 |
|
| Marianne Carus with the 100th issue of Cricket magazine in 1982 (via) | |
Marianne Carus, founder of Cricket magazine and its many offshoots, died March 3. She was 92. Drawing inspiration from Walter de la Mare's assertion that "only the rarest kind of best in anything can be good enough for the young," Carus ran stories and illustrations from the most talented children's authors and illustrators, aided by an editorial advisory board composed of influential children's publishers, authors and librarians. She served on many boards, including the International Youth Library in Munich and the International Board of Books for Young People.
A native of Germany, she came to the U.S. in 1949 and settled in LaSalle, Ill., with her husband, Blouke Carus, who was involved in building up Carus Chemical Company, which his father had founded. While raising three children, Marianne Carus studied literature at the University of Chicago, and when her husband's attention turned to education, she put her literary skills to work editing the first series of Open Court readers. When the reading program was to be supplemented with a literary magazine for children, she became its founding editor, and Cricket: The Magazine for Children was soon a separate business that set standards for children's literature and illustration worldwide.
Other magazines for different age groups and interests followed: Ladybug, Babybug, Spider, Cicada, as well as nonfiction magazines. She continued as editor-in-chief for more than 35 years. Her obituary noted that "millions of children throughout the English-speaking world grew up with Cricket and its family of magazines; Marianne treasured the many enthusiastic letters from former readers, telling her that their interest in reading and other subjects had begun with Cricket. The Cricket magazines are currently being introduced in China to help Chinese children learn English."
Children's book author, editor and critic Anita Silvey, who is a member of Cricket's editorial board, posted on Facebook: "And when you think you can mourn no more.... Marianne was a true children's book angel. A smile that could light up a room. But a crusader who never stopped. We owe her all the Cricket magazines, and all the fine writers and illustrators who got their start there."