Ted lewin
Encyclopedia
Ted Lewin is an author
/illustrator
of children's book
s. Lewin and his wife Betsy Reilly drew on their travels to exotic places such as the Amazon River
, Botswana
, Egypt
, Lapland, the Sahara Desert, and India
when collaborating on their many books. Lewin has illustrated over 100 books for children and young adults in the past 20 years.
on May 6, 1935. He had a sister and two brothers, both of them professional wrestlers
. The Lewin household had a number of exotic pets, such as an iguana
, a rhesus monkey
, a chimpanzee
, and a lion
. Lewin grew up with the hobby of sketching his family pets. He also copied works of many illustrations and painters that he was interested in. Lewin developed a talent for art and in 1956 earned a BFA degree from Pratt Institute of Art
in Brooklyn
, where he met his wife, Betsy Reilly
. He and his wife now reside in Brooklyn, New York.
In order to finance for his education at Pratt, Ted Lewin took on a part time career as a teenage professional wrestler
. His wrestling career lasted for 15 years, and it inspired him to record his experience by writing I Was a Teenaged Professional Wrestler.
In 1994, Lewin's book Peppe the Lamplighter received a Caldecott Honor.
In 2006, One Green Apple, illustrated by Lewin and written by Eve Bunting
, won the inaugural Arab American Book Award
for books written for Children/ Young Adults. One Green Apple tells the story of a young girl who just immigrated to America from an Arab country and how she discovers that her differences are what makes her special.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
/illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
of children's book
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
s. Lewin and his wife Betsy Reilly drew on their travels to exotic places such as the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
, Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Lapland, the Sahara Desert, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
when collaborating on their many books. Lewin has illustrated over 100 books for children and young adults in the past 20 years.
Early life
Ted Lewin was born in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
on May 6, 1935. He had a sister and two brothers, both of them professional wrestlers
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. The Lewin household had a number of exotic pets, such as an iguana
Iguana
Iguana is a herbivorous genus of lizard native to tropical areas of Central America and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena...
, a rhesus monkey
Rhesus Macaque
The Rhesus macaque , also called the Rhesus monkey, is one of the best-known species of Old World monkeys. It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and its tolerance of a broad range of habitats...
, a chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
, and a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
. Lewin grew up with the hobby of sketching his family pets. He also copied works of many illustrations and painters that he was interested in. Lewin developed a talent for art and in 1956 earned a BFA degree from Pratt Institute of Art
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, where he met his wife, Betsy Reilly
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...
. He and his wife now reside in Brooklyn, New York.
In order to finance for his education at Pratt, Ted Lewin took on a part time career as a teenage professional wrestler
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. His wrestling career lasted for 15 years, and it inspired him to record his experience by writing I Was a Teenaged Professional Wrestler.
In 1994, Lewin's book Peppe the Lamplighter received a Caldecott Honor.
In 2006, One Green Apple, illustrated by Lewin and written by Eve Bunting
Eve Bunting
Anne Evelyn Bunting , better known as Eve Bunting, is an Irish author who has written more than 250 books. Her work covers a broad array of subjects and includes fiction and non-fiction books. Her novels are primarily aimed at children and young adults, but her works also include picture books...
, won the inaugural Arab American Book Award
Arab American Book Award
The Arab American Book Award was established in 2006 to celebrate and support the research of, and the written work of, Arab Americans and their culture. The Arab American Book Award encourages the publication and excellence of books that preserve and advance the understanding, knowledge, and...
for books written for Children/ Young Adults. One Green Apple tells the story of a young girl who just immigrated to America from an Arab country and how she discovers that her differences are what makes her special.
Exhibits
Here is a partial list of recent exhibits featuring Ted's works:- "Ted and Betsy Lewin's World of Picture Books", Brooklyn Public LibraryBrooklyn Public LibraryThe Brooklyn Public Library is the public library system of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is the fifth largest public library system in the United States. Like the two other public library systems in New York City, it is an independent nonprofit organization that is funded by the...
, New York, March 4–30, 2004 - "Adventures With Ted and Betsy", Society of Illustrators main floor gallery, June 1 through June 11, 2005
- "Travels with Ted and Betsy Lewin", Children's Museum of ManhattanChildren's Museum of ManhattanThe Children’s Museum of Manhattan was founded by Bette Korman, under the name GAME , in 1973. With New York City in a deep fiscal crisis, and school art, music, and cultural programs eliminated, a loosely organized, group of artists and educators set up a basement storefront to serve Harlem and...
, New York - "Around the World with Ted and Betsy Lewin", Pratt Institute Libraries, October 30 - December 2, 2008
External links
- Pratt Institute of Art
- HouseofDeception.com - representative paintings and drawings