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Robert L. and Posy Huebner Collection
Children's Library—Toledo-Lucas County Public Library

The purpose of the Robert L. and Posy Huebner collection is to bring together significant works of original art by illustrators of children’s literature. Established in 2004 through a generous bequest from Mr. Huebner and sustained by Mrs. Huebner, the collection blends their passion for art and their lifelong interest in educating children.

This teaching collection will help children understand that the
illustrations in their favorite books began as original drawings,
paintings, photographs or other media. Knowledge of the creative process used to make picture books will awaken, inspire and nurture the imagination of children.

The artwork in the Children’s Library is moved according to the season or when a new piece is added to the collection. This list is in order by the last name of the artist.

Pocahontas in London (1967) by Jan Wahl
Illustrated by John Alcorn
Endpapers
Pocahontas and the gull
pen & ink

Describes the voyage of Pocahontas to England and her greeting in London where the people thought her an Indian Princess.

Compare the original artwork to the book. Notice that the artist only drew the
outlines and that the colors were added by the printer. Each color was
selected by the artist as the Endpaper notes indicate.

Axle Annie (1999) by Robin Pulver
Illustrated by Tedd Arnold
Annie Runs for the Phone
watercolor and color pencil

The schools in Burskyville never close for snow because Axle Annie is always able to make it up the steepest hill in town until Shifty Rhodes and Hale Snow set out to stop her.

Annie runs for the phone in cat slippers. Tedd uses bright and vibrant colors and his signature seven-step process to illustrate, including the last step where he scribbles over the entire drawing to add texture and color.

Long Was the Winter Road They Traveled (1997) by J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Drew Bairley
Title page
All the Sheep on the Hill
Jackrabbit and Jackal
oil

In this telling of the Nativity story, all creatures great and small experience the
wonder and joy of the coming of Baby Jesus.

Drew’s illustrations, painted on a surface composed of oil and real sand, are softly realistic. She lives in Toledo and works for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. This is her only picture book.

Five in the Forest (1974) by Jan Wahl
Illustrated by Erik Blegvad
Endpapers
pen & ink/watercolor

Armida has a fantastical adventure in the forest with four rabbits and their horde of beautiful eggs.

Bright and colorful eggs on the endpapers set the tone for this fantasy.

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney (1971) by Judith Viorst
Illustrated by Erik Blegvad
Cover art
pen & ink/watercolor

In an attempt to overcome his grief, a boy tries to think of the ten best things about his dead cat Barney.

Blegvad’s simple cover illustration shows Barney’s funeral. The original
illustration is two pieces: A pen and ink illustration of Barney’s family, trees and grass and a watercolor of the sky and ground. For the final art, the pen & ink illustration was laid over the watercolor.

Cat and Mouse in the Night (1998)
Written and illustrated by Tomek Bogacki
Mice & Cats Meet in Field
acrylic

Their inattentiveness strands a little mouse and a little cat in the meadow after dark, where their fear turns into a wonderful discovery.

The simple illustrations and soft brushstrokes give texture to the cats, mice and field. The rich colors are warm and inviting and show three cats and three mice walking towards each other.

The Toy Circus (1986) by Jan Wahl
Illustrated by Tim Bowers
Downside up
acrylic

From a quiet box in a young child’s room erupts a nighttime circus with the
dreaming child self-cast as ringmaster.

This is Tim’s first picture book. The toy circus begins with ladies riding on horseback, a clown and three bears. Look at the changes the illustrator made from his sketch to the final piece. How many changes can you find?

Starfish (2000) by Edith Thacher Hurd
Illustrated by Robin Brickman
Starfish Have Feet But No Toes
watercolor, cut paper collage

This book is a simple introduction to the appearance, growth, habits and behavior of starfish.

Three brilliant orange starfish cling to seaweed. Robin creates molded 3-
dimensional images, used in collage. Her art is inspired by the natural world.

Clifford and the Grouchy Neighbors (1985)
Written and illustrated by Norman Bridwell
Clifford and the shopping cart
Black ink transparency over watercolor background

Clifford tries to win over his neighbors, but things keep going wrong. When he saves a cat from some birds the neighbors realize how wonderful he is.

In this illustration, Clifford knocks over his neighbor’s shopping cart and makes a mess. Norman paints the watercolor image and then outlines the
image on a transparency with black ink. The black ink overlay gives the painting depth and definition. He gets his ideas for stories from watching dogs in the park.

Once a Mouse (1961)
Written and illustrated by Marcia Brown
Transformation of Tiger Into Mouse
three color woodcut

In this ancient tale from India, a hermit’s pet becomes increasingly vain as it changes from mouse to cat, to dog, to tiger.

Marcia Brown’s sparse woodcut illustrations in olive, red and gold depict the
transformation of the tiger into the mouse. The book was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1962 for outstanding illustrations.

Earth and Me, Our Family Tree (2002) by J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Christopher Canyon
Lake
acrylic

Many diverse creatures, including a beetle, a hawk, a whale, a dragonfly, a deer, a penguin, and a boy, converse about their habitats, which are all so different, but together make up the Earth.

The close-up perspective of the turtle and dragonfly allow the viewer to see the strikingly realistic detail of the painting. Christopher lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Bernard Goes to School (2001) by Joan Elizabeth Goodman
Illustrated by Dominic Catalano
Endpapers
Spot, Dot, Freckles, and Goldy!
pastels

When a young elephant is nervous about his first day of school, his parents show him how much fun school can be.
Working together to name the fish in the tank, Bernard and Emily become friends. Dominic is a professor at Bowling Green State University.

Hush! A Fantasy in Verse
Written and illustrated by Dominic Catalano
Cover art
Title page and study
pastels

A father promises his daughter a variety of fantastic adventures in the hopes of easing her fears, but fails to notice what she really needs is a hug.

The cover art shows a father and his worried daughter in rich pastels. See the picture of Dominic in the book. Do you see the resemblance between
Dominic and the man on the cover of the book?

The title page is a night scene in beautiful blues and purples. The daughter is crying and scared. Her father is at the door, checking on her.

Spider Hair
Illustration by Jill Chambers
tempera and collage

Illustration from a forthcoming book called Bad Hair.

Jill’s illustrations are inspired by nature. She uses a variety of materials
including leaves, acorns and flowers to illustrate stories.

I am Rosa Parks (1997) by Rosa Parks
Illustrated by Wil Clay
How I grew up
We lived on a farm with my grandma and grandpa
watercolor

The author, whose acts of civil disobedience led to the 1956 Supreme Court order to desegregate buses in Montgomery, Alabama, explains what she did and why.

Soft watercolor paintings depict images from Rosa Parks’ life. Many of the paintings in the book are based on famous photographs. Wil is a Toledo
native.

I Have a Dream (1997)
Illustration by Wil Clay
I Have a Dream Today!
lithograph

Fifteen artists provided creative art to illustrate the famous speech “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The children who perform for him when he visits schools inspired Wil’s
painting.

Tailypo! (1991) by Jan Wahl
Illustration by Wil Clay
It Got Back Its Tailypo!
oil

A strange varmint haunts the woodsman who lopped off its tail.

The graphic paintings enhance this African-American ghost story, which is not for the faint at heart. Wil provides a full-bodied view of the creature and its especially long tail.

Bravery Soup (2002)
Written and illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Carlin was brave
Carlin’s friends waited
acrylic

Carlin, who is frightened by everything, wants to try some of Big Bear’s
bravery soup, but first he must travel through a dark forest to a monster’s cave to retrieve an important ingredient.

A worried Carlin is wearing armor and carrying a raft. His friends climb a hill in search of him. The bright and bold illustrations use wide brushstrokes that resemble finger painting.

Dorrie and the Wizard’s Spell (1968)
Written and illustrated by Patricia Coombs
The cup sailed out of her hands
Dorrie put on an apron
pencil on acetate

Wink the Wizard bewitches Dorrie’s mother at the Library Bazaar and Tea with a magic potion that turns her into a teacup. Dorrie uses his passion for fudge to get him to undo his spell over Big Witch.

The diminutive illustrations are pencil on delicate and brittle acetate. The Dorrie books are set in the 1930’s and the author chose a witch as a timeless main character.

Carl Goes to Day Care (1993)
Written and illustrated by Alexandra Day
Today’s Activities
watercolor and oil

Carl the rottweiler takes charge when things take an unexpected turn at the day care center he is visiting.

Alexandra uses watercolors for painting and occasionally adds eggs to the paint so that the colors will not fade. Carl is painted with watercolors and then overpainted with oil to give his coat a glossy look.

Strega Nona: Her Story (1993)
Written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola
Strega Nona was loved by everyone
acrylic on handmade watercolor paper

Grandma Concetta heals everyone with her remedies and advice, and when she retires, she leaves Nona her magic pasta pot with its secret ingredient.

Tomie completes his stories before sketching out the illustrations for the book. He likes to jump right in by lightly sketching on good paper with a pencil and eraser. If he makes a mistake with the finished art, he rips up the page and starts again.

The Beast Book (1964) by Jan Wahl
Illustrated by E. W. Eichel
Dromedary
pencil

Eloquent word portraits describe the mysterious world of beasts.

The author discovered the illustrator in a Greenwich Village gallery. His animal
drawings inspired these poetic short statements.

You’re On Your Way, Teddy Roosevelt (2004) by Judith St. George
Illustrated by Matt Faulkner
The Library
gouache

This biography of the young “Teedie” Roosevelt tells how he was frequently ill, but worked hard to become strong and fit while also avidly reading and pursuing his love of natural history.

The earth tone illustrations are gouache on watercolor paper. This piece was selected for the library setting.

The Cat in the Hat (1957)
Written and illustrated by Theodor Seuss Geisel
A Game That I Call Up-Up-Up With a Fish
lithograph
Limited edition print #682/2500

A fantastic cat entertains two children in a most unusual way.

The Cat in the Hat is one of the most popular characters in children’s
literature. He has inspired book sequels, movies and even a musical.

The Tortoise and the Hare
Illustrated by Arthur Geisert
etching—Artist Proof

The classic Aesop Fable is re-imagined with Arthur’s whimsical eye. The art was etched on copper.

Call Me Margaret (1997) by Mary Helen Harpen Wright
Jeanne Beaber Harpen
Summit Street, Toledo, circa 1881
pen and ink

Based on the life of the author’s grandmother Margaret. This story recounts life in Toledo in the late 1800’s including Margaret’s participation in a
Women’s Suffrage March.

The author is from Toledo. The illustrator is her sister-in-law.

Zoe the Magic Love Dog (2003)
Written and illustrated by Carrie Hauman
Napping in the sun
oil

Zoe, a fluffy dog, whose tail has magic powers, brings love to all the children of the world.

Zoe is seen sleeping with Meemo the cat in a comfy chair. Carrie grew up in Toledo and now lives in California with the real Zoe and Meemo.

Down by the Station (1999)
Written and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Cover art
mixed media on vellum

In this version of a familiar song, baby animals ride to the children’s zoo on the zoo train. Printed music on last page.

Will traces the art on vellum. Once the image is on the vellum, he flips it over and adds color on the reverse. Once it dries, he flips it over to the front and adds color and shading.

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (2003)
Written and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Then our teacher reads a book
mixed media on vellum

A traditional nursery song is expanded to tell the story of a young child’s first day at school.

Will was inspired to write this story after watching his son at kindergarten. Look for the cover art from Down By the Station in this mixed media piece.

This Little Piggy (2006) by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
This Little Pig
lithograph

A collection of singing games and nursery rhymes involving various parts of the body, to be used with very young children.

Will uses pigs to act out the rhymes. He uses pastels to make the illustrations warm and inviting.

“I Remember!” Cried Grandma Pinky” (1994) by Jan Wahl
Illustrated by Arden Johnson
Sailing
pastel

Nutmeg loves to hear Grandma Pinky tell stories about the old days, but she worries when Grandma becomes forgetful about more recent activities.

Beautiful pastels depict Grandma Pinky’s memory of taking baths as a child in a tin tub.

Red, White and Blue (2002)
Written and Illustrated by Laurie Lazarro Knowlton
I See You, Red, White and Blue
textile

A small child’s emotional love letter to the American flag features heartfelt
patriotic sentiments and innovative textile artwork. It celebrates the power and beauty of Old Glory as well as the greatness of the country it represents.

Lori, an Ohio native, uses pre-printed fabrics, thread, felt and muslim to make her textile art. The fabric used for the background for this piece has the word indivisible spelled incorrectly. Can you find the mistake?

Skipping Village (1927)
Written and illustrated by Lois Lenski
pen & ink

Based on the author’s experiences growing up in Anna, Ohio. This was Lois Lenski’s first book. Lois Lenski corresponded with the children’s librarians in Toledo and Maumee. These illustrations were a gift to the former Lucas County Public Library and originally hung in the Maumee Library.

Let’s Play House (1944)
Written and illustrated by Lois Lenski
pen & ink/watercolor

Ohio author and illustrator Lois Lenski was a friend of Miss Ethel C. Wright. Miss Wright was head of the Toledo Public Library children’s department for 37 years and Lois Lenski also designed a special bookplate in her honor.

The Secret of the Indian (1989) by Lynne Reid Banks
Illustrated by Ted Lewin
The Lantern
watercolor
In this third book about Omri and his magic cupboard, Omri and his friend Patrick must risk grownups’ discovering their secret when they find
themselves in need of a friend’s toy plastic doctors to save wounded people from the dangerous world of the Old West.

A luminous, dark blue-gray watercolor depicts Boone the cowboy helping Ruby up a staircase.

One is a Drummer (2004) by Roseanne Thong
Illustrated by Grace Lin
Four Are the Seasons
watercolor

A young girl numbers her discoveries in the world around her, from one dragon boat to four mahjong players to ten bamboo stalks.

Simple, uncluttered, brilliantly colored illustrations slyly depict the number four: four seasons, four screens and four children.

Sing a Song of Piglets (2002) by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
Complete book dummy
May: Sing a Song of Fishing
watercolor

From skiing in January to surfing in July, two energetic piglets romp through the months of the year in this calendar in verse.

The complete book dummy is opened to May: Sing a Song of Fishing to
illustrate the artist’s process. How many changes can you find between the dummy and the finished work?

Read For Me, Mama (1997) by Vashanti Rahaman
Illustrated by Lori McElrath-Eslick
Mama was reading!
oil

An African-American boy who loves to read helps his mother on the road to literacy.

The thick-lined oil painting shows the mother and boy reading together from the last page of the story. The cover art is the same image in reverse.

A Puppy Named Gih (1957) by Sara Machetanz
Illustrated by Fred Machetanz
Gih and his boy
oil

Gih, a sled dog, becomes the leader of the team.

The artist was known as the “last of the old masters”. Upon his death in 2002 the governor of Alaska declared a statewide day of mourning. Fred was originally from Ohio and attended the Ohio State University. He moved to Alaska in 1935.

Cat, What is That? (2001) by Tony Johnston
Illustrated by Wendell Minor
The Snore
acrylic

Rhyming text describes the behavior and characteristics of cats.

The double page illustration captures a contented tabby cat reclining on a snowy day. The Snore was the first piece acquired for the Huebner Collection.

I am Planet Earth (2001) by Jean Marzollo
Illustrated by Judith Moffatt
Ring Around the Rosie
cut paper collage

The planet Earth describes its location in the solar system, its atmosphere,
geographic features, and treatment by the people who live on it.

Three-dimensional cut paper illustrations convey a sense of movement.

Snow shapes (2000)
Written and illustrated by Judith Moffatt
Minky and Mouse
cut paper collage

Minky and his friend Mouse provide instructions for making various paper snowflakes, holiday flowers, and other crafts related to winter.

Textured, three-dimensional cut paper illustrations are layered to provide depth.

Merry Christmas, Stinky Face (2002) by Lisa McCourt
Illustrated by Cyd Moore
Stinky Face Snow Cones
watercolor

As Christmas draws near, a young child is filled with questions about all of the things that could possibly go wrong, but Mama always finds a solution.

Cyd’s humorous watercolor drawing makes you want to eat an orange juice flavored snow cone!

The Squiggle (1996) by Carole Lexa Schaefer
Illustrated by Pierr Morgan
Off We Go
felt-tip pen and gouache

As she walks to the park with her school class, a young girl finds a piece of string which her imagination turns into a dragon’s tail, an acrobat, fireworks, a storm cloud, and more.

A teacher is leading her students to the park. The red line under the teacher, which is spotted by one of her imaginative students, becomes the squiggle.

Where to Look for a Dinosaur (1993)
Written and illustrated by Bernard Most
Kagasaurus
felt-tip pen

Various dinosaurs are described in relation to where their fossils have been found.

A light green dinosaur alongside a darker green Chinese dragon. The
background is filled with bright swirls of color.

God Bless America (2002) by Irving Berlin
Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Stand Beside Her
watercolor with pen and ink

The famous 1938 song is brought to life with a charming bear family visiting various locations depicted in the song.

Lynn’s bear family watches a parade of police and firefighters. Her cartoon
illustrations are bright and colorful.

Penguin Café by Jan Wahl
Illustrated by Naava
Penguins
gouache

This painting was created as a sample for an unpublished work by local author Jan Wahl. Sadly, the artist passed away before the work could be completed.

Steam, Smoke and Steel (2000)
Written and illustrated by Patrick O’Brien
My Great-Grandmother’s Train
watercolor and gouache

A boy traces the development of railroad engines from coal to steam to diesel as he recounts his family’s experience of driving trains over the years.

Fine artist Patrick O’Brien’s detailed painting of a train uses naturalistic colors to capture the 1930’s.

The Witch Casts a Spell (2002) by Suzanne Williams
Illustrated by Barbara Olsen
The Scarecrow comes alive (study)
mixed media

Sung to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell,” these verses describe the
activities on Halloween night.

This piece is a study Barbara Olsen made when laying out the art for the book. Can you find the finished art in the book? How does the study differ from the finished piece?

Take the lead, George Washington! (2005) by Judith St. George
Illustrated by Daniel Powers
Cover art
watercolor

Factual narrative that reads like a story make up this picture storybook about George Washington, from his childhood through his exalted position as
America’s first president.

This bold, earth-toned painting depicts a young George Washington on horseback. The artist is from Fremont, Ohio.

The Brand New Kid (2000) by Katie Couric
Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
Welcome back to Brookhaven School
gouache

Lazlo, who has just moved to the United States from Hungary, is ostracized at school until two girls have the courage to befriend him.

Using texture and soft lines, Marjorie adeptly depicts how it feels to be teased at a new school.

Robert Quackenbush
On Stage: Robert Quackenbush Book Characters
oil

Using a bold color palette, Robert includes all of his famous characters in the pages of an open book.

Night Tree (1991) by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Ted Rand
Nina Takes One End of the Chain
watercolor

A family makes its annual pilgrimage to decorate an evergreen tree with food for the forest animals at Christmastime.

A luminous moonlit scene with deep blue sky and green tree depicts the children, in bright colors, decorating the tree while their frosted breath hangs in the air.

Rotten Ralph’s Trick or Treat (1986) by Jack Gantos
Illustrated by Nicole Rubel
Rotten Ralph is Invited to a Party
watercolor and pen & ink

Sarah’s rotten cat Ralph goes to a Halloween costume party dressed as her and creates horrible mischief under the protection of his disguise.

A brightly colored scene with Rotten Ralph sitting on the couch tearing up Sarah’s math homework. A creepy hand slips an invitation under the front door.

Stranger in the Woods (2000) by Carl R. Sams and Jean Stoick
Photographed by Carl R. Sams
Winter Friends
photograph

Forest animals, awakened by the birds’ warning that there is a stranger in the woods, set out to discover if there is danger and find, instead, a wonderful surprise.

A beautiful photograph shows chickadees in flight and perching on a
snowman’s carrot nose.

Louie the Miracle Elephant (2006) by Grandma Marian
Illustrated by Vanessa Synder
Louie Holds Rene’s Tail
We Love Louie
watercolor

A delightful story of the Toledo Zoo’s own Louie the elephant.

How many animals can you find in We Love Louie?
Vanessa is the Toledo Zoo’s Curator of Interpretive Services. This is her first picture book.

Why Epossumandas Has No Hair on His Tail (2004) by Coleen Salley
Illustrated by Janet Stevens
My Sweet Little Patootie
watercolor and graphite

Epossumondas’s mother tells him a story about how his great-great-
grandfather became the first possum to have a hairless tail.

A plump lady in a colorful red, yellow and green outfit lovingly holds a baby
opossum in diapers.

Lost in the Woods (2004) by Carl R. Sams and Jean Stoick
Photographed by Jean Stoick
Close Encounter
photograph

A spring tale of trust, patience, and waiting for your time. Woodland
creatures are concerned for a newborn white-tailed fawn they believe is lost.

A young deer and raccoon are captured by these acclaimed nature
photographers from Michigan.

Toby (2004)
Written and Illustrated by Cyndy Szekeres
Mouse Doing Hand Stand
Bunny Hop (from an unpublished work)
watercolor and colored pencil

Meet Toby, a mouse who likes to sing and romp, read, and play. Every day is a new adventure as Toby discovers the many wonderful things about being a preschooler.

Two adorable bunnies hold hands and hop up and down.

The Clumpets Go Sailing (1977) by Jan Wahl
Illustrated by Cyndy Szekeres
Clumpets on board
watercolor

The Clumpet family sails to a sick uncle’s house to take him some hot soup.

Vivid watercolors depict the tiny Clumpets onboard their raft.

Whose Chick Are You? (2007)
Illustrated and written by Nancy Tafuri
Cuddled by Swans
watercolor and pen & ink
Goose, hen, duck, bird and the little chick, itself, cannot tell to whom the hatchling belongs, but its mother knows.

Two swans are asleep, cuddling a sleeping chick. A full moon and many stars shine in the night sky.

Button Eye’s Orange (1980) by Jan Wahl
Illustrated by Wendy Watson
Button
watercolor

Taken to the market to be sold, a toy dog tries to return with an orange to his boy who wears a leg brace.

The author lives in Toledo as did the artist at one time. The colors and style of art have a graphic art feel.

Elf Night (2002) by Jan Wahl
Illustrated by Peter Weevers
Boy
mixed media

At bedtime, a child enters the magical, miniature world of the elves.

Soft twilight colors depict a fantasy forest.

Hans Wilhelm
Noodles
Watercolor and graphite

A happy dog with bright eyes and flowing ears highlighted with light blue.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Illustrated by Garth Williams
First illustration for Little House in the Big Woods
Print reproduced from an original pen-and-ink (circa 1947),
never-before-published.

A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier, as they help their mother with the daily chores, enjoy their father’s stories and singing, and share special occasions when they get together with relatives or neighbors.