Almanac of Story Tellers: Wanda Gág

Every day brings a new story.  And each day contributes to the art of story telling -- in prose and poetry, in music, on the stage, on the screen, in podcasts, and in books. 

Today is a story of March 11th

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    It is the 70th day of the year, leaving 295 days remaining in 2023.

    On this date in 1893, the artist and author Wanda Gág was born in New Ulm, Minn.

 

    She told her stories in words and drawings. She wrote and illustrated books, especially for children. She drew pictures that were beautiful, dynamic, and simple. 

    Her art has been shown around the country, including in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

    With all her talent and creativity, she is perhaps best know for a children's book, Millions of Cats, which she wrote and illustrated. Published in 1928, it remains the oldest such book still in print, and remains a part of the childhood canon.

    In the book, Gág pioneered the double-page spread, engaging readers by continuing the story over two full pages of a drawing and text. It is now a common style in children's literature.

    She was a two-time recipient of both the Newberry Honor and the Caldicott Honor. The University of Minnesota presents the Wanda Gág Read Aloud Book Award each year. Her childhood home has been restored into a museum and interpretive center for her work.

    Gág died in 1946.