Beyond Peter
Ezra and fans, 1970s
After winning the Caldecott, Ezra found himself suddenly famous. During the 1960s and ’70s, in addition to writing and illustrating his picture books, he taught illustration and traveled extensively. He visited classrooms around the country and corresponded with many children, exhorting them to “Keep on reading!”
The artist, circa 1980
The honors he received ran the gamut from prestigious to populist. On one end of the spectrum, in 1965 Ezra was the first artist invited to design a set of greeting cards for UNICEF, and in 1970 he was the first children’s book author to be invited to donate his papers to Harvard University. On the other end, in 1974 a roller rink in Japan was named in his honor, and in 1979 Portland, Oregon, held a parade for him; Ezra happily attended both events.
By the time of Ezra’s death following a heart attack in 1983, he had illustrated over 85 books, and written and illustrated 22 children’s classics. He had just designed the sets for a musical version of The Trip, written by Stephen Schwartz and titled Captain Louie, which is still presented around the country and licensed for production by Musical Theatre International. He had designed a poster for The New Theatre of Brooklyn, and written and illustrated The Giant Turnip, a beloved folktale. Although Ezra never married or had a family of his own, he loved children, and was loved by them in return.