D'aulaire, Ingri Mortenson

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D'AULAIRE, Ingri Mortenson

Born 27 December 1904, Königsberg, Norway; died 24 October 1980, Wilton, Connecticut

Daughter of Per and Line Sandsmark Mortenson; married Edgar D. d'Aulaire, 1925; children: two sons

Ingri Mortenson d'Aulaire met her husband while at art school in Munich, where they married. They returned to the U.S. in 1930, and embarked on a joint career of writer and illustrator that endured for many years. Although it is hard to ascertain where the creative spark came from, it was d'Aulaire's childhood that overflowed with wild antics and childish pranks. She herself said their first seven books capture the experiences of her childhood, while the later books present childhood through the youthful activities of their two sons. This husband/wife team shared in the creation of both texts and illustrations. When asked to separate their roles, Edgar replied, "When you find something amusingly expressed in our books it has been said by Ingri."

Winners of the Caldecott Medal for their illustrations of Abraham Lincoln (1939), and of the Regina Medal from the Catholic Library Association (1970) for their continual contribution to children's literature, the d'Aulaires have created the most significant biographical series available concerning early U.S. heroes. Their style is highly evocative of folklore traditions. Their simple stories of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Benjamin Franklin contain humorous details often unknown to children. While the characters remain great, these are portraits of people rich in human foibles; and the biographies are also beautifully illustrated. The illustrations, while in complete complement with the text, do not tell the same story; the two media reflect and support each other, but do not necessarily dwell on the same single event. Thus the text can be effectively used without the illustrations.

Because of d'Aulaire's childhood in Norway, the couple also produced excellent books concerning the Norse people. Ola (1932) is a beautiful folk picture of the Norwegian fishing village. The tale combines a joyous text with brilliant illustrations. Later books, Nils (1948) and Don't Count Your Chicks (1943), reflect d'Aulaire's Norwegian heritage.

The couple's contributions cannot be separated in the field of children's literature. Yet certain important aesthetic elements must be acknowledged to d'Aulaire. It was her early happy childhood that was the wellspring for the spontaneity so vividly captured in their early books. Her practical eye kept text at a minimum, but helped it retain all its vitality.

Other Works:

(co-authored with Edgar d'Aulaire): The Magic Rug (1931). Ola and Blakken and Line, Sine, Trine (1933). The Conquest of the Atlantic (1933). The Lord's Prayer (1934). Children of the Northlights (1935). George Washington (1936). East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1938). Leif the Lucky (1941). Wings for Per (1944). Too Big (1945). Pocahontas (1946). Foxie (1949). Benjamin Franklin (1950). Buffalo Bill (1952). Animals Everywhere (1954). Columbus (1955). The Two Cars (1955). The Magic Meadow (1958). Book of Greek Myths (1962). Norse Gods and Giants (1967). D'Aulaire's Trolls (1972). The Terrible Troll-Bird (1976).

Bibliography:

Miller, B. M., and E. W. Field, eds., Caldecott Medal Books: 1938-1957 with The Artists' Acceptance Papers and Related Material Chiefly from the Horn Book Magazine (1957).