Last week, I wrote about the American author Lois Lenski. This week, I’d like to write about a contemporary of hers, and actually someone who she collaborated with on a few pieces.

Clyde Robert Bulla (1914-2007) was born and raised on a Missouri farm, working hard by day and reading and writing by night. He struggled early in his career to sell his writings, and when he finally did sell a book the publisher went bankrupt before he saw any royalties. After high school, he worked as a linotype operator for a local newspaper and continued to try to sell his manuscripts. He was part of a writer’s group which introduced him to some contemporaries, specifically a children’s author and elementary school teacher named Emma Thibodaux who greatly impacted his career. She encouraged him to write for children, and finally in 1946 he published his first children’s book, The Donkey Cart, illustrated by Lois Lenski. After this, he began to focus solely on writing for children. He would go on to write over 60 books, many of which were inspired by his travels throughout the world. He spent a good deal of time carefully researching the people, time, place, and cultural background of his characters. Due to this, his books are known for their vivid, concrete pictures of the settings and characters. Throughout his life, he maintained a strong interest in music and even collaborated with Lois Lenski on a book of songs for children. He also wrote books that converted stage operas into simple narratives as a way to introduce children to operas. Clyde Robert Bulla passed away only 8 years ago at the age of 93.

Here at the library we have 16 of Bulla’s books! You can see the whole list at this link. Happy reading!