Barbara Lehman

Barbara Lehman: Author and Illustrator

Barbara Lehman is an author/illustrator who lives in New York.  She is the author/illustrator of 4 wordless children's books:

1. The Red Book (2004)
2. Museum Trip (2006)
3. Rainstorm (2007)
4. Trainstop (2008)

The Red Book and Museum Trip are her two most famous books, The Red Book being a       Caldacott Award Winning book.


Barbara is the Illustrator for many other books, including:

1. Abracadabra to Zigzag: An Alphabet Book by Nancy Lecourt
2. Mattie by Marsha Wilson Chall
3. Timothy Twinge by Florence PArry Heide and Roxanne Heide Pierce
4. Moonfall by Susan Whitcher *Parent's Choice Award 1993
5. A Chartreuse Leotard in a Magenta Limousine by Lynda Graham Barber
6. Something for Everyone Susan Whitcher
7. Say Boo! by Lynda Graham Barber
8. Christmas Cookies! by Susan Devings

Biography:
       Barbara was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1963, and she grew up in New Jersey. After high school, she attended Pratt Institute in New York and received a BFA (professional illustration).  Barbara identifies herself as an illustrator, author and commercial artist.  Her art has appeared in New York Times and New York Transit among others. There is no mention of her family or kids, but she currently lives in New York, and has a new book coming out this February.
       Her inspiration for her books and illustrations comes from her childhood.  As a child growing up in New Jersey, she lived near a train track.  She remembers playing with friends and chasing trains alongside the tracks and reading the words on the train cars as they flew by.  This is the main inspiration for one of her books, Trainstop.  Barbara's father was also an artist, and used to post his drawings in Barbara's bedroom.  He even hung them over her crib as a very young baby.  Being exposed to art so early in her life, Barbara developed a love for drawing at a very young age.  Barbara remembers going to Art Museums in New York City as a young girl, and drew on these experiences for another book, Museum Trip. 

Signature Style:
-Very easy to recognize: cartoon/watercolor art
-Simplistic people and overall simplistic images
-Similar looking characters in many of her books
-Pictures are simplistic, but the story she is telling is usually quite complex
-Wordless books

Review Quotes:

Red Book
-"This is the kind of book that you find yourself thinking about long after you have returned it to the shelf. I "read" it a few weeks ago for the first time (there are no words, so I guess I just took a picture walk, as they say), and I still have very vivid memories of the story. The pictures are great, and the implied plot is engaging. " (Online review posting)
-Horn Book contributor Joanna Rudge Long for presenting a "pleasing puzzle that will challenge young imaginations and intellects."
-Publishers Weekly "As visually uncluttered as it is conceptually rich, Lehman's red book is a little treasure of its own,"
-School Library Journal Kathy Krasniewicz deemed the book a "perfectly eloquent" work that "captures the magical possibility that exists every time readers open a book."
-Booklist Jennifer Mattson recommended The Red Book as "ideal for fueling creative-writing exercises."

Quote from Barbara:
"Books and art have always held the strongest attraction for me. I have always felt drawn to `commercial art' because of its ability to reach many people. I like the idea of being part of the media in a meaningful and thoughtful way, especially with children as the audience."

Read more: Barbara Lehman (1963–) Biography - Personal, Addresses, Career, Honors Awards, Writings, Sidelights http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2294/Lehman-Barbara-1963.html#ixzz0zTo8HnKO

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