Tasha Tudor: The Direction of Her Dreams
by: Hare, William John and Priscilla

Hardcover. Oak Knoll Press, 1st, 1998, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 559 pages. First comprehensive bio-bibliography of one of the most loved children's book authors and illustrators in America and around the world. Not only does this book describe Tudor's sixty-year career, but also readers will enjoy the poignant stories about Tudor written by her two daughters, Bethany and Efner, and her editors, Patricia Gauch and Dorothy Haas. The daughter of naval architect, W. Starling Burgess, and portrait painter, Rosamond Tudor, Tasha Tudor, as a child, was greatly influenced by her father's engineering background and her mother's artistic life. She became particularly fascinated by life in the 1830's, which inspires her art, writing, and her own life. From 1938 onward, Tudor's children's books captivated a wide audience. Her fans are still intrigued by her magical stories and her romantic illustration of New England's countryside, drawn from her own experiences of family life. Her work is published in more than 90 books, which have been reprinted and republished many times. Through her eighties, Tudor remained active in publishing, meeting her fans, and autographing her books. In loving tribute, this work is illustrated with many drawings by Tudor's daughter, Bethany, as well as rare early photos of Tudor as a young woman, by Nell Dorr, and 16 pages of color photos of Tudor's book covers. The bibliography includes every known book illustrated and/or written by Tudor, including those published in the first half of 1998.