Spier, Peter

Peter Edward Spier came to the U.S. from the Netherlands, where he had begun his career as a junior editor for Elsevier. After illustrating about 50 books by others, he began writing his own, and has illustrated some 100 titles. His Noah's Ark earned the 1978 Caldecott Medal and other honors. Spier titles have been translated into 24 languages.

From the description of The cow who fell in the canal : production material, 1957. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62439342

From the description of Noah's ark : production material, 1977. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62439347

From the description of Hippolyte, crab king : production material, 1956. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62439345

From the description of Papers, 1956-1993. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62496908

From the description of Wonder tales of seas and ships : production material, 1959. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62518360

From the description of 100 more story poems : production material, 1960. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62518359

From the description of Vader, mag ik mee? : production material, 1992. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62682625

From the description of Peter Spier's circus! : production material, 1960. (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis). WorldCat record id: 62682626

Peter Edward Spier was born in the Netherlands in 1927 and received his art education from the Royal Academy of Art in Amsterdam. He began his career as a junior editor for Elsevier before coming to the United States in 1951. While he began his illustrating career in 1946, he did not begin his freelance career until 1952. After illustrating about 50 books by others, he began writing his own, and has illustrated about 100 titles. In 1978 he won the Caldecott Medal for Noah's Ark . His work has been translated into 24 languages. In several interviews he has outlined his creation technique, starting with a complete dummy with detailed pencil drawings, and then filling the pages with drawings from life. He works from blueprint to creat his separations, and goes on to proofs. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work.

Biographical Sources: Something About the Author, vols. 4, 54 Children's Literature Review, vol. 5

From the guide to the Peter Spier Papers, 1956-1993, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc])