L. Leslie Brooke
L. Leslie Brooke, born on September 24, 1862, in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, was a notable illustrator and author, particularly recognized for his contributions to children's literature. Coming from an Irish background, he developed a passion for sketching at an early age. After a formative trip to Italy that resulted in deafness from typhoid fever, he pursued formal art studies at the Royal Academy Art School starting in 1890. Brooke's career took off with his first major work, "Miriam's Ambition," leading him to illustrate numerous books by prominent authors such as George MacDonald and Robert Browning. He became especially known for his charming illustrations of animals and his involvement in children's poetry and fairy tales.
Brooke wrote and illustrated the beloved "Johnny Crow" series, which stemmed from a childhood game with his own children, and achieved considerable success. His friendship with fellow illustrator Beatrix Potter was significant, as he played a role in promoting her work. Although his personal life was marked by tragedy—losing a son in World War I—Brooke continued to create art, ultimately passing away quietly on May 1, 1940. His legacy endures, with many of his illustrated works still available for contemporary readers.
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L. Leslie Brooke
Writer
- Born: September 24, 1862
- Birthplace: Birkenhead, Cheshire, England
- Died: May 1, 1940
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Leonard Leslie Brooke, who published as L. Leslie Brooke, was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, on September 24, 1862. His parents, who were Irish, were Leonard D. Brooke, a rope and sail manufacturer, and Rhoda Prentice Brooke. Brooke also had a brother, Henry, and a sister. As a child, Brooke spent hours sketching, and he never lost this passion. After graduating from the Birkenhead School, he traveled through Italy with an aunt, drawing the people, places, and artworks he saw there. While in Italy he came down with typhoid, which caused him to go deaf. After returning home, he began to study art, and was accepted at the Royal Academy Art School in 1890. In 1894, he married his second cousin, Sybil Brooke. After the birth of the couple’s first son, also named Leonard, the family left London for healthier surroundings in rural Harwell, where Henry, a second son, was born. In 1908 the family returned to London, where the schools were better and where modern conveniences such as running water and electricity were available. Leonard Brooke was killed in 1918 in World War I. After his son’s death, Brooke felt unable to connect with children, and for a time he was unable to work on illustrations for children’s books. Grieving, the family moved back to the countryside, and for several years Brooke devoted his energies to developing a garden. They returned to London in 1928, and Brooke died quietly on May 1, 1940, at his home. Brooke was primarily an illustrator, beginning with his first project, a young adult novel, Miriam’s Ambition: A Story for Children (1889). Brooke had studied painting in school, but he knew he could not make a living and support a family as a landscape artist. He turned instead to black and white book illustrations, which produced a steady income. By the end of the nineteenth century he had illustrated twenty-five books by important writers such as Mrs. Mary L. Molesworth, George MacDonald, Andrew Lang, and Robert Browning. As his career progressed, he became known for his humorous and detailed sketches of animals in books for children. He illustrated dozens of volumes of poetry and fairy tales, and also produced three books that he both wrote and illustrated. The first of these, Johnny Crow’s Garden: A Picture Book (1903), was created at the suggestion of his wife and became a major success. The title character was based on a game Brooke had played as a child in which children would name an animal and their father would create a rhyme featuring that animal. At the time the book was written, Brooke frequently played the same game with Leonard. The book was followed by two more Johnny Crow books in 1909 and 1935. Brooke was a longtime friend of another writer and illustrator, Beatrix Potter, and it was Brooke who recommended that his publisher accept Potter’s work when the publisher could not decide on its merit. The Johnny Crow books were reissued in 1986, and many of Brooke’s illustrated volumes have remained in print.