Robert lawson was born October 4, 1892 in New York City and attended the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts between 1911-1914. He began illustrating books for children in the 1930s, often collaborating with Munro Leaf; their book, The Story of Ferdinand, published in 1936 is considered a classic that can still entertain and inform children with its subtle message of the story of a bull who does not want to fight but rather smell the flowers in peace. Lawson also wrote children's books, and in 1941 won the Caldecott Award for They Were Good and Strong, a story about his family and the pioneer experience in America. Lawson wrote and illustrated a number of books dealing with animals, particularly rabbits. In 1945, he won the Newbery Award for Rabbit Hill, a story of rabbits who interact with the owners of the Big House. Robert Lawson was unique among the authors/illustrators of his day in winning both the Caldecott and Newbery Awards. Robert Lawson dies on May 26, 1957.
From the guide to the Robert Lawson Papers, 1932-1956, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc])
