Richard Cuffari (March 2, 1925 – 1978)
de Grummond Collection, McCain Library and Archives, University Libraries, The University of Southern Mississippi. Accessed Aug. 14, 2019. was an American artist. He is known for his illustrations for

children's books A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''chi ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

books. Specializing in historical and nonfiction topics, Cuffari illustrated over 200 books.

Biography

Cuffari was born to immigrant parents in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. He attended James Madison High School, winning awards there for his artwork. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Cuffari served in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

. He graduated from the

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...

in 1949. He embarked on a freelance career as an illustrator in 1966.

Bibliography (selected)

* ''

The Wind in the Willows ''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and get ...

'' (Grosset & Dunlap, 1966), by

Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame ( ; 8 March 1859 – 6 July 1932) was a British writer. He is best remembered for the classic of children's literature ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1908). Born in Scotland, he spent most of his childhood with his grandmother in ...

* ''Nothing is Impossible: The Story of

Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Heelis (; 28 July 186622 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( ), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' ...

'' (Atheneum, 1969), by Dorothy Aldis * ''

Old Ben ''Old Ben'' is a 1970 book by Jesse Stuart, illustrated by Richard Cuffari. It was selected for the 1970 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Summary The story of Shan, a Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a lan ...

'' (1970), by

Jesse Stuart Jesse Hilton Stuart (August 8, 1906 – February 17, 1984) was an American writer, school teacher, and school administrator who is known for his short stories, poetry, and novels as well as non-fiction autobiographical works set in central Appa ...

— selected for the 1970

Lewis Carroll Shelf Award The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award was an American literary award conferred on several books by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education annually from 1958 to 1979. Award-winning books were deemed to "belong on the same shelf" as ''Al ...

* ''The Far Side of Evil'' (1971), by

Sylvia Engdahl Sylvia Louise Engdahl (born November 24, 1933) is an American writer, known best for science fiction. Her debut novel '' Enchantress from the Stars'', published by Atheneum Books in 1970, was the 1971 Newbery Honor Book (see Newbery Medal), was a ...

* ''Eight Stories: The Year of the Three‐Legged Deer'' (Houghton Mifflin, 1972), by Eth Clifford"Eight Stories; The Year of the Three‐Legged Deer By Eth Clifford. Illustrated by Richard Cuffari. 164 pp. Houghton Mifflin. $3.95. (Ages 9 to 12),"
''New York Times'' (June 18, 1972). * ''This Star Shall Abide'' (1972), by Sylvia Engdahl * ''Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains'' (1973), by Sylvia Engdahl * ''The Capricorn Bracelet'' (1973), by

Rosemary Sutcliff Rosemary Sutcliff (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was an English novelist best known for children's books, especially historical fiction and retellings of myths and legends. Although she was primarily a children's author, some of her novel ...

* '' A Wind in the Door'' (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1973), by

Madeleine L'Engle Madeleine L'Engle (; November 29, 1918 – September 6, 2007) was an American writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young adult fiction, including ''A Wrinkle in Time'' and its sequels: '' A Wind in the Door'', '' A Swiftly Tilting Planet'' ...

* '' The Perilous Gard'' (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1974), by Elizabeth Marie Pope * ''Planet-Girded Suns: Man's View of Other Solar Systems'' (1974), by Sylvia Engdahl * ''Ring Out! A Book of Bells'' (1974), by

Jane Yolen Jane Hyatt Yolen (born February 11, 1939) is an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and children's books. She is the author or editor of more than 400 books, of which the best known is '' The Devil's Arithmetic'', a Holocaust novella. H ...

* ''The Mightiest of Mortals: Hercules'' (Viking Press, 1975), by Doris Gates * ''Universe Ahead: Stories of the Future'' (1975) — anthology of stories selected and introduced by Sylvia Engdahl and Rick Roberson * '' Dragons in the Waters'' (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1976), by Madeleine L'Engle * '' The Cartoonist'' (Viking Books for Young Readers, 1978), by

Betsy Byars Betsy Byars (née Cromer; August 7, 1928 – February 26, 2020) was an American author of children's books. Her novel '' Summer of the Swans'' won the 1971 Newbery Medal.Author's website She has also received a National Book Award for Young Peo ...

* ''Family Secrets: Five Very Important Stories'' (1979), by

Susan Shreve Susan Shreve (also known as Susan Richards Shreve) is an American novelist, memoirist, and children's book author. She has published fifteen novels, most recently ''More News Tomorrow'' (2019), and a memoir ''Warm Springs: Traces of a Childhood ...

References

External links

Cuffari books in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
1925 births 1978 deaths American children's book illustrators Pratt Institute alumni Artists from Brooklyn {{US-illustrator-stub