Gerald McDermott (1941–2012)
Author of Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti
About the Author
Gerald McDermott was born January 31, 1941 in Detroit, Michigan. He began studying art when he was admitted to a class at one of the nation's finest museums, the Detroit Institute of Arts, when he was just four years old. He continued pursuing his passion for art at Cass Tech, a public high school show more for the gifted. Upon graduation, he was awarded a National Scholastic scholarship to New York's Pratt Institute. He took a leave of absence during his junior year to become the first graphic designer for Channel 13, New York's educational television station, the year it went on the air. He also designed and directed his first animated film, The Stonecutter. He then toured Europe, visiting and exchanging ideas with filmmakers in England, France, and Yugoslavia. He returned to Pratt to finish his degree in 1964 and began producing and directing a series of animated films on folklore. It was then that he met Joseph Campbell, who served as the consultant on four of McDermott's films. McDermott then began to adapt his films into picture books. His first book, Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, was named a Caldecott Honor Book. His other books include Arrow to the Sun: A Tale from the Pueblo that won the 1975 Caldecott Medal, Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, another Caldecott Honor Book, and Musicians of the Sun. He died on December 26, 2012 at the age of 71. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Gerald McDermott
Series
Works by Gerald McDermott
Baker Pocket Guide to World Religions, The: What Every Christian Needs to Know (Baker Pocket Guides To...) (2008) 42 copies
Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity: Biblical, Theological, and Historical Essays on the Relationship… (2021) — Editor — 20 copies
Deep Anglicanism: A Brief Guide 5 copies
Associated Works
The Art of Reading: Forty Illustrators Celebrate RIF's 40th Anniversary (2005) — Contributor — 242 copies
The Worlds of Joseph Smith: A Bicentennial Conference at the Library of Congress (2006) — Contributor — 30 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1941-01-31
- Date of death
- 2012-12-26
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Occupations
- filmmaker
children's book author
Members
Reviews
Independent or whole group reading.
Caldecott Honor Award.
Caldecott Honor Award.
A traditional Ashanti tale about a spider, Anansi. Anansi is out a long journey when he encounters trouble when he meets fish and falcon. Thankfully Anansi also encounters Nyame, the God of all Things, he is able to help get Anansi out of his tough situation. This beautifully illustrated book will be a favorite among elementary students.
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 31
- Also by
- 4
- Members
- 10,237
- Popularity
- #2,319
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 487
- ISBNs
- 203
- Languages
- 3
- Favorited
- 1
Awards:Caldecott Honor