Lawson, Robert (1892-1957), was an American author and illustrator of children’s books. He won the Caldecott Medal for They Were Strong and Good (1940) and the Newbery Medal for Rabbit Hill (1944). Lawson was the first person to earn both awards. His most popular books are imaginative fantasy tales with animals as the main characters. He also wrote and illustrated humorous stories about historical events, such as Ben and Me (1939) and Captain Kidd’s Cat (1956). Lawson was born on Oct. 4, 1892, in New York City. He first won acclaim for his drawings for Munro Leaf’s The Story of Ferdinand (1936). He died on May 26, 1957.
