Ellen Raskin was born on March 13, 1928 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison from 1945 to 1949, and during the 1950s worked as a commercial illustrator and designer. Ellen Raskin illustrated her first book, Happy Christmas, edited by Claire Huchet Bishop, in 1956, and throughout her career illustrated both adult and juvenile books, with an emphasis on the latter. Ellen Raskin illustrated works by other authors on a variety of topics including poetry, mathematics, science, and some works of biographical and historical fiction. She published her first work for children Nothing Ever Happens on My Block in 1966. Noted as an artist of "versatility and charm who specialized in visual puzzles, " Ellen Raskin's stories also demonstrate her wit and ability to entertain her readers. She received a Newbery Honor citation for Figgs and Phantoms in 1975, the story of the experiences of the Figg Family after they leave show business. She also wrote complex mystery stories such as The Westing Game, the 1979 Newbery Award winner, and The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) . Ellen Raskin wrote both fiction and verse, and many of her works contain references to sight and the importance of being able to see clearly but to never let go of one's imagination since a lack of imagination is a far worse lack of vision than nearsightedness. Ellen Raskin died on August 8, 1984.
From the guide to the Ellen Raskin Papers, 1961-1975, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections)
