Esther Averill (July 24, 1902 – May 19, 1992) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

writer and illustrator best known for the Cat Club picture books, a collection of 13 stories featuring Jenny Linsky, a small black cat who always wears a red scarf. She was also an

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

and

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

Life

Averill was born in

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...

on July 24, 1902, daughter of Charles Ketchum and Helen (Holden) Averill, where she was a teenage cartoonist for a local newspaper. After graduating from

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

with honors in 1923, she joined the editorial staff of ''

Women's Wear Daily ''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion".Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides infor ...

''. In 1925 she moved to

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to work as a photojournalist's assistant. In 1931, Averill founded the Domino Press, which specialized in "children's picture books illustrated by gifted young artists and reproduced by means of the excellent color processes that were available". Domino's first publication was a book entitled ''Daniel Boone : les adventures d'un chasseur americain parmi les peaux-rogues'', illustrated by

Feodor Rojankovsky Feodor Stepanovich "Rojan" Rojankovsky (russian: Фёдор Степанович Рожанковский) (December 24, 1891 – October 12, 1970), also known as Rojan, was a Russian émigré illustrator. He is well known both for children's boo ...

(who later won a U.S.

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 picture book illustration). Averill worked on an English edition of the same title also released in 1931. Domino published several other children's books before it ceased operations in 1938. Averill returned to the

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in 1941, continuing with Domino press until it ceased operations and then working in the children's department at the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

. In 1944, she wrote and illustrated ''The Cat Club'', the first in a series of stories about a cat, Jenny Linsky, who lived in New York City with her master, the benevolent Captain Tinker. Between 1944 and 1972, Averill wrote and illustrated a dozen more stories about Jenny Linsky and her cat friends, all of whom were based on cats Averill owned or knew. The cat club books proved to be Averill's most popular works, and were eventually translated into six languages. Starting in 2003,Schwarz, Christina. ''Atlantic Monthly'' (10727825). Dec. 2003, Vol. 292 Issue 5, pp. 131-132. a series of reissues by the New York Review Children's Collection brought all the Cat Club titles except for ''Jenny's Bedside Book'' back into print. Averill died in New York City on May 19, 1992.

Cat Club series

* ''The Cat Club'', 1944 * ''The School for Cats'', 1947 * ''Jenny's First Party'', 1948 * ''Jenny's Moonlight Adventure'', 1949 * ''When Jenny Lost Her Scarf'', 1951 * ''Jenny's Adopted Brothers'', 1952 * ''How the Brothers Joined the Cat Club'', 1953 * ''Jenny's Birthday Book'', 1954 * ''Jenny Goes to Sea'', 1957 * ''Jenny's Bedside Book'', 1959 * ''The Fire Cat'', 1960 * ''The Hotel Cat'', 1969 * ''Captains of the City Streets'', 1972

Other works

* ''Daniel Boone'', 1931 (with Lila Stanley; illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky) * ''Powder: The Story of a Colt, a Duchess, and the Circus'', 1933 (with Lila Stanley; illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky) * ''Fable of a Proud Poppy'', 1934 (as John Domino; illustrated by Emile Lahner) * ''Flash: The Story of a Horse, a Coach-Dog, and the Gypsies'', 1934 (illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky) * ''Political Propaganda in Children's Books of the French Revolution'', 1935 * ''The Voyages of Jacques Cartier'', 1937 (illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky) * ''The Adventures of Jack Ninepins'', 1944 * ''Daniel Boone'', 1945 (new text for the 1931 title, same illustrations by Feodor Rojankovsky) * ''King Philip: The Indian Chief'', 1950 (illustrated by Vera Belsky) * ''Cartier Sails the St. Lawrence'', 1956 (new text of the 1937 title, same illustrations by Feodor Rojankovsky) * ''Eyes on the World: The Story and Work of Jacques Callot'', 1969

References

Citations

Other sources