About Leo Lionni

 

Leo Lionni was born in a suburb of Amsterdam on May 5, 1910. 

 

Leo's Uncle Piet, his hero, was the one responsible for first introducing him to art.  A drawing table was given to Leo  to put in his room.  It is here that Leo began painting, drawing, carving, etc.  Another uncle of Leo's, Willem, was a collector of avant-garde painters such as Chagall, Kandinsky, and Mondrian.  Willem often traveled, and it was due to this that he stored his collection at Leo's and other relatives' homes.  Notice the sketch to the right of young Leo done by his Uncle Piet.

 

During his youth, Leo would visit the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk (both museums only a few blocks from his house).  He was even given special permission to take his pencils and sketchpad and draw in the Rijksmuseum.                                                                                                                                   

 

In 1922 Leo's parents moved to America.  His father was in search of more lucrative work, and his mother was hoping to begin a career in opera.  Twelve-year-old Leo was to live with his grandmother and step-grandfather in Brussels.  It was during this time that, again, family contributed to and helped foster a greater appreciation for art in Leo.  While living in Brussels, Leo was fortunate to visit his Aunt Mies and her Belgian husband, who owned one of the largest collections of modern art - including six Picassos.

 

Leo moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania two years later to live with his parents.  He enrolled in a Quaker school and learned English.  Leo was in Philadelphia for only one year.  His father was promoted and transferred to Genoa, Italy.  It was here that Leo started high school and fell in love with Nora Maffi.

 

Leo and Nora were married in 1931 and had their first child, Mannie, in 1933.  The political climate leading up to World War II was among them.  Leo became a well-known and respected artist.  He often painted in futurist and avant-garde styles.

 

In 1938, just prior to having their second son, Paolo, the fascist and anti-Semitic Italian government demanded to know if Leo was Aryan.  Due to this danger for Jews to remain in Europe, Leo's family started their preparation.

 

In 1939, Leo sailed into New York harbor without work and hardly any money.  It was his father's former boss in Philadelphia who helped Leo get a job at N. W. Ayer & Son, a high-powered advertising agency.  Soon after, Leo got word from Nora that she and their childrens' visas had been granted.  They sailed to America on September 12, days before Italy declared war.

 

Leo worked on many challenging accounts while working for N. W. Ayer & Son such as Ford Motors and Chrysler.  He became one of the top art directors in the country.  This was impressive as he did not have any formal design training.  Work here did not last too long. 

 

The freedom of expression was something that appealed to Leo.  In 1948, he moved to New York and opened a small office.  He became the art director for Fortune and worked only three days each week.  This was the start of a long relationship with Time/Life.  In 1955, he was named Art Director of the Year by the National Society of Art Directors.  In 1956, he was awarded the Architectural League Gold Medal. 

 

At the height of his career, in 1959, Leo decided that he would retire on his fiftieth birthday and move to Italy.  Here he would follow his creativity and begin a new life.  Not too long after this decision, Leo took his grandchildren, Pippo and Annie, from Grand Central Station to his home in Greenwich, Connecticut.  He decided to tell them a story.  He took out a copy of Life and began tearing pages out of the magazine - small round pieces of many colors.  Placing his briefcase on his knees, he began, "This is Little Blue, and this is Little Yellow."  He then placed round pieces of colored paper onto the briefcase.

 

Once they got to Connecticut, Leo showed the children how to turn the story into a book.  This was appealing to them due to the fact that they were too young to read yet still believed that they could through this book. 

 

The very next night, Leo's friend, Fabio Coen, a children's book editor, came to his house for dinner.  He saw the book that Leo created with his grandchildren and decided to publish it.  Lionni called this book Little Blue and Little Yellow.

 

 

Lionni created forty children's books during the next thirty-five years.  Many received awards such as Caldecott Honor Books and Notable Children's Books of the Year by the American Library Association and honored by the New York Times.  He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 by the Society of Illustrators.

 

Leo retired and moved to Tuscany with his wife.  Most of his children's books were created here.  His love for New York City, however, did not fade.  He would spend half of his year at his apartment in Manhattan.  It is due to this lifestyle that influenced the entitlement of his autobiography, Between Worlds.

 

It was on October 11, 1999 that Leo Lionni passed away at the tender age of eighty-nine.

 

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Style and Themes

 

As noted above, Lionni used to tell stories to his grandchildren.  He would often draw pictures while he told them stories.  On that one train ride, he tore out colored circles from a magazine to assist in his telling of the story.  This was his inspiration for using collage as the main medium for his illustrations.

Lionni found various ways of dealing with collage.  He would use

• standard collage,
• a combination of collage and oil stick (oil paint used as a crayon to draw with),
• a combination of collage and mixed media, and
  
• a combination of colored pencil and oil stick.

 

The image to the right is from Fish is Fish and is an example of Lionni's talent in combining colored pencil and oil stick. 

 

One of Lionni's other trademarks was his use of white space.  This allowed for the art to "pop" off of the page.  This brought about a sort of gravitational pull toward the images.

 

Lionni's illustrations mostly contained earth tones.  This was logical in that they represented the objects' true appearances in nature and are realistic.

 

Lionni also used a consistent font, Century Schoolbook.  This font is simplistic, and its letters have clean lines that do not confuse the reader as some fonts do.  This font is predictable and stable, which allows for the reader to become comfortable and at ease with the format of the book.

 

The image below is a full-page spread from Lionni's book, Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse.  Notice Lionni's use of collage, white space,  earth tones, and the font Century Schoolbook.  These elements are not unique to this book.

 

                                  

Lionni was, in a way, similar to Aesop in that he would write simple fables that were predominantly based on creatures found in nature such as frogs (An Extraordinary Egg), mice (Tillie and the Wall), fish (Swimmy), and crocodiles (Cornelius).  Lionni's books typically have a theme about individuality/natural beauty, morals, learning new skills, friendship, etc.  They are simplistic yet thoughtful.  They are profound but in a subtle way.  Their messages ring true to children and adults of all ages.  These books allow for the reader to connect to their world through both the text and the illustrations.

 

As mentioned in his autobiography, Between Worlds, Lionni states that his books are "linked by characteristics: the rhythm, the simplicity of the action, the logic of the sequencing and positioning of the protagonists on the page."  He also mentioned how he became very conscious of the problems that faced children and the importance of the messages that we, as adults, send to them.

 

It is clear that Leo Lionni wanted to convey some messages to young readers through his books.  The message of self-realization is very prominent in Lionni's work.  In many of his books, the protagonists will be in search of their own true meaning.  This will often be a journey in hopes of learning who they are or how they fit in the overall scheme of things.  Many of his protagonists realize that they are a part of a greater body/society/culture (Pezzettino).  Finding one's family, origin, or place in the world is often highlighted in Lionni's work.  Children are notorious for questioning creations, origins, and meaning.  Lionni's work looks into those types of curiosities that at the core of a child's mind.

 

Similar to many adults, young readers are seeking acceptance from both their peers and the world.  Lionni's books showcase his characters' personalities and look to show them in a positive light regardless of the character being strange, odd, weird, different, etc.  As human beings, we want nothing more than to feel wanted, welcomed, and accepted.  His books capitalize on these themes.  Staying true to yourself, searching and fighting for what you truly believe in, and having integrity are all aspects that are shown in Lionni's books.

 

Overall, it is fair to say that Leo Lionni's books are very much believable but can be interpreted by adults in many layers.  Most of Lionni's works are focused on being yourself and discovering that you are who you are and that is enough. 

 

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Books Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As shown above, Leo Lionni is very proud of his work.  He has written and illustrated the following picturebooks.

 

Little Blue and Little Yellow      ***This is the picturebook that started it all for Lionni. 

Swimmy  (Caldecott Honor Book)

Inch by Inch  (Caldecott Honor Book)

Frederick  (Caldecott Honor Book)

Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse (Caldecott Honor Book)

A Color of His Own

It's Mine!

The Greentail Mouse

Pezzettino

Fish is Fish

An Extraordinary Egg

The Alphabet Tree

Matthew's Dream

Let's Make Rabbits

Tillie and the Wall

Nicolas, Where Have You Been?

Geraldine, the Music Mouse

Six Crows

Colors, Numbers, Letters

Let's Play

On My Beach There Are Many Pebbles

Tico and the Golden Wings

Theodore and the Talking Mushroom

The Biggest House in the World

Cornelius: A Fable

A Busy Year

A Flea Story

Mr. McMouse

 

Leo also wrote his autobiography.  He called it Between Worlds: The Autobiography of Leo Lionni.

 

 

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"Close Looking" with Leo Lionni

 

Pezzettino 

(Pronounced pets-eh-tee-no)

 

The word pezzettino is Italian for "little piece."

 

This story is about a protagonist named Pezzettino who lives in a world where everyone is large and has many varied talents.  Pezzettino comes to believe that he "must be a piece of somebody else" and sets off on a journey to find out.  As he traveled, Pezzettino met various creatures, all of whom had unique talents.  He asked each of them, "Am I your little piece?"  They all respond by asking him a question back such as, "Do you think I could climb mountains if I had a piece missing?"  Frustrated, Pezzettino goes to speak to the wise-one about where to find his answer.  The wise-one sends Pezzettino to the Island of Wham.  Once he arrived on the Island of Wham, Pezzettino was shocked to find that there were no other creatures on the island; the island was simply heaps of pebbles.  Pezzettino climbed, tripped, and broke into lots of little pieces.  It was here that Pezzettino realized that he, like the others, was made of little pieces.  Quickly, he put himself back together and headed home.  He was greeted by the others and felt as though he belonged.

 

Pezzettino is a small, orange cube that, to the reader, does initially seem to be a piece to a larger object.  At the beginning of the story, Pezzettino speaks with and questions several other creatures.  These creatures are composed of many different colored cubes similar to Pezzettino.  This only leads the reader to believe that he is searching to find the right creature who is missing a piece.  Pezzettino is often placed in a position that demands attention.  Even though he lacks facial expressions, the way the Lionni tilts his body tells the reader who Pezzettino is speaking to or looking at.  The reader can sense the direction of Pezzettino's gaze, and that only adds to the images.

 

It is fair to say that this story is a great example of how the text simply supports what the images are telling the reader.  This story could easily be a wordless book.  The overall concept of this story would not be lost if the words were omitted.  It is Lionni's simplistic language that is comforting and allows for the reader to experience the story through both text and illustration.

 

 

The Biggest House in the World 

This story begins with a bunch of snails sitting on a cabbage eating.  A young snail asks his father, "When I grow up I want to have the biggest house in the world."  His father, the wisest snail, begins to tell his son a story.  The tale begins with the father stating that, "Some things are better small...Keep your house light and easy to carry."  The young snail disregards his father's story, and figures out a way to make his "house" (his shell) grow.  He kept at it until his house was the size of a melon.  He grew large pointed bulges and even added beautiful colors and designs.  The young snail was pleased because he knew that he had the largest and most beautiful house in the world. 

 

Butterflies, frogs, and other snails marveled at the stellar house.  When it was time for the group of snails to move to another cabbage, the young snail's house was much too heavy.  Because of this, the young snail was left behind with nothing to eat.  With nothing to eat, the little snail faded away.  Only the house was left, and that also slowly decayed.

 

Due to the end of the father's story, the snail was almost in tears.  He realized that he would keep his house small so that he would be able to move around.  The books ends with the young snail taking in all that nature has given to him.  He is clearly enjoying life.  Additionally, the young snail retells the tale that his father had told him to answer any questions surrounding his rather small abode.

 

As usual, Leo Lionni positions the little snail in an area of high interest and power in each of the pictures.  This, coupled with the bold white background, lends itself nicely to the reader being able to really pick up on the young snail's (both the protagonist and the snail from the father's story) emotions.  Many of the illustrations are a bit "in your face" as the snail's enlarged house is placed in a fashion that forces the reader to examine it's beauty and uncanny size.  We, as a reader, are likely to see the dramatic exaggeration of the enormous snail house.  This just further proves the point (without poking fun).

 

Once the young snail realizes that what his father says is true, he is able to enjoy what life has to offer.  There is a full-page spread where the young snail is "walking" through the forest and is truly happy.  This is the first and only time that Lionni uses a full-page spread in this book.  It is without a doubt on purpose.  It is here that the reader is forced to place themselves in the "shoes" of the snail and to think and feel as he does.  Where is he going?  What does he see?

 

Not only does this tale point back to how Lionni's books reveal a moral, but it points back at the wisdom of parents and how they are always looking out for the best interest of their children. 

 

 

Tillie and the Wall  

This book is about a group of mice who live close to a wall.  These mice went about their days not paying attention to the wall one bit.  They did not wonder about it (not even what was on the other side).  Tillie, the youngest mouse, was the only one who stared at the wall.  While the other mice were asleep, Tillie would imagine what was on the other side, a fantastical world. 

 

Tillie got her friends' attention and started to do things to try and find answers.  They tried to climb the wall.  They tried to poke a hole through it with a rusty nail.  They tried to walk to the end of the wall, but there was no hope.  Later, a worm inspired Tillie to dig in the ground and to try and go under the wall.  When she came to the surface again, she was greeted by other mice.  These mice welcomed Tillie with a party and brought her to their celebration pebble.  Curious, these mice followed Tillie back to her home.  Another party ensued, and from that day on the mice travel back and forth remembering that Tillie was the one who "showed them the way."

 

The cover of this book causes the reader to question what Tillie is doing staring up into the air.  She is rather close to the wall.  Is she looking at something on top of the wall?  Is she even seeing a top to the wall, or does it extend up and up and up?

 

The majority of the illustrations are completed using collage.  There are some images, however, that are done in colored pencil.  These images are rather cleverly done.  There is an image of Tillie looking at the wall as the other mice are sleeping.  There is a great deal of dark black and grey shading around the mice, showing that it is night.  This shading is done in colored pencil.  It is clear that Lionni intends for the colored pencil to be symbolic of a dream-like state.  It is in this image that Lionni describes how Tillie imagines beyond the wall a fantastic world that is full of strange plants and animals.  The very next page displays a double-page spread of strange looking creatures that are all done in colored pencil as well.  A few pages later, Tillie is shown standing on the celebration pebble as her new mice friends celebrate her.  There is a parenthetical that questions whether Tillie had seem that pebble before.  This pebble is done in colored pencil while the rest of the page follows Lionni's collage style.  It is due to this medium that causes the reader to turn back to the double-page spread of the strange plants and animals.  When referring back to this page, the reader is able to see that there are several pebbles like the one that Tillie was standing on.

 

 

It is fair to say that Tillie's friends (who were trying to help her find a way to the other side) were just humoring her.  The darker mouse's eyes were usually looking behind him at the other friend who was looking off in a distance.  It seems as though these mice were just happy to be with Tillie but truly were not buying into her quest.

 

This is a very sweet book that alerts the reader that strong character and leadership qualities come to the forefront when a challenge arises.  Tillie embodies such character and qualities.

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Articles and Books Written about Leo Lionni

 

Leo Lionni (The American Institute of Graphic Arts)

http://www.aiga.org/medalist-leolionni/

 

Leo Lionni's First Book Turns 50 (Publisher's Weekly)

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/15108-leo-lionni--s-first-book-turns-50-.html

 

Leo Lionni's Obituary (The New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/17/nyregion/leo-lionni-89-dies-versatile-creator-of-children-s-books.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 

Thinking Cornelius by Jan Miller Burkins (includes conversations with Annie Lionni, Leo's granddaughter)

http://literacyhead.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3968

 

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Sidelights

 

Leo Lionni very much enjoyed playing the accordion.  Below is an image of him playing.

 

 

Quotes from Lionni:

 

"When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was

always, without hesitation, 'An artist.'"

― Leo Lionni

from http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/aboutlionni.php

 

 

“I believe that a good children's book should appeal to all people who have not completely lost their

original joy and wonder in life. The fact is that I don't make books for children at all. I make them for that

part of us, of myself and of my friends, which has never changed, which is still a child.”

― Leo Lionni

from http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/32804.Leo_Lionni

 

 

"In our everyday garden grow the rosemary, juniper, ferns and plane trees, perfectly tangible

and visible.For these plants that have an illusory relationship with us, which in no way alters

their existentiality, we are merely an event, an accident, and our presence, which seems so solid,

laden with gravity, is to them no more than a momentary void in motion through the air. Reality

is a quality that belongs to them, and we can exercise no rights over it."

― Leo Lionni

from http://blog.gaiam.com/quotes/authors/leo-lionni

 

 

"I don’t need to consult nature books to copy the shapes, colors, and textures of

insects and reptiles, rodents and birds, pebbles and seashells. I simply copy them

from the images that were stored away in my memory."

― Leo Lionni

from http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/aboutlionni.php

 

"It is often said - and I think somewhat too easily - that to write for children you must be the child,

but the opposite is true.  In writing for children you must step away and look at the child from the

perspective of an adult."

― Leo Lionni

from Between Worlds

 

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Further External Links

 

100 Years of Leo Lionni (Part of the Random House Children's Books Family of Sites)

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/

 

Leo Lionni Lesson Suggestions

http://www.mermaidtheatre.ns.ca/onTour/leoLionni/Leo_Lionni_SG/lionni.htm

 

'Imaginary Garden' blooms in Amherst: Leo Lionni sculpture has a home at the Carle (Amherst Bulletin)

http://www.gazettenet.com/2011/07/22/imaginary-garden-blooms-in-amherst

 

 

Leo Lionni on YouTube...

Rather than conducting your own read aloud, parents and teachers could easily use one of the many YouTube clips that are listed below.

 

Frederick on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGwdwvkn0Cw

 

It's Mine on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jgdJOgpcBc

 

Fish is Fish on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbnsHX8e2OY&feature=relmfu

 

Swimmy on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=442ie2qFANQ&feature=related

 

Cornelius on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_f9cTxcPlE&feature=relmfu

 

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References

 

Lionni, Leo (1997). Between Worlds: The Autobiography of Leo Lionni.  New York: Random House, Inc.

 

Lionni, Leo (1975). Pezzettino.  New York: Random House, Inc.

 

Lionni, Leo (1968). The Biggest House in the World. New York: Random House, Inc.

 

Lionni, Leo (1989). Tillie and the Wall. New York: Random House, Inc.

 

100 Years of Leo Lionni (Random House)

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/aboutlionni.php

 

Illustrator Comparison: Leo Lionni and Eric Carle

http://www.ils.unc.edu/courses/2007_spring/inls890_087/lionniandcarle.html

 

1984 AIGA Medal

http://www.aiga.org/medalist-leolionni/

 

Leo Lionni’s First Book Turns 50 (Publishers Weekly)

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/15108-leo-lionni--s-first-book-turns-50-.html

 

Obituary (The New York Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/17/nyregion/leo-lionni-89-dies-versatile-creator-of-children-s-books.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 

Thinking Cornelius by Jan Miller Burkins (includes conversations with Annie Lionni, Leo’s graddaughter)

http://literacyhead.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3968

 

Good Reads (Quotes)

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/32804.Leo_Lionni

 

Gaiam Life (Your Guide to Better Living)

http://blog.gaiam.com/quotes/authors/leo-lionni

 

Image Sources:

 

Young Leo (from About Leo Lionni)

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/gallery/A-Sketch-of-Young-Leo/22

 

Elder Leo (from About Leo Lionni)

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/aboutlionni.php

 

Fish is Fish  - Page Example (1^st Image from Style and Themes)

http://eliseaw.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html

 

Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse (2^nd Image from Style and Themes)

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/55374946@N07/5530761002/

 

Lionni with Books (1^st Image from Books Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni)

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/gallery/Leo-and-His-Books/12

 

Little Blue and Little Yellow (2^nd Image from Books Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni)

http://literacyhead.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3968

 

Inch by Inch (3^rd Image from Books Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni)

http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2010/05/inch-by-inch-by-leo-lionni.html

 

Fish is Fish (4^th Image from Books Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni)

http://www.personal.psu.edu/scd5029/blogs/was_ist_das/2009/01/fish-is-fish.html

 

Between Worlds (5^th Image from Books Written and Illustrated by Leo Lionni)

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=between+worlds+leo+lionni&num=10&um=1&hl=en&biw=1037&bih=700&tbm=isch&tbnid=OX8Wdz9AJCk1YM:&imgrefurl=http://www.tarmans.com/%3Fpage%3Dshop/flypage%26product_id%3D14630&docid=G6PkQHQTaabjVM&itg=1&imgurl=http://www.tarmans.com/shop_image/product/14678.jpg&w=278&h=357&ei=8w69UMCQGe_H0AGgsIHoAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=247&vpy=121&dur=1126&hovh=254&hovw=198&tx=85&ty=105&sig=117917905230883778394&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=137&tbnw=113&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:71

 

Pezzettino (1^st Image from “Close Looking” with Leo Lionni)

http://www.tower.com/pezzettino-leo-lionni-book/wapi/107855329

 

The Biggest House in the World (2^nd Image from “Close Looking” with Leo Lionni)

http://siretona.blogspot.com/2009/12/kathleens-favourite-read-alouds.html

 

Tillie and the Wall (3^rd Image from “Close Looking” with Leo Lionni)

http://www.carlemuseum.org/Shop/Books_DVDs/Exhibitions/2003/Leo_Lionni_A_Passion_for_Creativity

 

Tillie and the Wall – Full-page Spread (4^th Image from “Close Looking” with Leo Lionni)

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/gallery/Tillie-and-the-Wall/8

 

Lionni with Accordion (1^st Image from Sidelights)

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/gallery/Leo-and-His-Accordion/9