of Ontario...
.
Literary career
Gilman recalled that seeing a balloon popped on a tree branch inspired her to write a story about a tree which grew balloons for fruit for her daughter Ingrid. However, her early efforts at getting her book published met with rejections, and it took her 15 years to see her book released in 1984 by Scholastic Inc. in Canada. Family also inspired her to write Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs, which was based on a time when Gilman's daughter and a friend went into 'business' making and selling mice bookmarks. Conversely, the 1992 story Something From Nothing is an adaptation of an old Yiddish tale. She also illustrated the childrens' books she wrote. She recalled spending ten years working on The Balloon Tree. Her stories often changed in development, for example Grandma and the Pirates started out as 'Grandma's Chocolate Chicken. Gilman reported that she grew to love the books she spent time working on, and missed them once they were finished and had been sent off to be published. She cheered herself up by inserting subtexts or references to older works in newer stories; for instance, a tiny copy of The Balloon Tree can be seen on the table in an illustration in Jillian Jiggs.Gilman's books were notable for their strong female lead characters. Something for Nothing went on to win the 1993 Ruth Schwartz Award for best childrens' book, and was later made into a television special.
Death
Phoebe Gilman died of leukemiaLeukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in a Toronto hospital at age 62, two years after recovering from breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. She was survived by her husband, Brian Bender, and three children, and two grandchildren. During her illness, she completed her last works, Jillian Jiggs and the Great Big Snow and The Blue Hippopotamus, though was unable to illustrate the latter work due to illness.