Paul Goble, Storyteller

Cutting-edge and sometimes controversial, the stunning art of Paul Goble (b. 1933) evokes many emotions. Known internationally for his award-winning children’s books, Goble began his career in design, crafting furniture that was produced throughout the United Kingdom. This early work foreshadowed his use of clean, crisp lines in his later illustrations depicting the natural world and American Indian themes. Throughout his life, Goble has steeped himself in nature, honing his craft among the pine trees of South Dakota’s Black Hills for the past forty years. Starting in 1969, Goble used his art to relate little-known stories of the Lakota Sioux and other tribes to a wider audience. He received the Caldecott Medal for The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses in 1979. In Paul Goble, Storyteller, author Gregory Bryan interviewed Goble, his family, friends, and those whose work he influenced to tell the artist’s story. Bryan captures an intriguing life that few Americans are familiar with, including Goble’s childhood in wartime England. Building on this foundation, Bryan’s narrative follows the young boy as his penchant for learning led him to a lifelong fascination with the lives and cultures of American Indians on the Great Plains.

Bryan delivers an insightful, behind-the-scenes look at this well-known illustrator and writer, whose artwork is located in collections and institutions throughout the country, including the Library of Congress and the South Dakota Art Museum. Goble has written and illustrated more than forty books for children. The book features sketches and stories about Goble’s creative process in writing, designing, and illustrating his bestselling works.