Petra Mathers

Life and work Petra Mathers was born in Todtmoos, Waldshut in the Black Forest in Germany on March 25, 1945, at the end of the second World War.

Style Mathers was a self-taught artist and has a very distinct artistic style. Critic H. Nichols B. Clark describes her formal aesthetic, explaining that Mathers "[creates] simplified forms that comprise flat shapes. She assembles a carefully articulated formal arrangement whose visual dynamics are as integral to the production as the pictorial narrative." Linnea Hendricks explains that Mathers' picturebooks "combine a flat, naive, folklike style with wit and a strong sense of design" and are "praised for their freshness, originality, subtlety, and genuine feeling."

Awards and honors Petra Mathers' work has earned much acclaim, including the following accolades:

1986—New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year for Molly's New Washing Machine (by Laura Geringer). 1988—New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year for Theodor and Mr. Balbini. 1990—New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year for I'm Flying (by Alan Wade). 1991—Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Sophie and Lou. 1995—Society of Illustrators Silver Medal: for Kisses from Rosa. 1999—New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year for Lottie's New Friend. 1999—Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award for Illustration for Lottie's New Friend. 1999—Society of Illustrators Silver Medal for Lottie's New Friend.