Henry Cole (illustrator)

Henry Cole (born 1955) is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He has illustrated several books for many authors including Julie Andrews Edwards, Lester Laminack, Erica Perl, Margie Palatini, Alyssa Capucilli, Harvey Fierstein, and Pamela Duncan Edwards.

Background

Henry Cole, born 1955 near Purcellville, Virginia, United States, most often uses a cartoon-like style with vivid colors and primarily works in acrylics and colored pencils.

Cole grew up on a dairy farm in Virginia. He enjoyed art as a child and frequently made birthday cards for friends or signs for school functions He later went on to study Forestry at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He never received formal art training, but his mother was an illustrator who gave him advice throughout his career.

Work

Before Cole was an illustrator, he taught science at The Langley School in Virginia from 1984 to 1999.(2008). Cole, Henry. ''Something About the Author'', 181, 41–45. He frequently used art to illustrate a concept during his classes. As an elementary school teacher, Cole often had the opportunity to hear visiting authors and illustrators speak, and thought that he might be interested in pursuing book illustration as a career.

Cole has collaborated with many authors as well as celebrities such as Julie Andrews and Harvey Fierstein. The ''Sissy Duckling'' (2002), written by Fierstein, was a Lambada Literary Award Finalist in 2002 Some of Cole's most famous works are ''Moosestache'' (1999) written by Margie Palatini, ''Mooseletoe'' (2000) written by Margie Palatini, ''Big Chickens'' (2008) written by Leslie Helakoski, and ''Honk! The Story of a Prima Swanerina'' (2000) written by Pamela Duncan Edwards, which has recently been made into an animated video by Disney.

Some criticism has been received for ''And Tango Makes Three'' (2005), for which Cole was the illustrator. The book is about the true story of two male penguins that raised a chick together in the Central Park Zoo in New York City. Afraid that the book promotes homosexuality, many schools have categorized this book as nonfiction rather than juvenile fiction. The Library of Congress, however, continues to categorize this work as juvenile fiction. Cole's illustrations for this work and several others have been recognized for their realistic nature which is in contrast to his usual trend of cartoon-like illustrations. In a review of ''And Tango Makes Three'', ''Booklist'' contributor Jennifer Mattson states that "Cole's pictures complement the perfectly cadenced text".

Cole's many books are well reviewed. ''Booklist''s review of ''Katy Duck is a Caterpillar'' (2009), written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli states that, "The...comedic color drawings translate Katy's longing and disappointment and will easily appeal to young children".BooklistOnline Cole has also received praise for his illustrations in ''Tubby the Tuba'' (2006), written by Paul Tripp. Children's book reviewer Carolyn Phelan for ''Booklist'' states, "Cole's colorful retro-style artwork endows the instrument-characters great emotional expressiveness. He uses the large format to good advantage, creating scenes that are varied in their effects and show up well from a distance". Cole's usual whimsical, cartoon-like style with vivid colors and limited white space not only helps to enhance the story by adding character elements; it also draws young readers in.

In addition to illustrating for other writers, Cole has also written and authored fifteen children's books. ''I Took a Walk'' (1998) and ''On the Way to the Beach'' (2003) both depict things one might find while walking through nature. A ''Kirkus Reviews'' contributor wrote that ''On the Way to the Beach'' had "marvelously detailed and accurate illustrations hatgive readers a peek into the natural world". In an additional review for ''On the Way to the Beach'' Carolyn Phelan for ''Booklist'' states that, "Parents looking for an early introduction to nature study will find this an informative offering with a playful approach". ''On Meadowview Street'' (2007) is about a girl named Caroline who decides to stop mowing her lawn and let it grow into a field of wildflowers. A ''Publishers Weekly'' critic described the illustrations as "beautifully portrayed in meticulously detailed, velvety acrylics". Jennifer Mattson from ''Booklist'' stated, "The jab at soulless suburbia and its faux-bucolic trappings may be most appreciated by adults, but the crucial message ... will speak strongly to today’s ecologically aware children. And it's all done without stridency". All of the books end with a spread containing panels of wildlife seen in the book. Released in early 2010, ''A Nest for Celeste'' is Cole's latest foray into writing, and was received with great acclaim. About a mouse looking for a place she can call home, the book also teaches about the work of naturalist John James Audubon as Celeste makes friends with his young apprentice. Amazon.com featured it as a Best Book of the Month in March and the ''Publishers Weekly'' starred review stated that "Evocative illustrations, compelling characters, and thoughtful reflections on the nature of home combine to powerful effect."

One notable title, "Unspoken," (2012) has received numerous awards:: NY Times Best Picture Books, ALA Notable Book, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best, 2012 Upstanders Award, Virginia Jefferson Cup Award, Jr. Library Guild Selection, Parents Choice Gold Award, SLJ Best Book, Publishers Weekly Best Books, White Ravens of 2013, Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books, NCTE Notable Books in Language Arts, and Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Award.

In an interview with HarperCollins, Cole stated "Your own book is your own baby. I think it's more fulfilling to both write and illustrate a book. However, it can be more fun and stimulating to collaborate with another person and create something jointly".

Personal

As a child, Cole grew up on a dairy farm and enjoyed being outdoors. His love for the outdoors is what eventually led him to study science. He has said that he spent a "lifetime" observing things in nature such as birds and leaves which has made art easier. He has also stated that he hopes to do more environmental books in the future. Cole is also inspired by artists Norman Rockwell, Paul Klee, John Singer Sargent, and N.C. Wyeth.

Publications

Written and illustrated by Cole

*''Jack's Garden'', 1998
*''I Took a Walk'', 1998
*''On the Way to the Beach'', 2003
*''On Meadowview Street'', 2007
*''Trudy'', 2009
*''A Nest for Celeste'', 2010
*''Littlest Evergreen'', 2011
*''Unspoken'', 2012
*''Big Bug'', 2014
*''Brambleheart'', 2016
*''Somewhat True Adventures of Sammy Shine'', 2016
*''Spot, the Cat'', 2016
*''Eddie the Bully'', 2016
*''Another quest for Celeste'', 2018
*''One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey'', 2018
*''Try A Little Kindness'', 2018
*''Spot and Dot'', 2019
*''Nesting'',2020
*''Principal Tate is Running Late!'',2021
*''Homer on the Case'', 2021
*''Building'', 2022
*''Forever Home'', 2022
*''Adventure Awaits'', 2022

Illustrated by Cole

*'' Moosetache'' Margie Palatini
*''Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats'' by Ann Earle (1995)
*''Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (1995)
*''Dinorella: A Prehistoric Fairy Tale'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (1997)
*''Warthogs in the Kitchen'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (1998)
*''Livingstone Mouse'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (1998)
*''Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (1998)
*''Some Smug Slug'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (1998)
*''Wacky Wedding: A Book of Alphabet Antics'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (1999)
*''Ed and Fred Flea'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (1999)
*''Little Bo'' by Julie Andrews Edwards (1997)
*''Who Bop?'' By Jonathan London (2000)
*''Roar! A Noisy Counting Book'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2000)
*''Bravo, Livingstone Mouse!'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2000)
*''Little Dogs Say “Rough!”'' by Rick Walton (2000)
*''Honk! The Story of a Prima Swanerina'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2000)
*''Mooseltoe'' by Margie Palatini (2000)
*''All American Puppies #6: Bake-off Burglar'' by Susan Saunders (2001)
*''All American Puppies #5: Puppysaurus'' by Susan Saunders (2001)
*''All American Puppies #4: Uptown Poodle, Downtown Pups'' by Susan Saunders (2001)
*''All American Puppies #3: Camp Barkalot'' by Susan Saunders (2001)
*''All American Puppies #2: On the Scent of Trouble'' by Susan Saunders (2001)
*''All American Puppies #1: New Pup on the Block'' by Susan Saunders (2001)
*''Warthogs Paint'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2001)
*''Wake-Up Kisses'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2001)
*''Slop Goes the Soup: A Noisy Warthog Word Book'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2001)
*''Boston Tea Party'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2001)
*''Warthogs in a Box: Counting, Colors, Sounds'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2002)
*''Fright Night Flight'' by Laura Krauss Melmed (2002)
*''Can You Make a Piggy Giggle?'' by Linda Ashman (2002)
*''Muldoon'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2002)
*''Little Bo in France'' by Julie Andrews Edwards (2002)
*''The Sissy Duckling'' by Harvey Fierstein (2002)
*''The Wright Brothers'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2003)
*''Why Do Kittens Purr?'' by Marion Dane Bauer (2003)
*''Rosie's Roses'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2003)
*''City Chicken'' by Arthur Dorros (2003)
*''Naughty Little Monkeys'' by Jim Aylesworth (2003)
*''Bad Boys'' by Margie Palatini (2003)
*''The Worrywarts'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2003)
*''Gigi and Lulu's Gigantic Fight'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2004)
*''The Leprechaun's Gold'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2004)
*''Santa's Stuck'' by Rhonda Gowler Greene (2004)
*''Moosekitos'' by Margie Palatini (2004)
*''Victor Vito and Freddie Vasco: Two Polar Bears on a Mission to Save the Klondike'' by Laurie Berkner (2004)
*''Clara Caterpillar'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2004)
*''And Tango Makes Three'' by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnall (2005)
*''Ms. Bitsy Bat's Kindergarten'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2005)
*''Z is for Zookeeper'' by Marie and Roland Smith (2005)
*''Tubby the Tuba'' by Paul Tripp (2006)
*''Bad Boys Get Cookie!'' by Margie Palatini (2006)
*''Big Chickens'' by Leslie Helakoski (mother of Connor Helakoski) (2006)
*''Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC'' by June Sobel (2006)
*''Oink?'' by Margie Palatini (2006)
*''Katy Duck, Big Sister: A Book About Sharing'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2007)
*''Katy Duck'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2007)
*''The Old House'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2007)
*''Chaucer's First Winter'' by Stephen Krensky (2008)
*''Jack and Jill's Treehouse'' by Pamela Duncan Edwards (2008)
*''Rubber-legged Ducky'' by John Keller (2008)
*''Katy Duck, Center Stage'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2008)
*''Katy Duck, Dance Star'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2008)
*''Twelve Days of Christmas in Virginia'' by Sue Corbet (2009)
*''Mouse Was Mad'' by Linda Urban (2009)
*''Chicken Butt!'' by Erica S. Perl (2009)
*''Bad Boys Get Henpecked'' by Margie Palatini (2009)
*''Katy Duck is a Caterpillar'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2009)
*''Big Chickens Go To Town'' by Leslie Helakoski (2010)''
*''Big Chickens Fly the Coop'' by Leslie Helakoski (2010)
*''Katy Duck Goes to Dance Class'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2010)
*'' One Pup's Up'' by Marsha Wilson Chall (2010)
*''Little Bo in Italy'' by Julie Andrews Edwards (2010)
*''Chicken Butt's Back'' by Erica S. Perl (2011)
*''Three Hens and a Peacock'' by Lester Laminack (2011)
*''Starring Katy Duck'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2011)
*''I Know a Wee Piggy'' by Kim Norman (2012)
*'' Who's Who'' by Ken Geist (2012)
*''Surfer Chick'' by Kristy Dempsey (2012)
*''Little Bo in London'' by Julie Andrews Edwards (2012)
*''Katy Duck Makes a Friend'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2012)
*''Katy Duck Meets the Babysitter'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2012)
*''Katy Duck and the Tip Top Tap Shoes'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2013)
*''Katy Duck, Flower Girl'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2013)
*''Bogart and Vinnie'' by Audrey Vernick (2013)
*''Nelly May Has Her Say'' by Cynthia DeFelice (2013)
*''Prairie Chicken Little'' by Jackie Mims Hopkins (2013)
*''Katy Duck and the Secret Valentine'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2014)
*''Katy Duck Goes to Work'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2014)
*''Katy Duck's Happy Halloween'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2014)
*''Maxi the Taxi'' by Elizabeth Upton (2016)
*''Ralph and the Rocket Ship'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2016)
*''Ferocious Fluffity'' by Erica Perl (2016)
*''Teeny Tiny Halloween'' by Lauren Wohl (2016)
*''Emmett and the Bright Blue Cape'' by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (2017)

References

External links

BooklistVideo interview with Henry Cole
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Henry
1955 births
Living people
American children's book illustrators
American children's writers
Date of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)
People from Purcellville, Virginia