William Steig (1907–2003) — an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, and illustrator of children’s books. Among his most famous works are Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Abel’s Island, and Doctor De Soto. He is also the author of the picture book about Shrek, which later became the basis for the popular animated film of the same name.
Steig was born in Brooklyn and grew up in the Bronx. His parents were Polish-Jewish immigrants from Austria. From childhood, Steig was passionate about painting and reading, and his artistic talents were encouraged and nurtured within the family. After finishing school, he studied at three institutions — the City College of New York, the National Academy of Design, and the Yale School of Fine Arts (the latter for only five days) — but he did not complete any of them.
In 1930, Steig began drawing comics and illustrations for The New Yorker, ultimately creating over 2,600 drawings and 117 covers for the magazine. At the age of 61, he began writing and illustrating children’s books. In 1968, he published his first picture book for children, and his third illustrated story received the most prestigious American award in the field of illustrated books — the Caldecott Medal.
Website | williamsteig.com
Amazon | William Steig
Sylvester loves collecting pebbles — small treasures that usually don’t change anything. But one day he finds a red one, and the world shifts just a little: suddenly any wish can take shape. In a moment of fear things go wrong, and Sylvester ends up quite literally out of reach. […]
