Wisconsinite: Lois Ehlert

(via Amazon)

Lois Ehlert is an author and illustrator of children's picture books, most having to do with nature. 

Ms. Ehlert was born (November 9, 1934) and raised in Beaver Dam, WI. Her mother was a seamstress who shared fabric scraps with her, most likely fostering her love for creating collages. Her father was also creative with a basement workshop and always had scrap lumber and nails available for Lois to use.

Ms. Ehlert graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a degree in English and Psychology. Then she went to the Layton School of Art. After graduating, she worked as an apprentice in an art studio delivering illustrations. She worked on her own art in the evenings.

She now lives in Milwaukee, WI.

 


Books written/ illustrated by Lois Ehlert:

Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (2011)
Illustrations and rhyming text follow ten caterpillars as one wriggles up a flower stem, another sails across a garden pool, and one reaches an apple leaf, where something amazing happens.

Rrralph by Lois Ehlert (2011)
The narrator describes discovering how Ralph the dog can talk, appropriately saying words such as "roof," "rough," "bark," and "wolf."

Lots of Spots by Lois Ehlert (2010)

A collection of poems about animal camouflage and adornment.

Boo to You! by Lois Ehlert (2009)

When the neighborhood cat tries to crash the mice’s harvest party, the mice have a plan to scare the intruder away.

Chicka Chicka  Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1989; 2009)
An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree. Awards: American Library Association Notable Children's Book; Boston Globe - Horn Book Award.

Oodles of Animals by Lois Ehlert (2008)
Short, easy to read rhymes reveal what is unique about various animals, from ape to wolf.

Wag a Tail by Lois Ehlert (2007)
Assorted graduates of the Bow Wow School meet at a farmers market and a dog park, where most of them remember their obedience training.

Eating the Alphabet: fruits and vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert (1989; 1996; 2006)
An alphabetical tour of the world of fruits and vegetables, from apricot and artichoke to yam and zucchini.

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (2005)

A man made of leaves blows away, traveling wherever the wind may take him. On die-cut pages.

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert (1987; 2004)

A father and child grow vegetables and then make them into a soup.

Nuts to You! by Lois Ehlert (1993; 2004)

A rascally squirrel has an indoor adventure in a city apartment.

Pie in the Sky by Lois Ehlert (2004)
A father and child watch the cherry tree in their back yard, waiting until there are ripe cherries to bake in a pie. Includes a recipe for cherry pie.

Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin, Jr. and Michael Sampson; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (2004)
Numbers from one to one hundred climb to the top of an apple tree in this rhyming chant.

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert (1988; 2003)
A mother and child plant a rainbow of flowers in the family garden.

Crocodile smile: 10 Songs of the Earth as the Animals See It by (written and sung) Sarah Weeks; songbook illustrated by Lois Ehlert (2003)
Contents: Piece of jungle -- Pretty tree -- I’ve never eaten a princess -- I am not a hat -- Take it slow -- Crocodile smile -- Being extinct -- Pad, pad, pad -- I’m an animal -- Let it spin.

In My World by Lois Ehlert (2002)
Describes some of the many things in the natural world--such as worms, seashells, flowers, and stars--that a child can appreciate.

Fish Eyes: a book you can count on by Lois Ehlert (1990; 2001)
A counting book depicting the colorful fish a child might see if he turned into a fish himself.

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert (1995; 2001)
Some children create a family out of snow. Includes labeled pictures of all the items they use, as well as information about how snow is formed. Award: Publishers Weekly Book of the Year

Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert (2001)

With a simple, rhyming text and glorious color-drenched collage, Lois Ehlert follows the life cycle of four common butterflies, from their beginnings as tiny hidden eggs and hungry caterpillars to their transformation into full-grown butterflies. Complete with butterfly and flower facts and identification tips, as well as a guide to planting a butterfly garden.

Market Day: a story told with folk art written and designed by Lois Ehlert (2001)

On market day, a farm family experiences all the fun and excitement of going to and from the farmers’ market.

Top Cat by Lois Ehlert (1998)

The top cat in a household is reluctant to accept the arrival of a new kitten but decides to share various survival secrets with it.

Angel Hide and Seek by Ann Turner; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1998)

Exploration of the natural world reveals barn angels, a butterfly angel, a sea angel, and other marvelous creatures.

Cuckoo: a Mexican Folktale/ CuCu: un cuento folklorico mexicano by Lois Ehlert; translated into Spanish by Gloria de Aragon Andujar (1997)

A traditional Mayan tale which reveals how the cuckoo lost her beautiful feathers. Award: Booklist Editors' Choice

Hands by Lois Ehlert (1997)
When a child works alongside her parents doing carpentry, sewing, and gardening, she thinks of being an artist as well when she grows up.

Under My Nose by Lois Ehlert; photographs by Carlo Ontal (1996)
Author and illustrator of books for young people, Lois Ehlert, shares how she interweaves her creative process with her daily routine.

Pair of Socks by Stuart J. Murphy; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1996)

Introduces pattern recognition as a sock searches the house for its lost mate.

Mole's Hill: a woodland tale by Lois Ehlert (1994)

When Fox tells Mole she must move out of her tunnel to make way for a new path, Mole finds an ingenious way to save her home.

Words by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1993)

Circus by Lois Ehlert (1992)

Leaping lizards, marching snakes, a bear on the high wire, and others perform in a somewhat unusual circus.

Moon Rope: a Peruvian folktale/ Un lazo a la luna: una leyenda peruana by Lois Ehlert; translated into Spanish by Amy Prince (1992)

An adaptation of the Peruvian folktale in which Fox and Mole try to climb to the moon on a rope woven of grass.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert (1991)

A child describes the growth of a maple tree from seed to sapling.

Color Farm by Lois Ehlert (1990)

The rooster, dog, sheep, cow, pig, and other animals on a farm are made up of colorful shapes such as square, circle, rectangle, and triangle. Features die-cut pages.

Feathers for Lunch for Lois Ehlert (1990)

An escaped housecat encounters twelve birds in the back yard but fails to catch any of them and has to eat feathers for lunch. Awards: IRA Teachers' Choice; NCTE Notable Children's Trade Book in the Language Arts

Thump, Thump, Rat-a-Tat-Tat by Gene Baer; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1989)

A distant marching band grows larger and louder as it nears, and then softer and smaller as it goes away again. 

Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert (1989)

Introduces colors and shapes with illustrations of shapes on die-cut pages that form animal faces when placed on top of one another. Award: Caldecott Honor Book.

Beginning to Learn About Shapes by Richard L. Allington; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1979)

Introduces 19 geometric figures with activities involving shapes and size relationships.

Number Families by Jane Jonas Srivastava; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1979)
Explains how every number is part of a family and functions differently.

The Visit by Diane Wolkstein; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1977)
Follows a little ant's journey, step-by-step, as she goes to visit her friend.

What Do You Think I Saw?: a nonsense number book by Nina Sazer; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1976) 
Introduces the numbers one to ten while describing in rhyme the unusual things a young rhinoceros sees on the way to town.

The Great Flower Pie by Andrea DiNoto; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1973)
Five hungry friends decide to bake a flower pie for lunch.

Mathematical Games for One or Two by Mannis Charosh; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1972)

What is that Sound? by Mary L. O'Neill; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1966)
What is the sound of a giggle? The sound of love? What is a baa, a croak, a growl, a chirp? How does the city sound, and the country? What is music, and jazz? What is the sound of air, the sound of day, the sound of night? — To think about such sounds is to think about all the things that happen to us and all of the things we feel inside; it is t...  more »o ask what life and living are all about.

Limericks by Edward Lear; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1965)