Illustration of houses at night.
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Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Red Light Green Light by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1944 Leonard Weisgard.

Leonard Weisgard

Leonard Weisgard (1916–2000) published his first New Yorker cover and picture book while still an art student. An illustrator of over 200 children’s books, he is best remembered for his 20-book collaboration with author Margaret Wise Brown, including the popular Noisy Books series (1939) and the Caldecott Medal-winning The Little Island (1947). Influenced by both mid-century modernism and American folk art, Weisgard incorporated different media—gouache, poster paint, crayon, chalk, collage, stenciling, and pen and ink—to create a new kind of children’s book. He and his family moved from Connecticut to Denmark in 1970, where he lived for the rest of his life.

Weisgard’s three children generously donated 180 illustrations by their father. In 2016, The Carle presented the exhibition Magician of the Modern: The Art of Leonard Weisgard in which 20 of his seminal paintings, restored to their original splendor, made their public debut.

Illustration of two cats.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Night and Day by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1942 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of houses at night.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Red Light Green Light by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1944 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of shepard in valley.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Little Lost Lamb by Golden MacDonald. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1945 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of frog and racoon and bunny in tree.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Rain Drop Splash by Alvin Tresselt. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1946 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of bunny with blue egg.

The Golden Egg Book hatched into a beloved children’s classic. The winning combination of Wesigard’s charming illustrations and Brown’s imaginative text creates a timeless tale of curiosity and imagination. Both artist and author shared a spiritual regard for the natural world. 

 

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1947 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of rural town with lighthouse in background.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Pelican Here, Pelican There. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1948 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of branches and faces.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1949 Leonard Weisgard.

The Important Book is one of several groundbreaking collaborations between Margaret Wise Brown and Leonard Weisgard. It presents sophisticated concepts through direct questions and imagery, asking young readers what is most important about a spoon, an apple, the rain, or the wind. Here Weisgard presents a daring composition, locating the children’s peering eyes at the very bottom of his illustration.
Illustration of abstract shapes and chicken.

Inspired by Russian Constructivism and the Cubism of Stuart Davis, Weisgard translated the tenents of modernism into playful children’s books. These “here and now” books created with Margaret Wise Brown emphasize the contemporary world and feature lively, semi-abstract graphics. They’re intended to fuel young curiosity about the people, places, and things they experience daily. Even the title, The Quiet Noisy Book, is irreverent.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for The Quiet Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1950 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration fo abstract shapes in yellow, blue, white, and red.
Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for The Quiet Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1950 Leonard Weisgard.
Illustration of chicken in barn.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for The Summer Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1951 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of birds in nest.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for The Summer Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1951 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of children in moonlight under trees.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for The Golden Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1953 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of baby tiger with parrot.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Little Frightened Tiger by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1953 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of colonial man riding horse in shipyard.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Mr. Peaceable Paints. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1956 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of man painting.

Weisgard was an avid collector of American folk art, farm implements, and furniture. Many of the items appear in his illustrations for Mr. Peaceable Paints and other books.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Mr. Peaceable Paints. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1956 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of colonial home at night with horse in front.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Mr. Peaceable Paints. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1956 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of cow looking at passing train.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for Whistle for the Train by Margaret Wise Brown. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1956 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of two bunnies eating carrots.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for The Golden Birthday Book. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1989 Leonard Weisgard.

Illustration of humpty dumpty egg at table.

Leonard Weisgard, Untitled, ca. 1950. Gift of Kendra and Allan Daniel in memory of Chloe, our unforgettable dachshund who loved eggs. © Leonard Weisgard.

Artists have traditionally portrayed Humpty Dumpty as an egg, although the nursery rhyme character is never described as such. Here, Weisgard’s Humpty presides over a humorous gathering. There is a cross-eyed owl, an amusing detail for a bird famous for its superior eyesight, and a fox that would rather eat a mouse than dine with it. And we cannot overlook the irony of a turkey sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner.
Illustration of farmer and cow sitting in field.

Leonard Weisgard, Illustration for unpublished book proposal by Margaret Wise Brown, ca. 1940s. Gift of Abigail, Christina, and Ethan Weisgard. © 1942 Leonard Weisgard.

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Photograph of the artist.

Leonard Weisgard

Leonard Weisgard illustrated over 200 children’s books, many in collaboration with author Margaret Wise Brown. Weisgard created a new kind of children’s book by incorporating mid-century modernism with an appreciation for American folk art.