Lois Jane Ehlert (November 9, 1934 – May 25, 2021) was an American author and illustrator of children's books, most having to do with nature. Ehlert won theCaldecott Honor forColor Zoo in 1990.[1] Some of her other popular works includedChicka Chicka Boom Boom,Cuckoo/Cucú: A Mexican Folktale/Un cuento folklórico Mexicano andLeaf Man. She lived inMilwaukee,Wisconsin, at the time of her death in 2021.
Ehlert was born Lois Jane Ehlert on November 9, 1934, inBeaver Dam, Wisconsin, to Gladys (nee Grace) and Harry Ehlert. She was the eldest of three children.[2] Her mother was a seamstress who taught her how to sew at eight years old. Her mother also shared fabric scraps with her, which gave her an exposure to art early on.[3] Her father was a trucker and blue-collar worker who also worked as a gas-station attendant, dairy worker and a maintenance man.[2]
Ehlert grew up painting and sculpting. Her father had a basement workshop and always had art supplies available, just not the traditional supplies, but materials such as scrap lumber and nails.[3] Even in her early years, she always erased her drawings and was never satisfied. Her favorite art technique was and remained till her death to be cutting and pasting. This method is called collage—the process of cutting out pieces of paper, fabric, or objects and gluing them to a backing.[4]
Ehlert started her career as a freelance illustrator and a graphic designer.[2] She also worked as an apprentice in an art studio, while working the evenings on her own art work.[6] Amongst her first credited books as an illustrator wasI Like Orange (1961) by Patricia Martin Zens, the author ofThe Gingerbread Man. Her first book as an author and illustrator wasGrowing Vegetable Soup (1987). The book was a garden-to-table guide for small children exposing the lifecycle of activities from planting seeds to steaming the vegetables in the kitchen.[2]
Ehlert had her own book creation approach. She began with a "dummy book" made from pencil drawings. Then, she assessed to determine the subject matter of the new book. Once she had a topic, she did background research to learn more. Then she began her artwork, which involves cutting out each piece individually and then gluing them on the pages of her book.[7]
Her work reflected her love of nature with gardens and nature playing a central theme in many of her works.[2] Her 1989 bookChicka Chicka Boom Boom, was a best seller and sold over 12 million copies worldwide.[2] The book, which had text byBill Martin Jr. andJohn Archambault, had a colorful alphabet climbing a coconut tree. The book was read by the then US presidentBarack Obama to young visitors during the 2013White House Easter Egg Roll.[2]
Writing about her, thePublishers Weekly, called attention to her "signature collage artwork featuring bold colors and crisply cut shapes as well as found objects."[2] Through her career she wrote and illustrated 38 books for young readers.[2]
Ehlert won the Caldecott Honor Book in 1990 forColor Zoo and won a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year forSnowballs. Ehlert became the Booklist Editors' Choice forCuckoo/Cucú: A Mexican Folktale/Un cuento folklórico Mexicano. She also was awarded the IRA Teachers' Choice and NCTE Notable Children's Trade Book in the Language Arts forFeathers for Lunch and received theAmerican Library Association Notable Children's Book andBoston Globe – Horn Book Award forChicka Chicka Boom Boom.[8] She received an Honorable Mention from theNational Outdoor Book Award (Children's Category) in 2005 forLeaf Man, which was also awarded the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award in 2006.[9][10]
Ehlert married designer and artist John J. Reiss in 1967. The couple divorced in the 1970s.[2] Ehlert died on May 25, 2021, at her home inMilwaukee at age 86.[1]
