Peter Brown (illustrator)


Peter Brown is a New York based American writer and illustrator, known for children's picture books. In 2013, Brown was awarded the Caldecott Medal for his illustration of Creepy Carrots!.
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Early life and education

Peter Nathan Brown was born on February 24, 1979 in Hopewell, New Jersey to Kate McGinnity, a teacher, and a astrophysicist father. Brown was educated at Hopewell Valley Central High School, and attended animation classes at Mercer County Community College whilst still in high school.
From 1997–2001, Brown studied at the ArtCenter College of Design.

Career

In 2002, Brown moved to New York City in order to be closer to the publishing industry. He was working on animated TV shows when he signed a book deal to write and illustrate his first picture book, Flight of the Dodo.
Brown quickly wrote his second and third books, and his career as an author and illustrator of children’s books was under way. Since then Brown has written and illustrated many books for children and earned numerous honors, including a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award, a [The New York City|New York Times|New York Times] Best Illustrated Book Award and multiple New York Times bestsellers that include the novels The Wild Robot, The Wild Robot Escapes, and The Wild Robot Protects. An animated film based on The Wild Robot was released in 2024.

Awards and honors

As writer and illustrator

Four of Brown's books are Junior Library Guild books: You Will Be My Friend!, My Teacher Is a Monster!, The Wild Robot, and The Wild Robot Escapes,
Six of Brown's books have landed on the New York Times bestseller list: Children Make Terrible Pets, The Curious Garden, The Wild Robot, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, You Will Be My Friend!, and The Wild Robot Escapes. The Wild Robot, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, and My Teacher is a Monster! are also IndieBound bestsellers. The Wild Robot Escapes is also a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller.
In 2009, The Curious Garden was named one of the best children's books of the year by Publishers Weekly.
In 2010, The New York Times named Children Make Terrible Pets one of the best illustrated children's books of the year.
In 2014, My Teacher is a Monster! was named one of the best children's books of the year by Publishers Weekly.
In 2016, The Wild Robot was named one of the best children's books of the year by Kirkus Reviews, the New York Public Library, Publishers Weekly, and Shelf Awareness.
In 2019, The Wild Robot Escapes was named one of the best children's books of the year by Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, the New York Public Library, and School Library Journal.
The same year, Booklist included The Wild Robot on their "50 Best Middle-Grade Novels of the 21st Century" list.
YearTitleAwardResultRef.
2009Cybils Award for Fiction Picture BookFinalist
2009NAIBA Books of the Year for Picture BookWinner
2010ALSC Notable Children's BooksSelection
2010Children's Choice Book Award: Illustrator of the YearWinner
2010E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture BookWinner
2011Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's VideoWinner
2011Children Make Terrible PetsE. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture BookWinner
2011Children Make Terrible PetsIrma Black AwardHonor
2011Children Make Terrible PetsNAIBA Books of the Year for Picture BookWinner
2012You Will Be My Friend!Irma Black AwardWinner
2012Children Make Terrible PetsALSC Notable Children's VideosSelection
2012Children Make Terrible PetsCarnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's VideoWinner
2013Mr. Tiger Goes WildALSC Notable Children's BooksSelection
2013Mr. Tiger Goes WildCybils Award for Fiction Picture BookWinner
2013Mr. Tiger Goes WildWanda Gag Read AloudHonor
2014Mr. Tiger Goes WildBoston Globe–Horn Book Award for Picture BookWinner
2014Mr. Tiger Goes WildBull-Bransom AwardWinner
2014Mr. Tiger Goes WildE. B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture BookHonor
2014Mr. Tiger Goes WildGolden Kite Award for Picture Book IllustrationWinner
2014Mr. Tiger Goes WildNAIBA Books of the Year for Picture BookWinner
2016The Wild RobotBooklist Editors' Choice: Books for YouthSelection
2016The Wild RobotGoodreads Choice Award for Best Middle Grade & Children'sNominee
2017The Wild RobotALSC Notable Children's BooksSelection
2017The Wild RobotCharlotte Huck AwardHonor
2019The Wild Robot EscapesORCA Award for Upper ElementaryWinner
2019The Wild Robot EscapesNene AwardRunner-Up
2021Fred Gets DressedBooklist Editors' Choice: Books for YouthSelection
2023The Wild Robot ProtectsBuckeye Children'sWinner

As illustrator

Four of the books Brown has illustrated are Junior Library Guild selections: Kaline Klattermaster’s Tree House, Creepy Carrots!, Creepy Pair of Underwear!, and Creepy Crayon!.
Creepy Carrots!, Creepy Pair of Underwear, and Creepy Crayon! are New York Times bestselling books. Creepy Carrots! is also an IndieBound bestseller.
In 2017, Amazon, the Los Angeles Public Library, and Kirkus Reviews named Creepy Pair of Underwear one of the best children's books of the year.
In 2022, Kirkus Reviews named Creepy Crayon! one of the best children's books of the year.
YearTitleAwardResultRef.
2012Creepy Carrots!Cybils Award for Fiction Picture BookFinalist
2013Creepy Carrots!ALSC Notable Children's BooksSelection
2013Creepy Carrots!Caldecott MedalHonor
2013Creepy Carrots!Crystal Kite Member Choice Award: MidwestWinner
2013Creepy Carrots!E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Picture BookHonor
2017Creepy Pair of Underwear!Cybils Award for Fiction Picture BookFinalist

Publications

As writer and illustrator

As illustrator