2013 Charlotte Zolotow Lecture
Why Picture Books Matter -- renowned children's literature historian Leonard S. Marcus will give a free public lecture on the role of picture books in the modern age, and will discuss why they continue to be important to children today. Mr. Marcus is the author of many books on the subject of children's literature, including Minders of Make-Believe: Idealists, Entrepeneurs, and the Shaping of American Children's Literature, and Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing. The Charlotte Zolotow Lecture is presented by the Cooperative Children's Book Center.
Leonard Marcus
Leonard is a rare bird: a renowned historian and critic and one of the children's book world's liveliest writers and speakers. His highly acclaimed books about children's literature and the authors and artists who create them include: Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon; Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom; and Storied City. In addition, he has been Parenting magazine's children's book reviewer since 1987. Leonard is one of the most trusted critics in the field. His incisive book reviews appeared in every issue of Parenting magazine for 21 years. He currently reviews for The New York Times Book Review among other publications, and writes “Sight Reading” a regular column on illustrated books for The Horn Book.