Bill Peet, Author and Illustrator of Childrens Books

As well known as Bill Peet became for his childrens books, Peet was even more well known for his work at Walt Disney Studios as an animator and writer for major Disney movies. Its not often that a person achieves national recognition in two careers but such was the case with Bill Peet who truly was a man of many talents. Early Life of Bill Peet Bill Peet was born William Bartlett Peed (later changing his last name to Peet)  on January 29, 1915, in rural Indiana. He grew up in Indianapolis and from childhood on was always drawing. In fact, Peet often got in trouble for doodling in school, but one teacher encouraged him, and his interest in art continued. He received his art education through an art scholarship to John Herron Art Institute, which is now a part of Indiana University. Career at Disney In 1937, when he was 22 years old, Bill Peet began working for Walt Disney Studios and shortly thereafter married Margaret Brunst. Despite clashes with Walt Disney, Peet stayed at  Walt Disney Studios for 27 years. While he started as an animator, Peet quickly became known for his ability to develop a story, having honed his storytelling abilities telling nightly stories to his two sons. Bill Peet worked on such animated classics as Fantasia, Song of the South, Cinderella, The Jungle Book. 101 Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone and other Disney movies. While still working at Disney, Peet began writing childrens books. His first book was published in 1959. Unhappy with the way Walt Disney treated his employees, Peet finally left Disney Studios in 1964 to become a full-time writer of childrens books. Childrens Books by Bill Peet Bill Peets illustrations were at the heart of his stories. Even his autobiography for children is illustrated. Peets love for animals and his sense of the ridiculous, coupled with a concern for the environment and for the feelings of others, make his books effective on several levels: as enjoyable stories and as gentle lessons on caring for the earth and getting along with one another. His clever illustrations, in pen and ink and colored pencil, often feature funny looking imaginary animals, like the wumps, the kweeks and the fandangos. Many of Peets 35 books are still available at public libraries and bookstores. A number of his books are award winners. His own story, Bill Peet: An Autobiography, was designated a Caldecott Honor book in 1990 in recognition of the quality of Peets illustrations. While most of Peets books are picture books, Capyboppy is designed for intermediate readers and is 62 pages long. This entertaining book is the true story of the capybara who lived with Bill and Margaret Peet and their children. We discovered the book, which has black and white drawings on every page, just at the time our local zoo acquired a capybarra and that gave it a good deal of extra meaning for us. Other childrens books by Bill Peet include The Wump World, Cyrus the Unsinkable Sea Serpent, The Wingdingdilly, Chester, The Worldly Pig, The Caboose Who Got Loose, How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head and his last book, Cock-a-Doodle Dudley. Bill Peet died on May 11, 2002, at home in Studio City, California at the age of 87. However, his artistry lives on in his movies and his many childrens books that have sold millions and continue to be enjoyed by children in the United States and many other countries. Sources Homepage for Bill PeetIMDb: Bill PeetNash, Eric P. â€Å"Bill Peet, 87, Disney Artist And Childrens Book Author.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 May 2002.