Don Freeman
Don Freeman was an American illustrator and author, born on August 11, 1908, in San Diego, California. He developed an early passion for art and theater, influenced by his father, who provided him with art supplies and took him to plays. Freeman studied at the San Diego School of Fine Arts and later at the Art Students' League in New York City, where he began his career illustrating cultural events for magazines. Throughout the Great Depression and into World War II, Freeman worked on various artistic projects, including warplane illustrations and murals.
His literary career blossomed in the 1950s when he began publishing picture books, often featuring charming animal characters, inspired by personal experiences and his son. Freeman garnered critical acclaim for his work, receiving multiple awards, including the Caldecott Honor for "Fly High, Fly Low," and the Nakamori Prize for "Come Again, Pelican." He passed away on February 1, 1978, but his legacy endures through the Don Freeman Memorial Grant, which supports emerging illustrators. Freeman's contributions to children's literature and illustration have left a lasting impact on the genre.
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Subject Terms
Don Freeman
Illustrator
- Born: August 11, 1908
- Birthplace: San Diego, California
- Died: February 1, 1978
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Don Freeman was born on August 11, 1908, in San Diego, California, to clothing salesman Mortimer Roy Freeman and Hazel Currier Freeman. After his mother’s death in 1915, Freeman temporarily lived in Chula Vista, California, with and his older brother and a stern guardian, Mrs. Carrie Blass. Weekly, Freeman saw his father, who gave him art supplies. He attended plays with his father, developing a lifelong passion for theater, and practiced playing the trumpet his father gave him for Christmas.
Freeman studied at the San Diego School of Fine Arts, where he met artist Lydia Cooley, in summer 1928 after he graduated from Principia High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He played his trumpet to earn money in New York City, where he took classes in the late 1920’s at the Art Students’ League of New York, learning lithography techniques. After losing his trumpet, Freeman acquired income with his art, contributing sketches depicting theater and cultural events to the New York Herald Tribune and other city magazines and magazines, continuing that work for several decades. Freeman also created posters and murals for local restaurants.
On June 30, 1931, he married Cooley in New York City. They lived in Greenwich Village. Throughout the Depression, Freeman created illustrations for several federal programs. During World War II, he produced illustrations of warplanes based in California and North Carolina. Enlisting in August 1943, Freeman served with the U.S. Army.
After being discharged, Freeman illustrated San Francisco Chronicle articles featuring the 1945 United Nations Conference. By 1949, he moved to Santa Barbara, California, prior to his son’s birth. Freeman illustrated books written by such notable authors as Astrid Lindgren, James Thurber, and William Saroyan. Galleries displayed his artwork. Freeman suffered a heart attack, dying on February 1, 1978, while visiting New York City.
Freeman’s literary career began when he compiled a book of cartoons he had drawn depicting his war service. In the early 1950’s, Freeman, collaborating with his wife, published his first picture books because a librarian familiar with stories he created for his son urged him to submit his work for publication. His books often portrayed animal characters, such as the teddy bear Corduroy. Freeman’s experiences, such as watching people rescue seals trapped in an oil spill, inspired his stories.
Reviewers admired Freeman’s amusing characters, detailed illustrations, and humorous tones. In 1953, Freeman received the Book World Children’s Spring Book Festival Award, honoring Pet of the Met. The American Library Association named Freedman’s picture book Fly High, Fly Low a 1958 Caldecott Honor Book. The Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People presented its award twice to Freeman, in 1962 recognizing his book Come Again, Pelican and in 1976 recognizing Will’s Quill. Freeman’s book The Paper Party won the 1974 Commonwealth Club of California’s Juvenile Award. He received the 1976 Nakamori Prize, recognizing quality picture books read in Japan, for Come Again, Pelican. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators annually awards the Don Freeman Memorial Grant to illustrators.