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Who are Anne and Harlow Rockwell?

Anne Rockwell (1934-2018) and Harlow Rockwell (1910-1988) were my parents.  They created children's books as a team in a studio off our dining room in Old Greenwich, CT. When my father was an art director in advertising, and he also illustrated books that my mom wrote. Many of my parent's books, like The Toolbox and The Awful Mess where stories about our family experiences. Along with concept books and original stories, Mom has written books on almost every subject, including American history, art history, fables, mythology, and science. Anne Rockwell illustrated most of her books herself but also wrote texts for other illustrators.

 

At the dinner table, our parents were always talking about current and future books, and often our vacations took us to wonderful places like Block Island and Europe for their inspiration or research. Our home was filled with my parents' fine art.  Mom created oil paintings, bronze sculptures, etchings and needlepoint tapestries.  My father made found object assemblages, abstract oil paintings and woodcuts. 

 

When I was a teenager, I worked in my parents studio painting in color separations on acetate, when full color books were not the norm.  As an adult I have been  lucky enough to illustrate 18 of my mom's texts. 

 

You can learn about my family, and other children's book families in Pass it Down by Leonard Marcus

The Awful Mess, by Anne Rockwell

The Awful Mess, by Anne Rockwell

Atheneum, 1973. This story is about my brother, Olly's room. A celebration of creativity.

Paul and Arthur Search for the Egg

Paul and Arthur Search for the Egg

Anne Rockwell's first book, published by Doubleday in 1964.

SALLY'S CATERPILLAR

SALLY'S CATERPILLAR

Parents Magazine Press, 1966. This is a true story about one of our trips to Block Island, RI. Sally is my sister, Hannah.

OLLY'S POLLIWOGS

OLLY'S POLLIWOGS

Doubleday, 1970. This was about my brother, Oliver. That polliwog tank was on our kitchen counter for months.

GYSPY GIRL

GYSPY GIRL

Parent's Magazine Press, 1966. This story was inspired by my obsession with a pair of patent leather shoes I saw at the shoestore when I was about four living in New York City. I also dressed up as a gypsy girl a lot when I was little.

THE TOOLBOX

THE TOOLBOX

One of the very first concept books, published by Macmillan in 1971

MACHINES

MACHINES

Macmillan, 1972

PRINTMAKING

PRINTMAKING

Doubleday, 1974. My brother Olly and I helped with the printmaking examples in this book.

Print by Lizzy at 11

Print by Lizzy at 11

An illustration in my dad's PRINTMAKING book.

MONKEY'S WHISKERS

MONKEY'S WHISKERS

Parents Magazine Press, 1971

DANCING STARS

DANCING STARS

Thomas Y. Crowell, 1972

THE THREE BEARS AND 15 OTHER STORIES

THE THREE BEARS AND 15 OTHER STORIES

Told and illustrated by Anne Rockwell Thomas Y. Crowell, 1975

THE THREE SILLIES

THE THREE SILLIES

Told and Illustrated by Anne Rockwell Thomas Y. Crowell, 1979

PUSS IN BOOTS AND OTHER STORIES

PUSS IN BOOTS AND OTHER STORIES

Atheneum, 1988.

THE GOOD LLAMA

THE GOOD LLAMA

World Publishing, 1968. A story from Peru.

GAMES AND HOW TO PLAY THEM

GAMES AND HOW TO PLAY THEM

Crowell, 1973

THE WONDERFUL EGGS OF FURICCIA

THE WONDERFUL EGGS OF FURICCIA

World Publishing, 1969. My mom's love of medieval Italian art is evident in the illustrations.

The Stolen Ncklace

The Stolen Ncklace

World Publishers, 1968

Fillipo's Dome

Fillipo's Dome

Macmillan, 1967. This is about Fillipo Brunelleschi and the building of his Duomo, in Florence Italy.

When the Drum Sang

When the Drum Sang

World Publishers, 1970.

BOATS

BOATS

By Anne Rockwell Dutton, 1982

BIG WHEELS

BIG WHEELS

Dutton, 1986.

HUGO AT THE WINDOW

HUGO AT THE WINDOW

By Anne Rockwell Macmillan, 1988

APPLES AND PUMPKINS

APPLES AND PUMPKINS

By Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. Macmillan 1989. Now Simon and Schuster.

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