Lenski, Lois (1893-1974), an American author and illustrator of children’s books, became known for her sympathetic and authentic portraits of childhood. She wrote and illustrated almost 100 books of her own and illustrated more than 50 books by other authors.
Lenski’s best-known works are her “regional series” set in rural areas of the southeastern and north-central United States. Critics and other readers have praised Lenski for her accuracy in re-creating the social and economic life of these regions and her descriptions of how her young characters mature within their environment. Lenski traveled to many of the areas she used as backgrounds of her stories, living with the people who became characters in her fiction.
The first of Lenski’s 17 regional novels published from 1943 to 1968 was Bayou Suzette (1943), set in the bayou area of Louisiana. She won the 1946 Newbery Medal, an annual award for the best children’s book by an American, for her novel Strawberry Girl (1945). Lenski wrote and illustrated the book. The story tells about 10-year-old Birdie Boyer, who lives with her family during the early 1900’s in rural Florida, where they raise strawberries for a living. Blue Ridge Billy (1946) takes place in the North Carolina mountains, and Prairie School (1951) is set on the Dakota prairies.
In addition to her regional novels, Lenski wrote several carefully researched historical novels. They include Phebe Fairchild: Her Book (1936), about a girl in rural America around 1820; and Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison (1941), set in colonial America.
Lois Lenore Lenski was born on Oct. 14, 1893, in Springfield, Ohio. She graduated from Ohio State University in 1915. She studied at the Art Students League of New York in New York City from 1915 to 1920 and became a professional artist and illustrator. The first book she illustrated was Children’s Frieze-Book (1918). Her first book as an author and illustrator was Skipping Village (1927). Her popular “Mr. Small” picture book series includes The Little Family (1932), The Little Auto (1934), and Policeman Small (1962). Lenski also wrote poetry, short stories, plays, and an autobiography called Journey into Childhood (1972). In 1969, Lenski received the Regina Medal for her lifetime contribution to children’s literature. She died on Sept. 11, 1974.
