Faithful Elephants

Theodore Peter Lewin was an illustrator and writer of children's books. He was born in Buffalo, NY on May 6, 1935. He graduated from Pratt Institute in 1956 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, which he financed by working as a part-time professional wrestler. Early in his art career he made illustrations for adventure magazines. He was an avid traveler and used his adventures to inspire his work. He was the author and illustrator of over 200 books. He and his wife Betsy collaborated on Touch and Go, a collection of stories about his adventures while researching his books.

Ted was an award-winning illustrator. In 1994 he was awarded a Caldecott Honor for his illustrations in Pepe the Lamplighter. Market!, published in 1996. It was also an ALA notable book. In 1998, he won the Society of Illustrators Stevan Dohanos Award. In 2006, He illustrated One Green Apple which was written by Eve Bunting and won the inaugural Arab American Award for books written for Children/Young Adults. In 2007, he won a silver medal in the Society of Illustrators Annual Show. In 2007, he was given the Hamilton King award for the best illustration in the Society of Illustrators Annual Show, done by a member of the Society of Illustrators. In 2015 he was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame. Ted Lewin died on July 28, 2021. He was 86.

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