Arnold Lobel

Hello! My name is Arnold Lobel, and I write and draw stories for children. I was born in California on May 22nd, 1933, but I grew up in a town called Schenectady in New York. When I was a little boy, I was often sick and had to stay home from school. To keep myself busy, I started drawing. Drawing became my best friend, and when I finally went back to school, I would tell stories with my pictures to all the other kids. It was a wonderful way to make friends!

When I grew up, I went to a special school for artists in New York City called the Pratt Institute. That's where I met my wife, Anita, who was also a wonderful artist! I started making my own books, and my very first one was called 'A Zoo for Mister Muster' in 1962. A few years later, in 1970, I had an idea for two best friends who were very different from each other. One was a happy, friendly Frog, and the other was a sometimes-grumpy but very kind Toad. I wrote their first book, 'Frog and Toad Are Friends,' and people loved their adventures together.

After Frog and Toad, I created many other animal characters. There was a worried little owl in my book 'Owl at Home' and clever mice in 'Mouse Soup.' I loved giving animals feelings just like people. I was so lucky because my books were very popular. In 1981, I won a very special award called the Caldecott Medal for my book 'Fables.' Getting that medal was like winning a gold prize for the pictures in my book, and it made me so proud.

In my life, I created almost 100 books for children to enjoy. I lived to be 54 years old. Even now, my stories are still shared in homes and libraries all over the world. My greatest hope was that my books would show children how important it is to be a good friend, just like Frog and Toad. And I hope they still make you smile today.