New Exhibit: Award Winning Children’s Literature in Art and Animation
First Floor
New Exhibit: Award Winning Children’s Literature in Art and Animation: The Morton Schindel Animation Cels Collection
Introduction
Founded in 1953 by Morton Schindel in Weston, Connecticut and named after the wooded area where he lived, Weston Woods produced audio and short video of award winning and notable children’s books. By adapting classic picture books to film, Schindel in collaboration with lead animator Gene Deitch brought children’s literature to life to enhance literacy; offer joy in learning; strengthen storytime in schools and libraries; and instill the lifelong love of books and reading. As Morton Schindel grew his artistic haven beyond his inspirational home, Gene Deitch worked eagerly from his studio in Prague, Czechoslovakia, famed for its colorful baroque buildings, Gothic churches, and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show.
In the early 1990s, Morton Schindel, an alumnus of Teachers College, Columbia University, gifted entire sets of Weston Woods materials, as well as select animation cels used in the creation of his films to the then Milbank Memorial Library. These animation cels were among millions used in such films as Doctor De Soto; Goldilocks; Here Comes The Cat!; Patrick; Red Riding Hood; Smile for Auntie; Strega Nona; Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; and Wings: The Tale of Two Chickens. Crisp colors, larger than life characters, beautiful settings, and fanciful creatures draw one’s eye to the beauty of children’s literature, with appreciation for the men who made it move.
About Morton Schindel
Morton Schindel (born, April 23, 1918 - died, August 20, 2016) earned a BS from the Wharton School of Business in 1939, and Masters in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1949. He produced more than 300 motion pictures and 450 film strips. In 2007, Schindel was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Connecticut Center for the Book, associated with the Library of Congress. He received many honors, including a special citation by the Association of Library Services to Children, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and a Distinguished Alumni Award from Teachers College, Columbia University.
About Weston Woods
Weston Woods Studios developed the iconographic technique of transforming children’s books into film. Substantial in scope, this work involves using a camera to pan and zoom over animation cels depicting images derived from original children’s illustrations. Artists must stylistically mirror the original artwork and create spoken aspects and sound effects to accompany the moving images.
International offices expanded beyond Czechoslovakia to include Henley-on-Thames, England, UK (1972), Canada (1975), and Australia (1977). In addition to making the films, Weston Woods also conducted interviews with the writers, illustrators, and makers of the films. It partnered with Scholastic in1996, and is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut. It continues to provide materials to more than 50,000 schools and libraries nationwide and has distributors in more than 20 countries.
For a comprehensive list of materials by and about Weston Woods, including the dissertation, Weston Woods: Its History and Materials, by Hannah Miller, try an EDUCAT+ search using the key words “Weston Woods” or “Morton Schindel.”
For more information about Morton Schindel, see the TC news feature, Morton Schindel: From Page to Screen.
Acknowledgements
Award Winning Children’s Literature in Art and Animation: The Morton Schindel Animation Cels Collection is designed by Ashley Wang, with assistance from Soeun Bae, Library Associates for Art and Design. It complements the 2024 award winning children’s books on display in the Rocket Cases in the second floor reading room.
