Brinton Turkle
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Brinton Cassady Turkle (August 15, 1915[1] – October 9, 2003) was an author and illustrator of children's books including Thy Friend, Obadiah, a 1970 Caldecott Honor title.[2] In addition to his books as both author and illustrator, Turkle illustrated as many as 100 titles for other authors. His work is known for its rich, colorful details and Quaker themes.
Turkle was born on August 15, 1915, in Alliance, Ohio.[1] Growing up, he frequently visited the art studio of Gertude Alice Kay, a prominent children's book illustrator who was a friend of his mother. Though Turkle was interested in the theatre, he pursued a career in the advertising industry.[1] Turkle attended Carnegie Institute of Technology (1933 – 1936), the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts (1938 – 1940), and the Institute of Design in Chicago.[2] In 1948, he married Yvonne Foulston, and the couple moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they began raising their family of three children.[2] Turkle began to illustrate children's books, and eventually moved to New York City in 1959 to further pursue children's literature.[3][1]
In 1965, at the encouragement of his friend, Ezra Jack Keats, Turkle submitted the manuscript of his first children's book, Obadiah the Bold, about a young boy and a seagull who befriends him. Over the course of his career, Turkle went on to illustrate 82 children's books, including The Friend, Obadiah, which won a 1970 Caldecott Honor. Turkle's work often incorporates Quaker values and the theme of place.[2] Turkle's books, namely the Obadiah series, have been embraced by the Quaker community.[4] Among Turkle's books is a series of Obadiah titles, which cover a Quaker family living on the island of Nantucket during the colonial period. Turkle also illustrated a wordless adaption of the Goldilocks story, called Deep in the Forest, in 1976.[1][5]