Evangel Allena Champlin Best (January 4, 1892 – February 1974), better known by her pen name Erick Berry, was an American author, illustrator and editor.

Early and personal life

Berry was born on January 4, 1892, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She was married at least twice, the second time to fellow writer Herbert Best. She derived her pen name from her interest in

Eric Pape Frederic L. Pape (October 17, 1870 – November 7, 1938), known as Eric Pape, was an American painter, engraver, sculptor, and illustrator. Early life Pape was born in San Francisco, California, on October 17, 1870 to Friederich Ludwig and ...

and the surname of her first husband.

Career

Berry published many children's books from the 1930s to the '60s, and worked as an author, illustrator, and editor. Perhaps the most popular book she wrote was 1933's '' Winged Girl of Knossos'', which she also illustrated. It won a

Newbery Honor Newbery is a surname. People * Chantelle Newbery (born 1977), Australian Olympic diver * David Newbery (born 1943), British economist *Eduardo Newbery (1878–1908), Argentine odontologist and aerostat pilot * Francis Newbery (disambiguation), s ...

in 1934. In that year, Anne Dempster Kyle's '' The Apprentice of Florence'', illustrated by Berry, won the same award. She also illustrated several of her husband Best's works, one of which, '' Garram the Hunter: A Boy of the Hill Tribes'', also won a Newbery Honor. She also edited at least one publication,

Walter Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

and Marion Havighurst's 1949 children's historical novel '' Song of the Pines''.

Death

Berry died in February 1974, at the age of 82.

Bibliography

As author

As sole author

* ''Girls in Africa'': 1928 (also illustrated) * ''Penny-whistle'': 1930 (also illustrated) * ''Humbo the Hippo and Little-Boy-Bumbo'': 1932 (also illustrated) * '' Winged Girl of Knossos'': 1933 (also illustrated) * ''Cynthia Steps Out'': 1937 * ''Homespun'': 1937 (illustrated by

Harold von Schmidt Harold von Schmidt (May 19, 1893 – June 3, 1982) was an American illustrator, who specialized in magazine interior illustrations. Early life Born in Alameda, California in 1893, he was orphaned at the age of five. After a year in an orphanage ...

) * ''Honey of the Nile'': 1938 (also illustrated) * ''Hudson Frontier'': 1942 (also illustrated) * ''Sybil Ludington's Ride'': 1952 (also illustrated) * ''Hay-Foot, Straw-Foot'': 1954 (also illustrated) * ''Green Door to the Sea'': 1955 (also illustrated) * ''Horses for the General'': 1956 (also illustrated) * ''The Land and People of Finland'': 1959 * ''The Land and People of Iceland'': 1959 * ''The Four Londons of William Hogarth'': 1964 * ''You Have Got to Go Out: The Story of the United States Coast Guard'': 1964 * ''Mr. Arctic: An Account of Vilhjalmur Stefansson'': 1966 * ''The Springing of the Rice: A Story of Thailand'': 1966 (illustrated by John Kaufmann) * ''When Wagon Trains Rolled to Santa Fe'': 1966 (illustrated by Charles Waterhouse) * ''The Magic Banana and Other Polynesian Tales'': 1968 (illustrated by Nicholas Amorosi) * ''A World Explorer: Fridtjof Nansen'': 1969 (illustrated by William Hutchinson)

With Herbert Best

* ''Men Who Changed the Map'': 1968 * ''The Polynesian Triangle'': 1968

As illustrator

Books by Herbert Best

* '' Garram the Hunter: A Boy of the Hill Tribes'': 1930 * ''Tal of the Four Tribes'': 1938 * ''Gunsmith's Boy'': 1942 * ''The Long Portage: A Story of Ticonderoga and Lord Howe'': 1948 * ''Not Without Danger'': 1951 * ''The Columbus Cannon'': 1954 * ''Underwater Warriors: Story of the American Frogmen'': 1967

Books by other authors

* ''Pinky Pup and The Empty Elephant'' - Dixie Willson: 1928 * ''This Side of Jordan'' -

Roark Bradford Roark Whitney Wickliffe Bradford (August 21, 1896, Lauderdale County, Tennessee — November 13, 1948, New Orleans, Louisiana) was an American short story writer and novelist. Life He attended University of California, Berkeley, and served as ...

: 1929 (Harper & Brothers) and 1930 (William Heinemann Ltd) * ''Bee of the Cactus Country'' —

Nora Archibald Smith From the cover of Nora Archibald Smith's book ''Boys and Girls of Bookland'' (1923), illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith Nora Archibald Smith (1859–1934) was an American children's author of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and sis ...

: 1932 * '' The Apprentice of Florence'' — Anne Dempster Kyle: 1933 * ''Araminta'' — Eva Knox Evans: 1935 * ''Jerome Anthony'' — Eva Knox Evans: 1936 * ''The Polynesian Triangle'' — Eleanor Weakley Nolen: 1938 * ''Key Corner'' — Eva Knox Evans: 1938 * ''The Pilgrim Goose'' — Keith Robertson: 1956

As editor

* '' Song of the Pines'' —

and Marion Havighurst: 1949

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, Erick 1892 births 1974 deaths 20th-century American novelists American children's writers American women novelists Newbery Honor winners 20th-century American women writers