Peter Kommer Parnall (born May 23, 1936) is an American artist and writer, best known for his work on books for younger readers. His work has earned him high praise and a number of awards. Some of his books have become collector items.
Peter Parnall was born in Syracuse, New York on May 23, 1936. He was raised in a little town called Willow Springs in the Mojave Desert. He went to Cornell in 1954 because he wanted to become a veterinarian, but got pneumonia and failed his freshman mid-terms. After leaving Cornell he went west to train horses. When his father's birthday came around he drew him a picture of a horse. His father hung it on the wall and told him he should go back to school for art. He attended the Pratt Institute for two years, until he got bored and left. He had a freelance advertising business (with clients including Mr. Potato Head and G.I. Joe), which he enjoyed but eventually "got tired of convincing people they should buy stuff they don’t need."[1]
Works
He has illustrated over eighty books[2] written by others and has authored and self-illustrated several books of his own, often studies of habitats. His favorite medium is pen and ink[1] of subjects from the natural world. Many of his works have been separately published in limited editions as signed and numbered prints.
1969: Apricot ABC, illustrated by Peter Parnall; text: Miska Miles (Little, Brown)
1970: But Ostriches, illustrated by Peter Parnall; text: Aileen Fisher (Crowell)
1970: Doctor Rabbit, illustrated by Peter Parnall; text: Jan Wahl (Delacorte)
1971: A Squirrel of One's Own, illustrated by Peter Parnall; text: Douglas Fairbairn (McCall)
1971: Big Frog, Little Pond, illustrated by Peter Parnall; George Mendoza (McCall)
1971: Annie and The Old One, illustrated by Peter Parnall; text: Miska Miles (Little, Brown)
1971: The Nightwatchers, illustrated by Peter Parnall; text Anugus Cameron (Four Winds Press)
1973: A Little Book of Beasts, illustrated by Peter Parnall; text: Mary Ann Hoberman (Simon & Schuster)
1974: Everybody Needs A Rock, illustrated by Peter Parnall; text: Byrd Baylor (Scribner) (Note: This was included as a promotional book in Cheerios boxes in 2007.)
1976: The Desert is Theirs, illustrated by Peter Parnall; text: Byrd Baylor (Scribner) (Caldecott Honor)
"Peter Parnall". Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults (2nded.). Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2007.: Gale Group. 2002.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
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