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Meindert DeJong

From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.

Meindert DeJong sometimes spelled as Meindert de Jong or Dejong (4 March 1906 - 16 July 1991) was an award winning author of children's books. He was born in the village of Wierum, of the province of Friesland, in the Netherlands.

DeJong immigrated to the United States with his family in 1914. He attended Dutch Calvinist secondary schools and Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and entered the University of Chicago, but left without graduating.

He held various jobs during the Great Depression, and it was at the suggestion of a local librarian that he began writing children's books. His first book The Big Goose and the Little White Duck was published in 1938.

He wrote several more books before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II serving in China. After the war he resumed writing, and for several years resided in Mexico. He returned for a time to Michigan before settling in North Carolina

Illustrator Maurice Sendak did works for six of DeJong's books.

DeJong died 16 July 1991.

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Awards

The Wheel on the School was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1955.
Journey from Peppermint Street won the National Book Award in 1969
The House of Sixty Fathers received the Children's Book Award of the Child Study Association and was named a Newbery Honor Book.
In 1962 DeJong won the International Hans Christian Andersen Award for his contributions to literature for young people.

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