William Steig

William Steig (1907–2003) was an American cartoonist, illustrator, and children’s author. His work includes the picture book Shrek! and the novel Abel’s Island.

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Shrek!: William Steig’s 1990 picture book follows an ugly ogre who leaves home and marries a princess. This picture book became Steig’s best-known work and inspired the animated film series.
The New Yorker: The American magazine founded in 1925 is known for journalism, fiction, criticism, and cartoons. Steig began contributing cartoons to the magazine in 1930 and remained associated with it for decades.
William Shawn: William Shawn was an American editor who served as editor of The New Yorker from 1952 to 1987. As editor, Shawn oversaw the magazine where Steig published cartoons for much of his career.
Caldecott Medal: The Caldecott Medal is an annual American award recognizing the artist of the most distinguished picture book for children. Steig received the medal in 1970 for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.
Abel’s Island: William Steig’s 1976 children’s novel follows a mouse stranded on an island after a flood. Its resourceful, isolated protagonist anchors one of Steig’s celebrated novels.
New Yorker cartoon: A single-panel cartoon published in The New Yorker, often combining a drawing with a caption. Steig built his early reputation through the magazine’s single-panel cartoon format.
Crockett Johnson: Crockett Johnson was an American cartoonist and children’s author, best known for the Harold and the Purple Crayon books. Johnson was Steig’s brother-in-law and another cartoonist who became a children’s author.
Shrek (2001 film): Shrek is a 2001 animated film by DreamWorks Animation, loosely based on William Steig’s picture book. The film transformed Steig’s ogre story into a major animated franchise.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble: William Steig’s 1969 picture book follows a donkey who turns himself into a rock with a magic pebble. This Caldecott Medal-winning book helped establish Steig as a major picture-book author.
The Depression: The Great Depression was a severe global economic crisis that began in 1929 and lasted through the 1930s. Steig’s early work appeared as he pursued art during the economic hardship of the 1930s.