Presentation by Illustrator Wendell Minor
Keeping the American Spirit Alive: Exploring History and Nature
Wednesday, March 21, 7 p.m., Main Library, Room 108
Book-Signing and Refreshments
Following the Reception in the Grand Reading Room
Books will be available for purchase
About the Author and Presentation
Wendell Minor is an acclaimed artist and children’s book illustrator whose work is inspired by a love of America and of the natural world. Many of his books have been selected as Teacher’s Choices (International Reading Association), Outstanding Science Trade Books for K-12 Students (National Science Teachers Association), and Notable Trade Books in the Social Studies (National Council for the Social Studies).
In his presentation at EKU Libraries – Keeping the American Spirit Alive: Exploring History and Nature – Wendell Minor will show slides of his work, while talking about his personal experiences growing up in the heartland of America, and the people and places that inspired his vision as an artist.
Mr. Minor will begin by discussing his passion for “reintroducing children of all ages to the importance of the natural environment, and how humans relate to it”, as demonstrated by titles such as “Everglades”, “Sierra”, and “Mojave”. He will also speak about the value of preserving America's history and the stories of those who played a part in it, as he has done in his children's picture book biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Rachel Carson, John James Audubon, and autobiography of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon. Finally, Mr. Minor will explore the concept of the “American Spirit,” an idea that suffuses his recent books “America the Beautiful” and “Yankee Doodle America”.