Natalie Savage Carlson (October 3, 1906 – September 23, 1997) was an American writer of children's books. For her lifetime contribution as a children's writer, she was United States nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1966.
Carlson was born in Kernstown, Virginia, of French Canadian descent, and worked many old family stories and folktales into early books like The Talking Cat and Other Stories of French Canada (1952). Carlson published her first story at age eight on the children's page of the Baltimore Sunday Sun. For The Family Under the Bridge, she was a runner-up for the 1959 Newbery Medal from the professional librarians, which annually recognizes the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children".
Carlson died on September 23, 1997, in Rhode Island.
Works The Talking Cat: and other stories of French Canada, illustrator Roger Duvoisin, Harper, 1952 Wings Against the Wind, illustrator Mircea Vasiliu, Harper, 1955 Sashes Red and Blue, illustrator Rita Fava, Harper & Brothers, 1956 The Happy Orpheline, illustrator Garth Williams, Harper, 1957 The Family Under the Bridge, illustrator Garth Williams, Harper, 1958; A Brother for the Orphelines, illustrator Garth Williams, Harper, 1959 Evangeline, Pigeon of Paris, illustrator Nicholas Mordvinoff, Harcort Brace Jovanovich, 1960; reissued as Pigeon of Paris, illustrator Quentin Blake, Scholastic, 1972 The Tomahawk Family, illustrator Stephen Cook, Harper, 1960 The Song of the Lop-Eared Mule, illustrator Janina Domanska, Harper, 1961 A Pet for the Orphelines, illustrator Fermin Rocker, Harper, 1962 Carnival in Paris, illustrator Fermin Rocker, Harper & Row, 1962 Jean-Claude's Island, illustrator Nancy Ekholm Burkert, Harper & Row, 1963. School Bell in the Valley, illustrator Gilbert Riswold, Harcourt, 1963, The Letter on the Tree, illustrator John Kaufmann, Harper & Row, 1964 The Orphelines in the Enchanted Castle, illustrator Adriana Saviozzi, Harper, 1964 The Empty Schoolhouse, illustrator John Kaufman, HarperCollins, 1965, Sailor's Choice, illustrator George Loh, Harper & Row, 1966 Chalou, Harper & Row, 1967, illustrator George Loh, AC 67–10034 Luigi of the Streets, illustrator Emily Arnold McCully, Harper & Row, 1967 Ann Aurelia and Dorothy, illustrator Dale Payson, Harper & Row, 1968 The Half Sisters, illustrator Thomas Di Grazia, Harper & Row, 1970 Luvvy and the Girls, illustrator Thomas Di Grazia, Harper & Row, 1971 Marie Louise's Heyday, illustrators Jose Aruego, Ariane Dewey, Scribner, 1975, Runaway Marie Louise, illustrators Jose Aruego, Ariane Dewey, Scribner, 1977, The Night the Scarecrow Walked, illustrators Charles Robinson, 1979, King of the Cats, and Other Tales, illustrated by David Frampton, Doubleday, 1980
References
External links Natalie Savage Carlson, Special Collections at the University of Southern Mississippi (Historical Manuscripts)