Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears

Illustrated by Leo Dillon, Diane Dillon
Look inside
"In this Caldecott Medal winner, Mosquito tells a story that causes a jungle disaster. "Elegance has become the Dillons' hallmark. . . . Matching the art is Aardema's uniquely onomatopoeic text . . . An impressive showpiece."
-Booklist, starred review.

Winner of Caldecott Medal in 1976 and the Brooklyn Art Books for Children Award in 1977.
Verna Aardema was born in New Era, Michigan, in 1911. A cedar swamp in the back of her house served as her inspiration and retreat as a young aspiring writer. At Michigan State College, Verna took many writing courses, but none that were aimed at writing for children. She didn’t think about the children’s book field until many years later, when she had to make up stories to get her baby daughter to eat. Verna wrote mostly African folktales because of her fascination with that infinitely diverse continent. She published more than 25 books that have been translated into French, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, and Afrikaans.   View titles by Verna Aardema
Leo Dillon was born to Trinidadian parents in New York in 1933. He met his future wife, Diane, when they were both studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York in 1953. They married in 1957 and became an iconic artistic duo. Leo and Diane collaborated on covers and woodcuts for a number of Harlan Ellison books; in 1981, Ellison edited a biography of them entitled The Art of Leo & Diane Dillon. Leo and Diane are the only illustrators to win the Caldecott Medal two years in a row, which they did in 1976 and 1977. They produced more than 100 speculative book and magazine covers together. Leo Dillon passed away in 2012.  View titles by Leo Dillon
Diane Dillon was born in Los Angeles in 1933. She met her future husband, Leo, when they were both studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York in 1953. They married in 1957 and became an iconic artistic duo. The Dillons are the only illustrators to win the Caldecott Medal two years in a row, which they did in 1976 and 1977. They produced more than 100 speculative book and magazine covers together. View titles by Diane Dillon
  • WINNER
    Caldecott Medal Winner
"In this Caldecott Medal winner, Mosquito tells a story that causes a jungle disaster. "Elegance has become the Dillons' hallmark. . . . Matching the art is Aardema's uniquely onomatopoeic text . . . An impressive showpiece."
-Booklist, starred review.

About

"In this Caldecott Medal winner, Mosquito tells a story that causes a jungle disaster. "Elegance has become the Dillons' hallmark. . . . Matching the art is Aardema's uniquely onomatopoeic text . . . An impressive showpiece."
-Booklist, starred review.

Winner of Caldecott Medal in 1976 and the Brooklyn Art Books for Children Award in 1977.

Author

Verna Aardema was born in New Era, Michigan, in 1911. A cedar swamp in the back of her house served as her inspiration and retreat as a young aspiring writer. At Michigan State College, Verna took many writing courses, but none that were aimed at writing for children. She didn’t think about the children’s book field until many years later, when she had to make up stories to get her baby daughter to eat. Verna wrote mostly African folktales because of her fascination with that infinitely diverse continent. She published more than 25 books that have been translated into French, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, and Afrikaans.   View titles by Verna Aardema
Leo Dillon was born to Trinidadian parents in New York in 1933. He met his future wife, Diane, when they were both studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York in 1953. They married in 1957 and became an iconic artistic duo. Leo and Diane collaborated on covers and woodcuts for a number of Harlan Ellison books; in 1981, Ellison edited a biography of them entitled The Art of Leo & Diane Dillon. Leo and Diane are the only illustrators to win the Caldecott Medal two years in a row, which they did in 1976 and 1977. They produced more than 100 speculative book and magazine covers together. Leo Dillon passed away in 2012.  View titles by Leo Dillon
Diane Dillon was born in Los Angeles in 1933. She met her future husband, Leo, when they were both studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York in 1953. They married in 1957 and became an iconic artistic duo. The Dillons are the only illustrators to win the Caldecott Medal two years in a row, which they did in 1976 and 1977. They produced more than 100 speculative book and magazine covers together. View titles by Diane Dillon

Awards

  • WINNER
    Caldecott Medal Winner

Praise

"In this Caldecott Medal winner, Mosquito tells a story that causes a jungle disaster. "Elegance has become the Dillons' hallmark. . . . Matching the art is Aardema's uniquely onomatopoeic text . . . An impressive showpiece."
-Booklist, starred review.

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