Seredy, << SHEHR eh dee, >> Kate (1899-1975), was a Hungarian American author and illustrator of children’s books. Seredy based many of her books on the culture of Hungary, where she lived until the age of 22, when she immigrated to the United States. Critics praised Seredy as a skilled storyteller who created sympathetic, courageous, and optimistic characters. She also illustrated her own books.
Seredy won the 1938 Newbery Medal for her novel The White Stag (1937). The medal is awarded annually to the best children’s book written by an American. Seredy based the story on Hungarian legends about the settling of the country. A main character is the famous conqueror Attila the Hun.
Seredy’s first book as an author was The Good Master (1935). The novel, based on her own childhood, deals with a family who live a simple life on a farm in Hungary. A sequel, The Singing Tree (1939), tells how the family’s lives are disrupted by World War I (1914-1918). A Tree for Peter (1941) is an inspirational story about a group of outcasts who rebuild their shantytown and improve their lives. The Chestry Oak (1948) describes the adventures of a Hungarian nobleman’s son in World War II (1939-1945). Philomena (1955) is the story of a Polish peasant girl who leaves her village for the city to earn money to support her family.
Seredy was born on Nov. 10, 1899, in Budapest, Hungary. She studied art in Europe for six years and served as a nurse during World War I, after which she became a pacifist (opponent of war). After settling in the United States in 1922, she quickly learned English. All her books are written in English.
Seredy first worked as a commercial artist. She designed book covers and greeting cards, and she illustrated textbooks and children’s books. Her major works as a children’s illustrator include The Christmas Anna Angel (1944) by Ruth Sawyer and Caddie Woodlawn (1935) by Carol Ryrie Brink, which won the 1936 Newbery Medal. Seredy died on March 7, 1975.
