Gerald McDermott Reviews

Caldecott Medalist Gerald McDermott's illustrated books and animated movies have brought him worldwide fame. He's highly regarded for his culturally diverse functions inspired by traditional African and Japanese folktales, hero tales of the Pueblos, and also the archetypal mythology of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It was his fascination with the vision of African American folklore that led him into the story of Anansi the Spider. McDermott was born in Detroit, Michigan. He also attended Cass Technical High School, where he had been awarded a National Scholastic Scholarship to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. After in New York, he started to create and direct a collection of animated movies on mythology consultation with renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell. These films became the basis for McDermott's very first picture books. Among his many awards and honors are the Caldecott Medal for Arrow to the Sun, a Pueblo fantasy, and Caldecott honors for Anansi the Spider: A Tale from Ashanti and Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest. Furthermore, McDermott is Main Education Program Director for the Joseph Campbell Foundation.

Gerald McDermott Quality Chart