{"id":13285,"date":"2026-10-21T21:41:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T13:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/?p=13285"},"modified":"2026-10-22T10:17:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T02:17:32","slug":"on_david-wiesner_2021_01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ajia.site\/blog\/en\/2026\/10\/21\/on_david-wiesner_2021_01\/","title":{"rendered":"One of the Ten Lec\u00adtures on David Wies\u00adner: The Birth of a Calde\u00adcott Medal Win\u00adner"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today I\u2019m going to talk about David Wies\u00adner, a uni\u00adver\u00adsal\u00adly rec\u00adog\u00adnized mas\u00adter of word\u00adless books. Let\u2019s start with his upbring\u00ading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Amer\u00adi\u00adcan pic\u00adture book mas\u00adter has many fans in Chi\u00adna. His most pop\u00adu\u00adlar work is prob\u00ada\u00adbly *Tues\u00adday*, and many peo\u00adple also love his *Secrets of the Sea*, *The Three Lit\u00adtle Pigs*, and *Dream Fac\u00adto\u00adry No. 7*. What impress\u00ades peo\u00adple most about him is his excep\u00adtion\u00adal abil\u00adi\u00adty to tell sto\u00adries through illus\u00adtra\u00adtions. Half of his self-illus\u00adtrat\u00aded works either have no words at all or only a few sim\u00adple words; you can basi\u00adcal\u00adly under\u00adstand the sto\u00adry just by look\u00ading at the pic\u00adtures. This does\u00adn\u2019t mean his sto\u00adries are sim\u00adple; in fact, they are usu\u00adal\u00adly quite com\u00adplex and most\u00adly fan\u00adtas\u00adti\u00adcal, often even sci\u00adence fic\u00adtion. There\u00adfore, to tru\u00adly under\u00adstand his sto\u00adries, read\u00aders need to mas\u00adter cer\u00adtain tech\u00adniques and have enough patience, gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly read\u00ading them sev\u00ader\u00adal times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because of his excep\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly rich imag\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion and chal\u00adleng\u00ading read\u00ading style, his works are beloved not only by chil\u00addren in the Unit\u00aded States but also by teach\u00aders and librar\u00adi\u00adans. From 1989 to 2014, a peri\u00adod of approx\u00adi\u00admate\u00adly 25 years, the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan Library Asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion award\u00aded him three Calde\u00adcott Medals and three Calde\u00adcott Hon\u00adors. Before him, only anoth\u00ader Amer\u00adi\u00adcan pic\u00adture book mas\u00adter, Mar\u00adcia Brown, had received three Calde\u00adcott Medals before 1983. Mar\u00adcia Brown passed away in 2015, mean\u00ading that cur\u00adrent\u00adly, only David Wies\u00adner has won three Calde\u00adcott Medals, and at only 70 years old (1956-), his cre\u00adative out\u00adput is still very high; per\u00adhaps he will even win a fourth medal!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Wies\u00adner vis\u00adit\u00aded main\u00adland Chi\u00adna in 2017 (and will be back in Novem\u00adber 2026!), meet\u00ading with read\u00aders in Bei\u00adjing. His sev\u00ader\u00adal events were incred\u00adi\u00adbly pop\u00adu\u00adlar. Peo\u00adple want\u00aded to hear the sto\u00adries behind his cre\u00adations, and were also eager to learn about his upbring\u00ading, how he learned to draw, and how he devel\u00adoped such imag\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtive skills. Those who met him in per\u00adson were like\u00adly par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly struck by his per\u00adhaps some\u00adwhat rigid and metic\u00adu\u00adlous atti\u00adtude. For exam\u00adple, when asked, \u201cWhy are you such a good artist? Is there a secret?\u201d David Wies\u00adner seemed a lit\u00adtle per\u00adplexed by this ques\u00adtion, say\u00ading, \u201cI\u2019ve loved draw\u00ading since I was a child, and I\u2019ve just kept draw\u00ading and draw\u00ading. My work involves con\u00adstant\u00adly draw\u00ading, that\u2019s all.\u201d Per\u00adhaps because he\u2019s so immersed in the process, enjoy\u00ading it so much, he can\u2019t quite artic\u00adu\u00adlate the rea\u00adsons. Per\u00adhaps it\u2019s eas\u00adi\u00ader for us, as observers, to under\u00adstand the secret to his suc\u00adcess and good for\u00adtune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

David Wies\u00adner was born in 1956 in Bridge\u00adwa\u00adter, New Jer\u00adsey, about 65 kilo\u00adme\u00adters south\u00adwest of New York City and about 30 kilo\u00adme\u00adters from the ocean. This small town has a pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion of just over 40,000, and its nat\u00adur\u00adal envi\u00adron\u00adment is well-pre\u00adserved, sur\u00adround\u00aded by forests. A large lake lies to the west, and the Lar\u00adi\u00adtan Riv\u00ader flows through it, emp\u00adty\u00ading into the sea to the east. When David was born, Bridge\u00adwa\u00adter had a pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion of less than 30,000, pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly agri\u00adcul\u00adtur\u00adal. His father, George Wies\u00adner, was an engi\u00adneer at a large chem\u00adi\u00adcal com\u00adpa\u00adny. His father left David a design toolk\u00adit, which David still uses; it looks like an antique but is still quite func\u00adtion\u00adal. David Wies\u00adner is metic\u00adu\u00adlous in his draw\u00ading and work, exhibit\u00ading a dis\u00adtinct\u00adly Ger\u00adman style. Wies\u00adner is a Ger\u00adman sur\u00adname, so the fam\u00adi\u00adly is like\u00adly of Ger\u00adman immi\u00adgrant descent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

David Wies\u00adner was born in the 1950s, dur\u00ading the post-World War II baby boom in the Unit\u00aded States, a time when fam\u00adi\u00adlies were more open to hav\u00ading chil\u00addren. David was his par\u00adents\u2019 fifth child with\u00adin ten years, the youngest, with three old\u00ader sis\u00adters and one old\u00ader broth\u00ader. That era was also a gold\u00aden age for par\u00adent\u00ading. After expe\u00adri\u00adenc\u00ading two world wars and the Great Depres\u00adsion, many Amer\u00adi\u00adcan intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal fam\u00adi\u00adlies longed for a rur\u00adal lifestyle and moved to more rur\u00adal areas, hop\u00ading to bring their chil\u00addren clos\u00ader to nature. They were also will\u00ading to invest heav\u00adi\u00adly in their chil\u00addren\u2019s intel\u00adlec\u00adtu\u00adal and emo\u00adtion\u00adal well-being; toys and chil\u00addren\u2019s books were abun\u00addant at that time, and Amer\u00adi\u00adcan chil\u00addren born and raised in the 1950s and 60s were gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly exposed to a large num\u00adber of chil\u00addren\u2019s books. As the youngest in the Wies\u00adner fam\u00adi\u00adly, David had access to all the good things his old\u00ader sib\u00adlings used, played with, and read. For exam\u00adple, his old\u00ader sis\u00adter and broth\u00ader loved to draw, and he used their art sup\u00adplies, con\u00adtin\u00adu\u00ading to use them even after they grew up and left home. More\u00adover, after they left home, the sec\u00adond-floor bed\u00adroom was his exclu\u00adsive use. His father even brought home a very pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal oak design and draw\u00ading table to his bed\u00adroom, turn\u00ading the bed\u00adroom into his paint\u00ading stu\u00addio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He loved draw\u00ading from a young age. Despite being an engi\u00adneer\u2019s fam\u00adi\u00adly, their home had a dis\u00adtinct\u00adly artis\u00adtic atmos\u00adphere. His old\u00ader sis\u00adter and broth\u00ader loved to draw, and his sec\u00adond sis\u00adter lat\u00ader stud\u00adied opera; in that sense, the fam\u00adi\u00adly was more like an artis\u00adtic one. How\u00adev\u00ader, their learn\u00ading to draw was\u00adn\u2019t entire\u00adly self-taught; in those days, they main\u00adly learned from tele\u00advi\u00adsion. Back then, there was a fif\u00adteen-minute tele\u00advi\u00adsion pro\u00adgram every Sat\u00adur\u00adday morn\u00ading where a cool-look\u00ading man named Jon Gnagy taught view\u00aders how to draw. The Wies\u00adner chil\u00addren would sit in front of the tele\u00advi\u00adsion, set\u00adting out their draw\u00ading paper and art sup\u00adplies, and copy\u00ading Jon Gnagy\u2019s draw\u00adings. David Wies\u00adner was the most dili\u00adgent; he fol\u00adlowed along for sev\u00ader\u00adal years, faith\u00adful\u00adly com\u00adplet\u00ading every accom\u00adpa\u00adny\u00ading exer\u00adcise. Jon Gnagy would casu\u00adal\u00adly nar\u00adrate the sto\u00adries that might unfold in his draw\u00adings, which must have had a pro\u00adfound influ\u00adence on David Wies\u00adner\u2019s lat\u00ader fas\u00adci\u00adna\u00adtion with sto\u00adry\u00adtelling through pic\u00adtures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\u00adev\u00ader, half of David Wies\u00adner\u2019s ear\u00adly art edu\u00adca\u00adtion can be attrib\u00aduted to his liv\u00ading envi\u00adron\u00adment. Every\u00adwhere he went, there were mead\u00adows, bush\u00ades, woods, streams, and swamps. The adults in the com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty encour\u00adaged chil\u00addren to play out\u00addoors, and the chil\u00addren eas\u00adi\u00adly formed play\u00admates. The younger chil\u00addren fol\u00adlowed the old\u00ader ones, and as they grew up, they began to lead the younger ones in play. Most of the games were invent\u00aded by them\u00adselves, and the rules were set by them\u00adselves. They played freely in nature, ful\u00adly enjoy\u00ading their bound\u00adless imag\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion. Lat\u00ader, when a read\u00ader asked David Wies\u00adner where the fan\u00adtas\u00adti\u00adcal frog imag\u00adin\u00adings in *Tues\u00adday* came from, he replied that if read\u00aders had the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to expe\u00adri\u00adence his dai\u00adly games in the woods and wet\u00adlands of New Jer\u00adsey as a child, it would\u00adn\u2019t be hard to under\u00adstand; those imag\u00adin\u00adings were almost a nat\u00adur\u00adal and real part of his child\u00adhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Those chil\u00addren were close to nature on one hand, and deeply influ\u00adenced by pop\u00adu\u00adlar sci\u00adence fic\u00adtion cul\u00adture on the oth\u00ader, with almost all of them fas\u00adci\u00adnat\u00aded by the imag\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion of aliens and UFOs. When David was about 13 years old, he saw Kubrick\u00ad\u2019s \u201c2001: A Space Odyssey\u201d in the cin\u00ade\u00adma and was com\u00adplete\u00adly blown away. The film\u2019s themes, imag\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion, and some clas\u00adsic scenes had a pro\u00adfound influ\u00adence on him, and many of his lat\u00ader pic\u00adture books pay homage to the film. For exam\u00adple, the most obvi\u00adous exam\u00adple is the cov\u00ader of \u201cThe Secret of the Sea,\u201d which fea\u00adtures the intel\u00adli\u00adgent com\u00adput\u00ader\u2019s cam\u00adera flash\u00ading red light from the movie!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a child, David Wies\u00adner was a qui\u00adet and reserved boy, seem\u00ading\u00adly lack\u00ading con\u00adfi\u00addence, until high school when he grad\u00adu\u00adal\u00adly devel\u00adoped a stronger sense of self-con\u00adfi\u00addence. This stemmed from two main fac\u00adtors: first\u00adly, his ath\u00adlet\u00adic ability\u2014he was a key play\u00ader on the school\u2019s bas\u00adket\u00adball team, a skill par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly admired by girls in the US; and sec\u00adond\u00adly, his tal\u00adent for drawing\u2014he was the class artist, and every\u00adone called him \u201cthat kid who can draw.\u201d He was a well-round\u00aded indi\u00advid\u00adual, much like Antho\u00adny Browne. How\u00adev\u00ader, in the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan high school cul\u00adture, bas\u00adket\u00adball play\u00aders are often seen as very mas\u00adcu\u00adline and man\u00adly, while draw\u00ading is more of a girly activ\u00adi\u00adty. Well, David Wies\u00adner loved both. But some\u00adtimes there were con\u00adflicts. For exam\u00adple, he had to train for a game, while also orga\u00adniz\u00ading a trip to the Muse\u00adum of Mod\u00adern Art (MoMA) in New York for an art exhi\u00adbi\u00adtion. He could\u00adn\u2019t have it all. What to do? After much hes\u00adi\u00adta\u00adtion, David Wies\u00adner final\u00adly chose to go to the exhi\u00adbi\u00adtion. At MoMA, he was com\u00adplete\u00adly awestruck by Picas\u00adso\u2019s *Guer\u00adni\u00adca* and Dal\u00adi\u2019s *The Per\u00adsis\u00adtence of Mem\u00ado\u00adry*! This choice almost fore\u00adshad\u00adowed the course of his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when this boy from the coun\u00adtry\u00adside of New Jer\u00adsey heard about the pres\u00adti\u00adgious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), he imme\u00addi\u00adate\u00adly decid\u00aded it was his dream. In 1974, he enrolled at RISD, where he received tute\u00adlage from renowned teach\u00aders Tom Sculls and David Macaulay. David Macaulay, ten years his senior, was also a mas\u00adter chil\u00addren\u2019s book illus\u00adtra\u00adtor and won the Calde\u00adcott Medal in 1991. At that time, anoth\u00ader young man named Chris Van All\u00adberg was also pur\u00adsu\u00ading his mas\u00adter\u2019s degree there; All\u00adberg lat\u00ader won two Calde\u00adcott Medals and one Calde\u00adcott Hon\u00ador. Just imag\u00adine how strong the Calde\u00adcott Medal atmos\u00adphere was at that school!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Wies\u00adner\u2019s life tra\u00adjec\u00adto\u00adry can tru\u00adly be described as incred\u00adi\u00adbly for\u00adtu\u00adnate. He was engrossed in draw\u00ading dur\u00ading his uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty years, not giv\u00ading much thought to his future career. Dur\u00ading his junior year, the art direc\u00adtor of the renowned chil\u00addren\u2019s mag\u00ada\u00adzine *The Crick\u00adet* vis\u00adit\u00aded the school. The art direc\u00adtor admired David\u2019s draw\u00ading style and com\u00admis\u00adsioned him to cre\u00adate a cov\u00ader for the magazine\u2014a wild, futur\u00adis\u00adtic, and imag\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtive illus\u00adtra\u00adtion that told a sto\u00adry at a glance, instant\u00adly spark\u00ading the read\u00ader\u2019s imag\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion. This suc\u00adcess\u00adful expe\u00adri\u00adence helped David Wies\u00adner find his future career path. So, after grad\u00adu\u00adat\u00ading from uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty in 1978, David Wies\u00adner began work\u00ading as a chil\u00addren\u2019s book illus\u00adtra\u00adtor. Ini\u00adtial\u00adly, he main\u00adly illus\u00adtrat\u00aded oth\u00ader peo\u00adple\u2019s works, includ\u00ading chil\u00addren\u2019s sci\u00adence fic\u00adtion nov\u00adels by the famous direc\u00adtor Steven Spiel\u00adberg. He also col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adrat\u00aded on a pic\u00adture book with his future wife, Kim Kah\u00adng (of Kore\u00adan descent). How\u00adev\u00ader, it was\u00adn\u2019t until 1988, with the pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtion of his first inde\u00adpen\u00addent\u00adly cre\u00adat\u00aded word\u00adless book, *Dream Flight*, that he found his own unique style. This book won the Calde\u00adcott Hon\u00ador in 1989.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lady Luck smiled upon him again. The Crick\u00adet mag\u00ada\u00adzine com\u00admis\u00adsioned him once more to draw a cov\u00ader, and this time he cre\u00adat\u00aded a fan\u00adtas\u00adti\u00adcal world of frogs. Every\u00adone who saw it was curi\u00adous: what were the frogs doing? To answer this ques\u00adtion, he cre\u00adat\u00aded a near\u00adly word\u00adless book, *Tues\u00adday*, which won the Calde\u00adcott Medal in 1992. One can\u2019t help but think how incred\u00adi\u00adbly for\u00adtu\u00adnate this mas\u00adter of word\u00adless books was!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u2014There are many more sto\u00adries to come, we\u2019ll dis\u00adcuss them in the next episode.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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