Kate Seredy (November 10, 1899 – March 7, 1975) was a Hungarian-born writer and illustrator of children's books. She won the

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

once, the Newbery Honor twice, the

Caldecott Honor 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 ...

once, and

Lewis Carroll Shelf Award The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award was an American literary award conferred on several books annually by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education annually from 1958 to 1979. Award-winning books were deemed to "belong on the same shelf" ...

. Most of her books were written in English, which was not her first language. Seredy seems to be unknown (and untranslated) in her native Hungary, despite the fact that her story of the Good Master, and the sequel set in World War I are intensely about Hungary.

Life

Kate Seredy was born November 10, 1899 in Budapest, Hungary.Cech, John, ''Dictionary of Literary Biographies'', Gale Research, 1983, Vol. 22. She was the only child of a schoolteacher, Louis Peter Seredy, and his wife, Anna Ireny. Seredy received a diploma to teach art from the Academy of Arts in Budapest. During World War I Seredy traveled to Paris and worked as a combat nurse. After the war she illustrated several books in Hungary. In 1922 Seredy moved from Budapest to the United States. She studied English language, working as an illustrator and artist to support herself, while preparing to illustrate children's books. From 1933 to 1934 Seredy owned a children's bookstore. Though the store wasn't a success, she later credited it with helping her to understand children and what made a good children's book. In 1935 Seredy met

May Massee May Massee (May 1, 1881December 24, 1966) was an American children's book editor. She was the founding head of the children's literature, juvenile departments at Doubleday (publisher), Doubleday from 1922 and at Viking Press from 1932.The Good Master'', which she also illustrated. Though not auto-biographical, Seredy did spend her summers as a child on the plains of Hungary. She used many of her impressions and experiences in the story about young Kate, who is sent by her widowed father from Budapest to the country to live with her Uncle and his family. ''The Good Master'' was named a Newbery Honor book in 1935, a runner-up to ''

Caddie Woodlawn ''Caddie Woodlawn'' is a children's historical fiction novel by Carol Ryrie Brink that received the Newbery Medal in 1936 and a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958. The original 1935 edition was illustrated by Newbery-award-winning author and illus ...

'', which Seredy illustrated for Simon and Schuster. In addition she designed the jacket and endpapers for '' Young Walter Scott'', which was another Newbery runner-up that year. In 1936 Seredy wrote and illustrated ''Listening'', set in rural New Jersey. That same year she purchased, "Listening Hill", a one-hundred acre farm near Montgomery, New York. It was here that she wrote '' The White Stag'', an historical retelling of legends of

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

settling Hungary. Seredy learned these stories from her father when she was a child. This book, which she also illustrated, won the Newbery Award in 1938. In 1959 it received the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. '' The Singing Tree'' appeared in 1939. A sequel to ''The Good Master'', it tells of the effects of World War I on Kate and all of her family. The book shows the terrible effects of war upon ordinary people, especially those who are forced to leave their lands and homes to fight. ''The Singing Tree'' was also named a Newbery Honor book. Seredy continued to write and illustrate her own books as well as those of other writers. In 1945 she illustrated ''The Christmas Anna Angel'' by

Ruth Sawyer Ruth Sawyer (August 5, 1880 – June 3, 1970) was an American people, American storyteller and a writer of fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. She may be best known as the author of ''Roller Skates'', which won the 1937 Newbery Medal ...

. When the

list was created in 1971, Seredy was retroactively named an Honor winner for those illustrations. Seredy had twelve children's books published, but she considered herself an illustrator before an author. She had a unique style, primarily based on drawing, and considered her books "an excuse for making pictures".Kate Seredy as illustrator
Her last book, ''Lazy Tinka'', is dedicated to her long-time editor, May Massee. Kate Seredy died March 7, 1975, in Middletown, New York, at the age of 75. Her papers and illustrations are held at the May Massee Collection at Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas, and the University of Oregon Library.Chevalier, Tracy (editor), ''Twentieth-Century Children's Writers'', St. James Press, 1989, pp. 870;

Works

Written and illustrated

* '' The Good Master'',

Viking Press Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquire ...

, 1935 ^ * ''Listening'', Viking, 1936 * '' The White Stag'', Viking, 1937 + * '' The Singing Tree'', Viking, 1939 ^ * ''A Tree for Peter'', Viking, 1941. Reissued Purple House Press, 2004, 2014. * ''The Open Gate'', Viking, 1943 * ''The Chestry Oak'', Viking, 1948. Reissued Purple House Press, 2015. * ''Gypsy'', Viking, 1951 * ''Philomena'', Viking, 1955 * ''The Tenement Tree'', Viking, 1959 * ''A Brand New Uncle'', Viking, 1961 * ''Lazy Tinka'', Viking, 1962

Selected illustrated books

* ''Friendly Stories'' by Arthur I. Gates and Miriam Blanton Huber, Macmillan, 1930 * ''The Pathfinder : Readings from Modern Literature'' by Lawton B. Evans, Macmillan, 1930 * ''God our Father'' by Virgil George Michel and Basil Augustine Stegmann, Macmillan, 1934 * ''The Prince Commands'' by

Andre Norton Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton, February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name ...

(Norton's debut), D. Appleton–Century Company, 1934 * ''

'' by

Carol Ryrie Brink Carol Ryrie Brink (December 28, 1895 – August 15, 1981) was an American writer of over thirty juvenile and adult books. Her novel ''Caddie Woodlawn'' won the 1936 Newbery Medal and a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958. Lifetime Caroline S ...

, Macmillan, 1935 + * ''Common Sense for Mothers on Bringing up Your Children from Babyhood to Adolescence'' by Estelle Mulqueen Reilly, Funk & Wagnalls, 1935 * '' Young Walter Scott'' by Elizabeth Janet Gray, Viking, 1935 ^ * ''The Selfish Giant and Other Stories'' compiled by

Wilhelmina Harper Wilhelmina Harper (April 21, 1884 – December 23, 1973) was a children's librarian, and a children's author. She was a supervisor of children's work for the Kern County Free Library. Early life Wilhelmina Harper was born on April 21, 1884, i ...

, David McKay, 1935 * '' Winterbound'' by Margery Bianco, Viking, 1936 ^ * ''Smiling Hill Farm'' by Miriam Evangeline Mason, Junior Literary Guild and Ginn and Co., 1937 * ''An Ear for Uncle Emil'' by E.R. Gaggin, Junior Literary Guild and Viking, 1939 * '' The Christmas Anna Angel'' by

, Viking, 1943 < * ''

The Wonderful Year ''The Wonderful Year'' is a 1921 British silent drama film directed by Kenelm Foss and starring Randle Ayrton, Mary Odette and Margot Drake.Low p.484 Cast * Randle Ayrton as The Happiness Dispenser * Hubert Carter as Bigourdin * Margot ...

'' by

Nancy Barnes Nancy Barnes (born 1961) is an American journalist and newspaper editor. She is currently the senior vice president for news and editorial director of National Public Radio. She is also a member of the Peabody Awards board of directors, which is ...

, Junior Literary Guild and J. Messner, 1946 ^ * ''Little Vic'' by

Doris Gates Doris Gates (November 26, 1901 – September 3, 1987) was one of America's first writers of realistic children's fiction. Her novel ''Blue Willow'', about the experiences of Janey Larkin, the ten-year-old daughter of a migrant farm worker in 193 ...

, Viking, 1951 * ''A Dog Named Penny'' by

Clyde Robert Bulla Clyde Robert Bulla (born January 9, 1914, near King City, Missouri, United States, d. May 23, 2007, Warrensburg, Missouri) was an American writer who wrote over fifty books for children. He received his early education in a one-room schoolhouse wh ...

, Ginn, 1955 +

Newbery Award The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

Winner
^ Newbery Honor Book
<

Book

Notes

References

External links

Guide to the Kate Seredy papers at the University of Oregon
*
Kate Seredy
at

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

Authorities — with 33 catalog records {{DEFAULTSORT:Seredy, Kate 1899 births 1975 deaths American children's writers American children's book illustrators Hungarian children's book illustrators Hungarian emigrants to the United States Newbery Medal winners Newbery Honor winners Writers who illustrated their own writing Writers from Budapest Hungarian University of Fine Arts alumni Hungarian women writers Hungarian women illustrators