Brett, Jan (1949-…), is an American illustrator and author of children’s books. Brett has gained recognition for her imaginative picture book adaptations of folk and fairy tales, as well as her illustrations for her own stories. She frequently encloses pages in her books with border drawings that contribute additional meaning to the main text and pictures. In 2021, Brett won the Regina Medal. The award is presented by the Catholic Library Association to honor a lifetime contribution to children’s literature.
Many of Brett’s picture books emphasize colorful and sharply detailed animals and scenes from nature. They include Fritz and the Beautiful Horses (1981), Annie and the Wild Animals (1985), and several stories about a hedgehog named Hedgie, beginning with The Hat (1997). Brett has also illustrated many books with Christmas themes, such as The Wild Christmas Reindeer (1990), Jan Brett’s Christmas Treasury (2001), Home for Christmas (2011), and The Animals’ Santa (2014). Brett’s adaptations of folk and fairy tales include Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1987); The Mitten: A Ukrainian Folk Tale (1989); Town Mouse, Country Mouse (1994); The Three Snow Bears (2007); The 3 Little Dassies (2010); Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella (2013); The Turnip (2015); and The Tale of the Tiger Slippers (2019).
Brett also wrote and illustrated Trouble with Trolls (1992), Armadillo Rodeo (1995), Daisy Comes Home (2002), The Umbrella (2004), and Mossy (2012). In addition, she illustrated several children’s stories by the American children’s author Eve Bunting, starting with St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning (1980).
Jan Churchill Brett was born on Dec. 1, 1949, in Hingham, Massachusetts. She attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1970. Brett began her career in 1978 by illustrating Woodland Crossings, a book of fables by Stephen Krensky.
