Children's author-illustrator Robert McCloskey passed away on June 30 in Deer Island, Maine, after a long illness. He was 88.
Trained in art at both the Vesper George Art School in Boston and the National Academy of Design in New York City, McCloskey is best known for his work in Make Way for Ducklings, which won the 1942 Caldecott Medal. The artist wrote and illustrated seven other books for children, including Homer Price, Lentil, Blueberries for Sal and One Morning in Maine; his Time for Wonder also won the Caldecott, in 1957. Make Way for Ducklings was commemorated in 1987 with a sculpture installation of Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings, in the Boston Public Garden; this spring the book was named the official state book of Massachusetts.
His family will hold a private ceremony near his home on Scott Island, Maine.
