Witold Tadeusz Mars was born September 1, 1912, in Rzesna, Poland. His mother, Stefania, wrote children's books, and Mars illustrated one of her books when he was nine. He later studied in Krakow and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Mars worked as an artist and illustrator before the War, exhibiting his work in Poland and Sweden. During World War II he served with the Polish forces in England and France, occasionally finding time to draw and exhibit his work. Mars came to the U. S. in 1951, and began working as an illustrators for various magazines and book publishers. He illustrated his first book for children, Reba Mirsky's Thirty-One Brothers and Sisters, in 1952. Throughout his long career, Mars illustrated children's and young adult books on a wide variety of topics and in various media. He illustrated both fiction and non-fiction, many of the latter dealing with military and/or naval history and famous soldiers. He also illustrated a number of works of historical fiction, some humorous stories, and contemporary novels for children and young adults. Mars believed than an illustrator should vary his style to fit the book's subject so that the illustration becomes an integral part of the story, not just an example of the illustrator's trademark style. Mars also wrote one book for children, The Baby Dragon, that drew on his interest in dragons, a symbol of Poland, and its old cathedrals.
Biographical Source: Something About the Author, vol. 3
From the guide to the Witold T. Mars Papers, 1954-1977, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc])
