Brian Selznick (born July 14, 1966) is an American illustrator and author best known as the writer of ''

The Invention of Hugo Cabret ''The Invention of Hugo Cabret'' is a historical fiction book written and illustrated by Brian Selznick and published by Scholastic. It takes place in France as a young boy finds his purpose. The hardcover edition was released on January 30, 2 ...

'' (2007), '' Wonderstruck'' (2011), ''

The Marvels ''The Marvels'' is an upcoming American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney St ...

'' (2015) and ''Kaleidoscope'' (2021). He won the 2008

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 U.S. picture book illustration recognizing ''The Invention of Hugo Cabret''. He is also known for illustrating children's books such as the covers of Scholastic's 20th-anniversary editions of the ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'' series.

Life and career

Selznick, the oldest of three children of a Jewish family, was born and grew up in

East Brunswick, New Jersey East Brunswick is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The suburban bedroom community is part of the New York City metropolitan area and is located on the southern shore of the Raritan River, directly adjacent to the city ...

, where he graduated in 1984 from

East Brunswick High School East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in tenth through twelfth grades in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of East Brunswick Public Schools. ...

. He is the son of Lynn (Samson) and Roger E. Selznick. His grandfather was a cousin of Hollywood producer David O. Selznick. He graduated from the

Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the ...

and then worked for three years at Eeyore's Books for Children in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

while working on ''The Houdini Box'', about a boy's chance encounter with

Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...

and its aftermath. It became his debut work, a 56-page picture book published by

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

in 1991. Selznick won the 2008

from the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

for the year's best-illustrated picture book, recognizing ''

''. Its Caldecott Medal was the first for a long book, 533 pages with 284 pictures. Selznick calls it "not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things." At the time it was "by far the longest and most involved book I’ve ever worked on." It has inspired students to action, including a

fourth grade Fourth grade (also called grade four, equivalent to Year 5 in England and Wales, and Year 4 in Australia) is a year of Elementary education in some countries. In North America, the fourth grade is the fifth school year of elementary school. Stud ...

class staging a silent film festival, and a group of fifth graders who turned the book into a 30-minute

modern dance Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance which included dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th ...

. ''The Invention of Hugo Cabret'' follows a young orphan in Paris in the 1930s as he tries to piece together a broken

automaton An automaton (; plural: automata or automatons) is a relatively self-operating machine, or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions.Automaton – Definition and More ...

. The book was inspired by a passage in the book ''Edison’s Eve'' by

Gaby Wood Gaby Wood, Hon. FRSL (born 1971), is an English journalist, author and literary critic who has written for publications including ''The Observer'', ''The Daily Telegraph'', ''London Review of Books'', ''Granta'', and ''Vogue''. She is the literary ...

recounting the collection of

automata An automaton (; plural: automata or automatons) is a relatively self-operating machine, or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions.Automaton – Definition and More ...

that belonged to

Georges Méliès Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès (; ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French illusionist, actor, and film director. He led many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema. Méliès was well known for the use of ...

. After his death they were thrown away by the museum that he donated them to. Selznick, a fan of Méliès and automata, envisioned a young boy stealing an automaton from the garbage. ''The Invention of Hugo Cabret'' was

adapted In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

as a film, ''

Hugo Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on ...

,'' by director

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

and released in November 2011. Selznick cites

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 ...

, author of ''Where the Wild Things Are'', and

Remy Charlip Remy or Rémy may refer to: Places * Remy River, a tributary of rivière du Gouffre in Saint-Urbain, Quebec, Canada * Rémy, a French commune in Pas-de-Calais * Remy, Oise, northern France * Remy, Oklahoma, USA * 14683 Remy, an asteroid * Po ...

, author of ''Fortunately'', as strong influences on his books ''The Invention of Hugo Cabret'' and ''Wonderstruck''. Prior to winning the 2008 Caldecott Medal, Selznick had been a runner-up for the award, winning a Caldecott Honor in 2002 for ''The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins: An Illuminating History of Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins, Artist and Lecturer''. Other awards include the Texas Bluebonnet Award, the Rhode Island Children's Book Award, and the

Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organization ...

Works

As writer

"A Buried History of Paleontology"
by Selznick and David Serlin, ''

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

'' 28: Bones (Winter 2007/08) * ''The Hugo Movie Companion: A Behind the Scenes Look at How a Beloved Book Became a Major Motion Picture''; with additional material by

and David Serlin (Scholastic, 2011)

As writer and illustrator

* ''The Houdini Box'' (1991) * ''The Robot King'' (1995) * ''Boy of a Thousand Faces'' (2000) * ''

'' (2007), historical

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...

novel * '' Wonderstruck'' (2011), a historical novel * ''

'' (2015) * ''Baby Monkey, Private Eye'' (2018), early reader by Brian Selznick and David Serlin * ''Kaleidoscope'' (2021)

As illustrator

* ''Doll Face Has a Party'' (1994), picture book by Pam Conrad * ''Our House: stories of Levittown'' (1995), by Pam Conrad — about

Levittown Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their ...

* ''

Frindle ''Frindle'' is a middle-grade American children's novel written by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Brian Selznick, and published by the company Aladdin in 1996. It was the winner of the 2016 Phoenix Award, which is granted by the Children's Liter ...

'' (1996), novella by

Andrew Clements Andrew Elborn Clements (May 29, 1949 – November 28, 2019) was an American author of children's literature. His debut novel '' Frindle'' won an award determined by the vote of U.S. schoolchildren in about 20 different U.S. states. In June 2015 ...

* ''The Boy Who Longed for a Lift'' (1997), picture book by

Norma Farber Norma Holzmann Farber (6 August 1909 – 21 March 1984) was an American children's book writer and poet. The Poetry Society of America presents the Norma Farber First Book Award, which is awarded for a first book of original poetry written by an A ...

* ''Riding Freedom'' (1998), by Pam Muñoz Ryan — about

Charley Parkhurst Charley Darkey Parkhurst (born Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst; 1812 – December 18, 1879) also known as "One-Eyed Charley" or "Six-Horse Charley", was an American stagecoach driver, farmer and rancher in California. Raised female in New England, Pa ...

, fictionalized * ''Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride: based on a true story'' (1999), by

Pam Muñoz Ryan Pam Muñoz Ryan is an American writer for children and young adults, particularly in the Multicultural genre. Biography Muñoz Ryan was born in Bakersfield, California. She is half Mexican with Basque, Italian, and Oklahoman cultural influences ...

— about

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...

fictionalized * ''Barnyard Prayers'' (2000), picture book by Laura Godwin * ''

The Doll People ''The Doll People'' is a children's novel written by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, first published in 2000. It is illustrated by Brian Selznick, the author of ''The Invention of Hugo Cabret''. It tells a story about the imaginary world of doll ...

'' (2000), novel by

Ann M. Martin Ann Matthews Martin (born August 12, 1955) is an American children's fiction writer, known best for ''The Baby-Sitters Club'' series. Early life Ann Matthews Martin grew up in Princeton, NJ. Her mother, Eden Martin, was a preschool teacher and h ...

and Laura Godwin * ''

The Landry News ''The Landry News'' is a children's book by Andrew Clements Andrew Elborn Clements (May 29, 1949 – November 28, 2019) was an American author of children's literature. His debut novel '' Frindle'' won an award determined by the vote of U.S. s ...

'' (2000, paperback), novella by Andrew Clements (1999) * ''

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins ''The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins'' is a 2001 picture book by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Brian Selznick. The book tells the story of Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and how he built the Crystal Palace dinosaurs. The book was a recipient of t ...

'' (2001), by Barbara Kerley — about

Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins (8 February 1807 – 27 January 1894) was an English sculptor and natural history artist renowned for his work on the life-size models of dinosaurs in the Crystal Palace Park in south London. The models, accurately ...

* ''

The School Story ''The School Story'' is a children's novel by Andrew Clements, published in 2001. It is about two twelve-year-old girls who try to get a school story published. Plot summary As the novel begins, twelve-year-old Natalie is almost done writing ...

'' (2001), by Andrew Clements * ''When Marian Sang'' (2002), by Pam Muñoz Ryan — about

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to Spiritual (music), spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throu ...

* ''Wingwalker'' (2002), by

Rosemary Wells Rosemary Wells (born January 29, 1943) is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. She is well known for using animal characters to address real human issues. Some of her most well-known characters are Max & Ruby (later adapted into ...

* ''The Dulcimer Boy'' (2003), novel by

Tor Seidler Tor Seidler (born 1952 in Littleton, New Hampshire) is an American author of children's literature. Many of his books feature anthropomorphic animals. ''Mean Margaret'' was nominated for a National Book Award, ''The Wainscott Weasel'' was named a ...

* ''

The Meanest Doll in the World ''The Meanest Doll in the World'' is a children's novel written by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin and illustrated by Brian Selznick. It was first published in 2003 as the second entry in ''The Doll People'' series. This book is intended for chil ...

'' (2003), by Martin and Godwin, book 2 * ''Walt Whitman: words for America'' (2004), by Barbara Kerley — about

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...

* '' Lunch Money'' (2005), novel by Andrew Clements * ''Marly's Ghost: a remix of Charles Dickens's

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

'' (2006), by

David Levithan David Levithan (born September 7, 1972) is an American young adult fiction author and editor."David Levithan". October 30, 2008. Gale Database. ''Contemporary Authors Online''. UWM Golda Meir Library, Milwaukee. July 1, 2009. He has written numer ...

* ''The Runaway Dolls'' (2008), by Martin and Godwin, book 3 * ''12: a novel'' (2009, Feiwel and Friends; ; also ''Twelve'') * The ''

'' series (2018) * '' Live Oak, with Moss'' (2019)

Life and career

Works

As writer

As writer and illustrator

As illustrator

References

Further reading

External links