A local author and illustrator will be visiting the Haddonfield Public Library with his latest children’s book, making the perfect gift for children this holiday season. Haddonfield’s Robert Byrd will sign copies of his new book “Brave Little Chicken” on Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m. This has been a book 25 years in the making.
Growing up, some people know exactly what they want to do, and Byrd was one of those people. Wanting to be an illustrator ever since he was a child, he pursued his dream by attending the Philadelphia Museum College of Art. He studied the work of famous illustrators such as Maurice Sendak of “Where the Wild Things Are,” England’s renowned illustrator Arthur Rackham and political cartoonist Thomas Nast.
“I was very interested. I looked at everything. I used to go to the children’s room in the library and see what was going on. My own style emerged from there. Now, if you look at my work, you can tell it is mine,” Byrd said.
Byrd originally started with commercial work, for advertising agencies and other freelance illustrating jobs. Then Byrd’s work was featured in an article in “American Artists,” a famous magazine for artists at the time. A publisher in New York found his work and got in contact with Byrd to illustrate a book for him. From there, Byrd’s career in children’s book illustration jump-started.
Byrd has illustrated about 20 books, ranging from fiction to non-fiction. He was the illustrator of the book “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village” by Laura Amy Schlitz, which won the Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature in 2008. He also won the 2013 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Non-fiction with a book he both wrote and illustrated, “Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin.”
Byrd’s latest book, “Brave Little Chicken,” has been a work in the makings for a long time. Byrd wanted to do a retelling of the story “Chicken Little” for years. He was always interested in how the chicken thought the sky was falling from an acorn dropping and accumulated others to believe the world was ending. However, he wasn’t satisfied with the usual ending of the story.
“I always liked the ‘Chicken Little’ story. But the original had an unsatisfactory ending. It didn’t really end and I didn’t think it was that exciting. I have a new twist on it, and people seem to be happy with it. At least, I am happy with it,” Byrd said.
Byrd hopes readers of his book learn not to panic, like the animals do in the book when they think the sky is falling, and to not believe everything someone tells you, but to think your way through things.
Not just an illustrator and author, but a teacher at the University of the Arts, Byrd recommends those who are interested in illustrating or writing to do what you like, keep at it and to find your own style.
“Write, read or draw what you like and not what you think you should do. It has to be you. It really does. You have to be interested and care about it, or your work will be weak. Push what you do, stay with it, develop it and don’t give up. I had the ‘Chicken Little’ story idea for 25 years. I worked at it and I improved it until it was publishable. You have to stay with it. It’s a long-term process,” Byrd said.
Byrd loves working with children’s books. He loves the imagination involved and the creative freedom. Because he loves what he does, he isn’t retiring anytime soon.
“Why retire? What would I do? I don’t even consider it a job. It is just what I do,” Byrd said.
Byrd will be at the Haddonfield Public Library with copies of his book “Brave Little Chicken” on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m. For more information about Byrd and his books, go to www.robertbyrdart.com.
