Gerald McDermott

“Dream weaver, tale spinner, portrayer of visions, interpreter of the human spirit,” Gerald McDermott (1941-2012) wrote and illustrated over 30 books for children, often based on mythology and folklore. A graduate of the Pratt Institue, McDermott was the first Fellow of the Joseph Campbell Foundation. He would also produce several animated shorts for PBS’s The Electric Company. His bright expressive and colorful style has made him a favorite of both children and adults. He won Caldecott Honors in 1972 for Anansi the Spider and in 1993 for Raven: A Trickster Tale From The Pacific Northwest, which also won a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. In 1975 he was awarded the coveted 1975 Caldecott Medal for his Arrow to the Sun: A Tale from the Pueblo. He produced five animated film adaptions of his books.