Byrd Baylor (March 28, 1924 – June 16, 2021) was an American novelist, essayist, and author of

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The ima ...

s for children. Four of her books have achieved

Caldecott Honor The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

status.

Background

Byrd Baylor was born in March 1924 in

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

. She was related to Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor, the namesake of

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

, and to Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Her first name, Byrd, is taken from her mother's maiden name. Baylor attended the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

Writing

Baylor's work presents images of the Southwest and an intense connection between the land and the Native American people. Her prose illustrates vividly the value of simplicity, the natural world, and the balance of life within it. She wrote an essay entitled Good Women Who Love Bad Trucks which she read aloud for radio station KXCI. Byrd contributed essays to Tucson's City Magazine in the late 1980s.

Personal life

Baylor latterly lived in Arivaca,

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, in an adobe house that did not have electricity. She worked with three manual typewriters. She died in June 2021 at the age of 97.

Caldecott Honors

Baylor was awarded Caldecott Honors for her books ''When Clay Sings'' (1973) with illustrator Tom Bahti, and ''The Desert is Theirs'' (1976), ''Hawk, I'm Your Brother'' (1977), and ''The Way to Start a Day'' (1979) with illustrator Peter Parnall.

Bibliography

*''

Amigo Amigo(s) (Portuguese and Spanish for ''male friend'') may refer to: People * Carlos Amigo Vallejo (1934–2022), Spanish Roman Catholic archbishop emeritus of Seville Places Facilities * Amigos School, a bilingual primary school in Cambridge, M ...

'' (1963, illustrated by

Garth Williams Garth Montgomery Williams (April 16, 1912 – May 8, 1996) was an American artist who came to prominence in the American Post-war, postwar era as an illustrator of children's books. Many of the books he illustrated have become classics of Americ ...

)) *'' One Small Blue Bead'' (1965; illustrated by Symeon Shimin) *'' Before You Came This Way'' (1969, illustrated by Tom Bahti) *'' Coyote Cry'' (1972, drawings by Symeon Shimin) *'' When Clay Sings'' (1972, illustrated by Tom Bahti) *'' Sometimes I Dance Mountains'' (1973, photographs by Bill Sears, drawings by Ken Longtemps) *'' Everybody Needs a Rock'' (1974; illustrated by Peter Parnall) Baylor, B.
Everybody Needs a Rock
accessed 3 August 2023 *'' The Desert is Theirs'' (1975; illustrated by Peter Parnall) (

) *'' Hawk, I’m Your Brother'' (1976; illustrated by Peter Parnall) (

) *'' Yes Is Better than No'' (1977; with illustrations by Leonard Chana, 1990) *'' The Way to Start a Day'' (1978; illustrated by Peter Parnall) (

) *'' The Other Way to Listen'' (1978; illustrated by Peter Parnall) *'' Your Own Best Secret Place'' (1979; illustrated by Peter Parnall) *'' If You Are a Hunter of Fossils'' (1980; illustrated by Peter Parnall) *'' Desert Voices'' (1981; illustrated by Peter Parnall) *'' I'm In Charge of Celebrations'' (1986; illustrated by Peter Parnall) *'' The Table Where Rich People Sit'' (1994; illustrated by Peter Parnall)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baylor, Byrd 1924 births 2021 deaths American children's writers University of Arizona alumni Writers from San Antonio