Stephen Gammell
Encyclopedia
Stephen Gammell is an American
illustrator of children's books. His awards include the Caldecott Medal
.
Stephen Gammell grew up in Iowa
. His father, an art editor for a major magazine, brought home periodicals that gave Stephen early artistic inspiration
. His parents also supplied him with lots of pencils, paper, and encouragement. He is self-taught.
He started his career with commercial freelance work, but became interested in children's book illustration. His first book, A Nutty Business, was published in 1973. Since then, he has illustrated over fifty titles.
He is particularly well-known for the surreal, unsettling illustrations he provided for Alvin Schwartz
's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series of horror short stories, still a favorite in adolescent fiction.
Stephen and his wife, Linda, a photographer, live in St. Paul
, Minnesota
. He works daily in his studio, located over a restaurant.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
illustrator of children's books. His awards include the Caldecott Medal
Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children , a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year. The award was named in honor of nineteenth-century English...
.
Stephen Gammell grew up in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. His father, an art editor for a major magazine, brought home periodicals that gave Stephen early artistic inspiration
Artistic inspiration
Inspiration refers to an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or other artistic endeavour. Literally, the word means "breathed upon," and it has its origins in both Hellenism and Hebraism. The Greeks believed that inspiration came from the muses, as well as the gods Apollo and...
. His parents also supplied him with lots of pencils, paper, and encouragement. He is self-taught.
He started his career with commercial freelance work, but became interested in children's book illustration. His first book, A Nutty Business, was published in 1973. Since then, he has illustrated over fifty titles.
He is particularly well-known for the surreal, unsettling illustrations he provided for Alvin Schwartz
Alvin Schwartz (children's author)
Alvin Schwartz was the author of more than fifty books dedicated to and dealing with topics such as folklore and word play, many of which were intended for young readers...
's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series of horror short stories, still a favorite in adolescent fiction.
Stephen and his wife, Linda, a photographer, live in St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. He works daily in his studio, located over a restaurant.
External links
- Biography of Stephen Gammell at HarperTeacher.com
- Profile of Stephen Gammell at lookingglassreview.com
- A Tribute To Stephen Gammell at wordpress.com
- Children's Literature Network biography and complete booklist