Lobel, Anita.

Anita Lobel, nee Kempler, was born June 3, 1934, in Krakow, Poland. As a child she survived the holocaust and was later re-united with her family in Sweden after the War. She emigrated to the United States in 1952 and graduated from the Pratt Institute with a B.F.A. in 1955. That same year she married the author/illustrator Arnold Lobel, and the couple had two children, including a daughter, Adrienne, who also became an author/illustrator of children's books. In 1965 Anita Lobel wrote and illustrated her first book for children, Sven's Bridge . Anita and Arnold Lobel collaborated on 4 books prior to his death in 1987. Throughout her long and prolific career, critics have praised her as a talented artist and creator of charming texts. She is noted for her evocative detailed paintings, and richly patterned landscapes. As a writer she uses the traditions of folk and fairy tales, and humor, to tell her entertaining stories, though several of her works do have underlying serious themes, such as war and parental neglect. Anita Lobel is also noted for her concept books that have been lauded by critics for their originality and inventiveness. She has received many awards and honors, including a Caldecott Honor in 1982 for On Market Street . Biographical Source: Something About the Author, Vols. 6, 55, 96