About Robert McCloskey
John Robert McCloskey (September 15, 1914 – June 30, 2003) was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He both wrote and illustrated eight picture books, and won two Caldecott Medals from the American Library Association for the year's best-illustrated picture book. Four of the eight books were set in Maine: Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine, Time of Wonder, and Burt Dow, Deep-water Man (the last three of those four were all set on the coast). His best-known work is Make Way For Ducklings, set in Boston. In longer works, he both wrote and illustrated Homer Price, and he illustrated Keith Robertson's Henry Reed series. == Biography == McCloskey was born in Hamilton, Ohio, on September 15, 1914, to Howard and Mabel McCloskey. He had two sisters, Melba and Dorothy. As a teen, McCloskey was a camper-turned-counselor at Camp Campbell Gard, where at age 16 he carved a totem pole which stood at the camp for over 50 years. His work on the totem pole is said to have led to his being chosen to create the bas relief and cast aluminum pieces decorating the Hamilton Municipal building in 1934, when he was 19. He arrived in Boston in 1932 on a scholarship to study at Vesper George Art School.
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