George, Lindsay Barrett
Born: July 22, 1952, in the Dominican Republic
Died:
Vocations: Writer, Illustrator, Artist
Geographic Connection to Pennsylvania: White Mills, Wayne County

Keywords: Boston Museum School of Fine Arts; Carolyn Field Award; Library of Congress; Manhattanville College; National Science Teacher’s Association; University of Wisconsin-Madison

Abstract: Lindsay Barrett George was born in the Dominican Republic in 1952, but she moved to Boston in 1972 to attend the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts. She is widely known for her books about nature, and has been successful in both writing and illustrating these books. George now lives in White Mills, Pennsylvania, where she continues to create books.

Biography:

Lindsay Barrett was born on July 22, 1952 in the Dominican Republic. Her parents were Hugh Campbell Barrett, a brewmaster, and Beryl Furet Barrett, a homemaker. In 1984 Barrett married William Trimpi George, with whom she had two children.

George began her education at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts from 1972-1973. She went on to earn a BFA degree from Manhattanville College in 1974. She also received an MA and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Though she has been painting since she was young, she did not write her first book until after she was married. In 1987, after she and her husband had moved to Pennsylvania, she wrote and illustrated William and Boomer.

George writes and illustrates books for children that teach them about nature and the animals that can be observed therein. She has also illustrated books her late husband William wrote. George’s books have been praised for their accurate view of nature, their accessibility for children, and their helpfulness in teaching classes on nature.

George’s most popular books are from the “Long Pond” and “Who’s Been Here?” series. In 1990 she won the Carolyn Field Award, the top prize of the Pennsylvania Library Association. The National Science Teacher’s Association/Children’s Book Center chose Beaver at Long Pond, Box Turtle at Long Pond, and Fishing at Long Pond as Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children. The Library of Congress chose Box Turtle at Long Pond as a Children’s Book of the Year, and Fishing at Long Pond was chosen by the American Booksellers Association as a Pick of the Lists book.

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book selected George’s Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse as a 2004 Baker’s Dozen Best Book for Family Literacy. In 2006 the committee for the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child program selected Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse to launch its initiative for connecting early book experiences with the development of reading skills. As part of the first One Book, Every Young Child campaign, Ms. George will tell her story of the creation of the book and conduct drawing sessions for children and adults across Pennsylvania in 2006. Original artwork from the book will be on display in libraries and museums around the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Center for the Book developed a Family Fun Night session as well as resources to support the use of Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse with families, in libraries, and in early childhood education programs.

George continues to live and write in White Mills, Pennsylvania.

Works:

Books

• William and Boomer. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1987.
• In the Snow: Who’s Been Here? New York: Greenwillow Books, 1995.
• In the Woods: Who’s Been Here? New York: Greenwillow Books, 1995.
• Around the Pond: Who’s Been Here? New York: Greenwillow Books, 1996.
• My Bunny and Me. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2001.
• Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2004.

Illustrations

• George, William T. Box Turtle at Long Pond. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1989.
• Huck, Charlotte, compiler. Secret Places (poetry collection). New York: Greenwillow Books, 1993.
• Schaefer, Lola M. Pick, Pull, Snap! Where Once a Flower Bloomed. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2003.

Sources:

• “Lindsay Barrett George.” The Gale Literary Database: Contemporary Authors. 23 May 2001. 25 Mar. 2002. <http://www.galenet.com>.
• “Inside Mouse, Outside Mouse.” Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child. 2006. 2 Mar. 2006. <http://www.paonebook.org/about.html>.