Blair Lent (January 22, 1930 – January 27, 2009), who sometimes wrote as Ernest Small, was an American illustrator and writer of children's books, perhaps best known for those with Chinese themes such as ''

Tikki Tikki Tembo ''Tikki Tikki Tembo'' is a 1968 picture book written by Arlene Mosel and illustrated by Blair Lent. The book tells the story of a Chinese boy with a long name who falls into a well. It is a sort of origin myth about why Chinese names are so sho ...

'' (1968). He won the 1973

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing '' The Funny Little Woman'' by

Arlene Mosel Arlene Tichy Mosel (August 27, 1921 – May 1996) was an American children's librarian who wrote the text for two award-winning children's picture books illustrated by Blair Lent ''Tikki Tikki Tembo'' won the annual Boston Globe–Horn Book Award ...

. Lent used a wide range of techniques in his illustrations, including acrylic painting, cardboard cutouts, colored pencil and ink and wash. Born in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Lent attended the

Boston Museum School The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (Museum School, SMFA at Tufts, or SMFA; formerly the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) is the art school of Tufts University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusett ...

where he graduated with a degree in art in 1953, after which he went to Italy and

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

on a study grant. He worked for the

Container Corporation of America Container Corporation of America (CCA) was founded in 1926 and manufactured corrugated boxes. In 1968 CCA merged with Montgomery Ward & Company, Inc., becoming MARCOR. MARCOR maintained separate management for the operations of each company, but ...

designing labels for cans and worked for the Bresnick Advertising Company where he designed bank advertisements. After receiving positive feedback from a juvenile-books editor at

Atlantic Monthly Press Grove Atlantic, Inc. is an American independent publisher, based in New York City. Formerly styled "Grove/Atlantic, Inc.", it was created in 1993 by the merger of Grove Press and Atlantic Monthly Press. As of 2018 Grove Atlantic calls itself "A ...

, he put out ''Pistachio'', a story published in 1964 about a green cow and a circus that he wrote and illustrated. Under the pen name of Ernest Small, he wrote the 1966 books ''Baba Yaga'' about a witch, and ''John Tabor's Ride'', a fanciful yarn about a sailor from New England. Other works written and illustrated by Lent include 1987's ''Bayberry Bluff'', ''Molasses Flood'' published in 1992 and his 2000 book ''Ruby and Fred''. Lent also did illustrations for other authors, some of which became his best-known works, such as the 1964 book ''The Wave'' by

Margaret Hodges Sarah Margaret Hodges née Moore (July 26, 1911 – December 13, 2005) was an American writer of children's books, librarian, and storyteller. Sarah Margaret Moore was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to Arthur Carlisle Moore and Annie Marie Moo ...

that adapted a story by

Lafcadio Hearn , born Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (; el, Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χέρν, Patríkios Lefkádios Chérn, Irish language, Irish: Pádraig Lafcadio O'hEarain), was an Irish people, Irish-Greeks, Greek-Japanese people, Japanese writer, t ...

, Arlene Mosel's 1968 Chinese folk tale ''

'', the 1968 book '' Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky'' based on an African folk tale as told by Elphinstone Dayrell, a 1968 retelling of

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...

's ''

The Little Match Girl "The Little Match Girl" ( da, Den Lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne, meaning "The little girl with the sulphur-sticks", i.e. matches) is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story, about a dying child's dre ...

'' and Mosel's 1973 retelling of a Japanese folk tale '' The Funny Little Woman'' that won that year's

. In 1997, ''Tikki Tikki Tembo'' was selected by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' on its list of the 50 best children's books of the previous 50 years. Lent's artwork had been contributed to the Kerlan Collection at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...

and the Mazza Museum at the

University of Findlay The University of Findlay (UF) is a private university, private Christianity, Christian university in Findlay, Ohio. It was established in 1882 through a joint partnership between the Churches of God General Conference (Winebrenner), Churches ...

, in Findlay, Ohio. Lent was a resident of

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

and died at age 79 on January 27, 2009, of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

Medford, Massachusetts Medford is a city northwest of downtown Boston on the Mystic River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 59,659. It is home to Tufts University, which has its campus alo ...

References

External links

*
Ernest Small
at LC Authorities, with 1 record {{DEFAULTSORT:Lent, Blair American children's book illustrators American children's writers Caldecott Medal winners Artists from Cambridge, Massachusetts 1930 births 2009 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in Massachusetts Kents Hill School alumni