Illustrator Favorites: Gordon Laite

One of my favorite children's book illustrators from my childhood is Gordon Laite.  When I was a kid I loved looking at the illustrations he did for The Golden book, "Five Fairy Tales".  My favorite is Beauty and the Beast.  There is an elegant, dramatic and sweeping beauty to the spreads in his books.  Now that I'm older I've sought out more books he's illustrated.  I've included them below.  Enjoy.

Five Fairy Tales
A Big Golden Book
Golden Press 1962

Joseph  The Dreamer
by Clyde Robert Bulla
Illustrated by Gordon Laite
Copyright Clyde Robert Bulla 1971
Illustrations copyright 1971 by Gordon Laite

Now That Days Are Colder
by Aileen Fisher
Designed and Illustrated by Gordon Laite
Lettering by Paula Taylor
Text copyright 1973 Aileen Fisher
Illustrations copyright 1973 BOWMAR

Book Inspiration

I'm currently being inspired by some old children's books:
The Chatterlings of Wordland
by Michael Lipman
The P.F. Volland Company 1928

I think this book's title is The Fairy Princess.  It's hard to figure out from the type setting.
This was a gift from a friend who travels a lot.  I think it's from Germany.  Wonderful illustrations and the typesetting is very nice.

Children of the Northlights
by Ingri and Egar Parin d'Aulaire
The Viking Press 1935

Sam Squirrel Goes To The City
by William Dugan
American Heritage Publishing 1969

Dean's Book of Fairy Tales
Illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone
Playmore Inc., Publishers 1977