Erik Blegvad
Personal Information
Description
Erik Blegvad was born in Copehagen, Denmark in 1923. There he attended the Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts along with friend and illustrator Niels M. Bodecker. Blegvad was a prolific illustrator of children's books, with over 100 titles to his name, including seven written by his wife. He also drew magazine and newspaper illustrations. During the Nazi occupation of Denmark, he and a friend were arrested by the Gestapo for distributing Danish resistance literature. He then spend "several frightening days" in prison before being released. He later served in the Danish Air Force, then worked as a translator for the British in occupied Germany. After meeting his wife, Lenore Hochman in Paris, they moved to the United States. Some of Blegvad's most famous works include illustrations for Mary Norton’s Bedknob and Broomstick, his own translations of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, and works by O. Henry, Myra Cohn Livingston, Judith Viorst, Jane Langton, and Charlotte Zolotow. The Times of London wrote, "His minutely detailed brush and pen drawings recalled the myths and stories that his grandfather had told him during his boyhood in Denmark. He was described by the American writer and artist Edward Gorey as one of the best of his generation."
Books
A Selection of 24 Poems from "A Child's Garden of Verses"
A collection of poems evoking the world and feelings of childhood.
The Parrot in the garret and other rhymes about dwellings
A collection of nursery rhymes about various characters who live in odd places, like the old woman who lived in a shoe, the man who lived in the moon, and the king who lived in a basin of water, among others.
Rainy day Kate
A child's excited speculations on what fun can he had with Kate when she comes to play come to an end when a rainy day cancels Kate's visit, but the fun is not permanently spoiled.
Burnie's hill
An illustrated version of the traditional cumulative play rhyme, Burnie's hill.
Hark! Hark! The dogs do bark, and other rhymes about dogs
A collection of both well- and lesser-known nursery rhymes about dogs.
A Sound of Leaves
Nine-year-old Sylvie and her family leave the city for a week at a beach house where everything feels different.
Kitty and Mr. Kipling
In 1892, eight-year-old Kitty learns about writing and the world beyond her Dummerston, Vermont, home when she befriends her new neighbors, author Rudyard Kipling and his family, who have recently arrived from England.
The three little pigs
Retells the fatal episodes in the lives of two foolish pigs and how the third pig managed to avoid the same pigfalls.
This is me
A child introduces himself, his body parts, his clothes, and possessions while the day progresses from morning to night.
The swing in the summerhouse
The swing in the summerhouse sweeps four children and two adults into frightening and mystifying journeys that help them all towards their hearts' desires.
Moon-Watch Summer
While unwillingly spending the summer on his grandmother's farm where there is no television on which to watch the moon walk, Adam realizes that sometimes one must consider others before oneself.
Mittens for Kittens and Other Rhymes about Cats
A collection of nursery rhymes about cats includes "I Love Little Pussy," "Three Little Kittens," and "A Dog and a Cat."
This Little Pig-a-Wig and Other Rhymes about Pigs
A collection of both well- and lesser-known English and American rhymes about pigs.
Anna Banana And Me
Anna Banana's fearlessness inspires a playmate to face his own fears.
Self-portrait, Erik Blegvad
Summary, A well-known illustrator discourses on himself, his life, and his work.