Meindert De Jong, sometimes spelled de Jong, DeJong or Dejong (4 March 1906 – 16 July 1991) was a Dutch-born

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 of

children's books A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...

. He won the international

Hans Christian Andersen Award The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". Th ...

in 1962 for his contributions as a children's writer.

Life

De Jong was born in the village of

Wierum Wierum is a village in Noardeast-Fryslân in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands with a population of around 339 in January 2017. Before 2019, the village was part of the Dongeradeel municipality. History The village was first mentioned i ...

in the province of

Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...

, Netherlands. (The correct

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

and Frisian spelling of his surname is 'de Jong' when preceded by his first name or initials, and 'De Jong' when not.) The family emigrated to the United States in 1914. De Jong attended Dutch Calvinist secondary schools and

Calvin College Calvin University, formerly Calvin College, is a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed (Calvinist) ...

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

, and entered the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

, but left without graduating. De Jong held various jobs during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and began writing children's books at the suggestion of a local librarian. His first book, ''The Big Goose and the Little White Duck'', was published in 1938. He wrote several more books before joining the

US Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

during World War II, serving in China. After the war, De Jong resumed writing, and for several years resided in Mexico. He returned for a time to Michigan. After settling in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, he returned to Michigan for the final years of his life. Six of De Jong's books were illustrated by

Maurice Sendak Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book ''Where the Wild Things Are'', first published in 1963.Turan, Kenneth (October 16, 200 ...

Awards

In 1962 De Jong won the biennial, international

for his lasting contribution to literature for young people. He was the first American recipient of the honor, the highest international recognition for a creator of children's books (later, for a writer or illustrator). He was also recognized many times for particular works. * '' Shadrach'' and '' Hurry Home, Candy'' were both runners-up for 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 ...

in 1954. * '' The Wheel on the School'' won the U.S.

in 1955 and the second annual

Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis The (German Youth Literature Award) is an annual award established in 1956 by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to recognise outstanding works of children's and young adult literature. It is Germany's only ...

in 1957 (in its German translation, ''Das Rad auf der Schule'', with new illustrations by Marianne Richter). It was named to the

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" ...

list in 1963. Award List. "Lewis Carroll Shelf Award Winners", Lewis Carroll Shelf Award Collection, Living Arts Corporation, Loveland, Colorado. * ''

The House of Sixty Fathers ''The House of Sixty Fathers'' is a 1956 children's novel by Meindert DeJong. Illustrations were provided by Maurice Sendak. The novel was based on the author's own experiences as a military flier in China during the second world war. The book w ...

'' received the

Josette Frank Award The Josette Frank Award is an American children's literary award for fiction given annually by the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education. It "honors a book or books of outstanding literary merit in which children or young peo ...

(then named the Children's Book Award of the Child Study Association) in 1956. It was a Newbery runner-up in 1957. * '' Along Came a Dog'' was a Newbery runner-up in 1959. * '' Journey from Peppermint Street'' won the inaugural National Book Award in category Children's Books in 1969."National Book Awards – 1969"

National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...

. Retrieved 2012-02-27.

References

External links

Meindert De Jong
at Harper Collins * {{DEFAULTSORT:De Jong, Meindert 1906 births 1991 deaths American children's writers Jong, Meindert de Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing winners National Book Award for Young People's Literature winners Newbery Medal winners Newbery Honor winners Jong, Meindert de Calvin University alumni United States Army Air Forces soldiers Place of death missing 20th-century novelists United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II