Bruce Degen

Bruce Degen ( ; June 14, 1945 – November 7, 2024) was an American illustrator and writer, known for illustrating ''The Magic School Bus'', a picture book series written by Joanna Cole. He collaborated with writers Nancy White Carlstrom, on the ''Jesse Bear'' books, and Jane Yolen, on the '' Commander Toad'' series. He wrote self-illustrated ''Jamberry'', ''Daddy Is a Doodlebug'', and ''I Gotta Draw''.

Background

Degen was born on June 14, 1945, in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where he was raised. His youth was marked by the contrast between urban New York City and the summertimes he spent in rural upstate New York, where he would pick wild berries. He credits those experiences as the inspiration for ''Jamberry'' (1983).

He attended elementary school in Brooklyn; one of the teachers let him paint during lessons. He went on to attend art schools in Manhattan, including LaGuardia High School, where a teacher encouraged him to study at Cooper Union. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Cooper Union. He then attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn where he obtained a Masters of Fine Arts degree in printmaking and painting.

Degen married Christine Bostard in 1968. Degen lived in Brooklyn Heights with his family until 1990. Afterwards, he lived in Newtown, Connecticut with his wife and their two sons, Benjamin and Alexander. Benjamin Degen is a painter and Alex Degen illustrates comic books.

Degen died of pancreatic cancer in Newtown, on November 7, 2024, at the age of 79.

Career

Degen's working life has included designing advertisements, teaching art, making prints, painting scenery for opera productions, and directing a lithography studio in Israel.

From the 1960s to the late 1980s, Degen taught art in public schools of New York City and worked as a freelance artist and illustrator on the side. He began making children's books in 1975; his first was ''Aunt Possum and the Pumpkin Man''. He subsequently illustrated and wrote many children's books, both on his own and with others. He wrote self-illustrated books such as ''Jamberry'' (in print since 1983), ''Daddy Is a Doodlebug'' (2000) and ''I Gotta Draw'' (2012). He illustrated Jane Yolen's '' Commander Toad'' series, beginning with ''Commander Toad and the Planet of the Grapes'' in 1982 ("an early success" of his career), and Nancy White Carlstrom's ''Jesse Bear'' series, beginning with ''Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?'' in 1986.

In the mid-1980s, he became the illustrator for ''The Magic School Bus'' book series written by Joanna Cole. The first book, ''The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks'', came out in 1986. The success of the series allowed him to become a full-time artist and "to teach at colleges for fun." The book series sold over 95 million copies and became a franchise with many adaptations, such as the 1994–1997 TV series. Degen and Cole made 14 books together over a few decades of collaboration. Their last was ''The Magic School Bus Explores Human Evolution''; Cole died in 2020.

Patronage

Bruce and Christine Degen are Lifetime Giving Society members at the Cooper Union.

Bruce and Christine Degen contributed "Gifts to the Garden" for the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.

They sat as appointed members of the Newtown, Connecticut, Hattertown Historic District Commission.

Selected works

Credited authors are the writers of books illustrated by Degen.
* ''Aunt Possum and the Pumpkin Man'' (1977)
* ''Forecast'' by Malcolm Hall (1977; 1st UK edition published by World's Work, 1979).
*''A Big Day for Scepters'' by Stephen Krensky (1977)
*''Ig Lives in a Cave'' by Carol Chapman (1979)
*''Brimhall Turns to Magic'' by Judy Delton (1979)
*''Mr. Jameson and Mr. Phillips'' by Marjorie W. Sharmat (1979)
*''Commander Toad'' series, written by Jane Yolen (1980–1997)
*''My Mother Didn't Kiss Me Good-Night'' by Charlotte Herman (1980)
* ''The Little Witch and the Riddle'' (1980)
*''Little Chick's Big Day'' by Mary DeBall Kwitz (1981)
*''Dandelion Hill'' by Clyde Robert Bulla (1982)
*''Upchuck Summer'' by Joel L. Schwartz (1982)
*''Jamberry'' (1983)
*''Little Chick's Breakfast'' by Mary DeBall Kwitz (1983)
*''Daddy's Coming Home!'' by Lyn Littlefield Hoopes (1984)
*''Lonely Lula Cat'' by Joseph Slate (1985)
*''Grandpa Bear'' by Bonnie Pryor (1985)
*''Best Friends Don't Come in Threes'' by Joel L. Schwartz (1985)
*''Jesse Bear'' series, written by Nancy White Carlstrom (1986–2012)
*''The Josefina Story Quilt'' by Eleanor Coerr (1986)
*''The Good-Luck Pencil'' by Diane Stanley (1986)
*''Grandpa Bear's Christmas'' by Bonnie Pryor (1986)
*''The Magic School Bus'' series, written by Joanna Cole (1986–2020)
*''The Forgetful Bears Meet Mr. Memory'' by Larry Weinberg (1987)
*''If You Were a Writer'' by Joan Lowery Nixon (1988)
*''Tim Kitten and the Red Cupboard'' by Jan Wahl (1988)
*''The Forgetful Bears Help Santa'' by Larry Weinberg (1988)
*''Lion and Lamb'' by William H. Hooks and Barbara Brenner (1989)
*''Dinosaur Dances'' by Jane Yolen (1990)
*''Lion and Lamb Step Out'' by William H. Hooks and Barbara Brenner (1990)
* ''Teddy Bear Towers'' (1991)
*''Goblin Walk'' by Tony Johnston (1991)
*''Ups and Downs with Lion and Lamb'' by William H. Hooks and Barbara Brenner (1991)
*''Little Chick's Friend, Duckling'' by Mary DeBall Kwitz (1992)
*''Mouse's Birthday'' by Jane Yolen (1993)
*''A Beautiful Feast for a Big King Cat'' by John Archambault (1994)
*''Will You Give Me a Dream?'' by Joan Lowery Nixon (1994)
* ''Sailaway Home'' (1996)
*''Shirley's Wonderful Baby'' by Valiska Gregory (1999)
* ''Daddy Is a Doodlebug'' (2000)
* ''I Gotta Draw'' (2012)
* ''I Said, "Bed!"'' (2014)
* ''Snow Joke'' (2014)
* ''Nate Likes to Skate'' (2016)

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Degen, Bruce
1945 births
2024 deaths
American children's writers
Artists from New York City
Artists from Connecticut
American children's book illustrators
Writers from Brooklyn
Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Connecticut