Lonzo Anderson

John Lonzo Anderson (March 1, 1905 – April 23, 1993) was an American children's author. He was the husband of illustrator and Caldecott Honor recipient Adrienne Adams, with whom he collaborated during 1942–1978.

Early life and education Lonzo Anderson was born on March 1, 1905, near Ellijay, Georgia, In addition to writing, Anderson worked as a real estate broker in Hunterdon County.

By the 1970s, Anderson and Adams sojourned during winter season in the United States Virgin Islands, where three of his later books—Izzard (1973), The Day the Hurricane Happened (1974), and Night of the Silent Drums (1975)—were set; in this capacity, they were based in St. John. Anderson spent five years developing Silent Drums, and traveled to Moravia, Pennsylvania and Copenhagen, Denmark, among other places, for its research. During that time, he undertook research for his works in nine foreign languages: Anderson and Adams raised two foster children of indigenous American ancestry–one from Bogotá, Colombia, the other in New Mexico's San Ildefonso Pueblo. Later in their lives, the author and illustrator lived in Wimberley Hills, Texas. was living in San Marcos' Camlu locale at the time. Published in September 1974 by Scribner, the 28-page picture book was recommended by the School Library Journal, while William J. Curtis of The Reading Teacher deemed the story and illustrations "delightful" for young readers.

The Haganinny

Published in 1973 by Ginn, The Haganinny was illustrated by Susan Harris Andersen. In Language Play (2001), David Crystal described Anderson's coinages for the book as "a cross between Lewis Carroll and Star Wars".

The Day the Hurricane Happened Set in St. John, The Day the Hurricane Happened was based on stories of tropical cyclones Anderson received from native Virgin Islanders during his research for Silent Drums. Reviews were mixed; while the St. Louis Post Dispatch complimented the author on handling the subject "capably and compassionately", the Los Angeles Times found Ann Grifalconi's illustrations at odds with the menace promised in its title. Originally a 40-page publication in Scribner's 1974 catalog,

Unfinished Early in the 1990s, Anderson was developing a story called Body of Work, set in St. Thomas in the 18th-century Danish West Indies. It was listed as a "Work in Progress" in Gale's 1992 edition of Contemporary Authors.

Accolades In 1968, Anderson and Adams' Two Hundred Rabbits was a selection of the Junior Literary Guild, as well as an ALA Notable Book. Another of the couple's books, The Halloween Party, was among several dozen works under consideration for the Caldecott Medal in August 1974. (Adams herself was a Caldecott Honor recipient in the early 1960s for two Alice E. Goudey titles, Houses from the Sea and The Day We Saw the Sun Come Up. )