Hudson Talbott, author and illustrator of more than 30 books for young readers, died January 22. He was 76. Born and raised in Louisville, Ky., he began his career in New York City as a freelance designer/illustrator, commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum, the Metropolitan Opera, Bloomingdale's, and the Museum of Modern Art, among others.
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| Hudson Talbott (photo: Ken Schiff) |
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Talbott created his first children's book, How to Show Grown-Ups the Museum, for MoMA. Among his notable works are We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, which was adapted into a feature-length animated film by Stephen Spielberg, and an illustrated adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods. He also wrote and illustrated Picturing America: Thomas Cole and the Birth of American Art and River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River--both about the Hudson Valley, where he lived most of his adult life. His other works include O'Sullivan Stew, From Wolf to Woof, United Tweets of America, and It's All About Me-ow.
Hudson also illustrated numerous picture books, including Newbery Honor winner Show Way (by Jacqueline Woodson) and Leonardo's Horse (by Jean Fritz), an ALA Notable and VOYA Honor Book. His most recent picture book, A Walk in the Words, was a Schneider Family Honor Book. Celebrating how people learn differently, it tells the story of his struggles with reading and how his love for art and stories kept him moving at his own pace. His final book, The Next Shiny Object, is set to be published in August.
Nancy Paulsen, Hudson's longtime editor at Putnam and Nancy Paulsen Books, said: "Hudson was a great artist, author, and friend. We got to spend such memorable time together, working, eating and laughing, as he created a library of fascinating books. Hudson was interested in everything, history, geography, animals, and the human psyche, and he, our art team and I had endless fun (and debates) over how to bring his imagination and curiosity to life. His artwork helped us all see things differently, and his most recent book, A Walk in the Words, helped children feel less overwhelmed by learning differences. Hudson's forthcoming title, The Next Shiny Object, about his experiences with his roaming attention, portrays the challenges as well as the benefits of having an overactive imagination. We are going to miss him, and his imagination, so much but his spirit--and his books--will live on and continue to inspire."