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Lois Ehlert

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description Lois Ehlert Overview

Lois Ehlert (1934–2021) was an American author and illustrator of children's picture books, recognized for her vibrant collage artwork created from cut paper and found objects. She received a 1990 Caldecott Honor for Color Zoo, a concept book teaching shapes and animals. She also illustrated Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault.

help Lois Ehlert FAQ

How did Lois Ehlert create the pictures in Color Zoo?

Ehlert assembled the animals from vivid geometric shapes, using cutouts that reveal parts of the following page. Color Zoo earned a Caldecott Honor in 1990 for this distinctive collage-based design.

Which Lois Ehlert book should a young child read first?

Growing Vegetable Soup and Planting a Rainbow are accessible starting points because they connect simple vocabulary with recognizable plants and foods. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, illustrated by Ehlert and written by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, is especially suited to children learning the alphabet.

Did Lois Ehlert write her books as well as illustrate them?

Ehlert both wrote and illustrated many books, including Color Zoo, Planting a Rainbow, and Leaf Man. She also illustrated other authors' work, most famously the 1989 picture book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

What materials did Lois Ehlert use for her collage illustrations?

Ehlert worked with materials such as painted paper, fabric, leaves, seeds, and everyday found objects. In Leaf Man, published in 2005, actual leaves form people, animals, and landscape scenes.