William and Wanda : William’s suitcase and Draw on, draw ever, two non-fiction picturebook biographies exploring the lives and works of Nicholson and Gág, and the genesis of the modern picturebook format, an exegesis

The research I did for my Master of Arts in Children’s Literature thesis is composed of two connecting parts: an academic essay (the research portion) and an exploration of the process of writing two narrative picturebook biographies (referring to original manuscripts written by me). Picturebook is written as a compound word throughout this thesis (Bader, 1970). The thesis begins with a historical overview of the picturebook format, then focuses on narrative nonfiction picturebook biographies. The two authors used to illustrate this form are William Nicholson and Wanda Gág, who were selected for their contributions to the modern picturebook format in England and the United States of America. More specifically, I examine Nicholson’s book Clever Bill, published in 1926, and Gág’s book Millions of Cats, published in 1928, both of which are still in print to this day. While working on this thesis, I wrote manuscripts for two original narrative biographical picturebooks based on Nicholson and Gág’s lives. I examine the process of researching and writing my manuscripts, which I titled William’s Suitcase and Draw On, Draw Ever, in an exegesis paper. The manuscripts I wrote pay homage to the authors’ creative contributions to the form while encapsulating elements of their life story and journey as artists and authors. William’s Suitcase highlights the world of Nicholson, a graphic artist and classical painter, who had a penchant for capturing the simplicities of childhood. Draw On, Draw Ever is a celebration of Gág, who pushed boundaries in her art, combining elements of folklore with surreal landscapes in the creation of her books. My research contributes to broader discussions about the authors and illustrators whose work contributed to the picturebook format we know today as well as the particular elements and challenges associated with writing narrative picturebook biographies.