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"Back in the 1970's when I was starting out as a writer for young readers, I did my only story for the very young--my only picture book. I showed the story to my Viking Press publisher, George Nicholson. To my surprise, he decided that Viking would take it. Then he said, ""If you could have any artist in the world to do the illustrations, who would it be?"" Without hesitation, or much hope, I said, ""Don Freeman."" How well I recall that moment when George Nicholson said, ""We can ask him."" We did, and Don said he'd like to illustrate my story, but his own books came first in his working schedule. I'd have to wait, and I said I'd wait as long as it took. I might have waited forever, because Don died soon after, too soon. And so our book was one of his last. More than a quarter of a century later, Toby's intrepid visit to Grandma's house is still spurring me on. Two books of mine for somewhat older readers, A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder, won the silver and gold John Newbery medals. And what are they about? Two grandkids go off to visit Grandma in her tall and shadowy domain--a big old lady in a big old house full of history and mystery. Now if only Don were here to add the brushwork."

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"Don Freeman was born in San Diego, California, in 1908. At an early age, he received a trumpet as a gift from his father. He practiced obsessively and eventually joined a California dance band. After graduating from high school, he ventured to New York City to study art under the tutelage of Joan Sloan and Harry Wickey at the Art Students' League. He managed to support himself throughout his schooling by playing his trumpet evenings, in nightclubs and at weddings. Gradually, he eased into making a living sketching impressions of Broadway shows for ""The New York Times"" and ""The Herald Tribune."" This shift was helped along, in no small part, by a rather heartbreaking incident: he lost his trumpet. One evening, he was so engrossed in sketching people on the subway, he simply forgot it was sitting on the seat beside him. This new career turned out to be a near-perfect fit for Don, though, as he had always loved the theater. He was introduced to the world of children's literature when William Saroyan asked him to illustrate several books. Soon after, he began to write and illustrate his own books, a career he settled into comfortably and happily. Through his writing, he was able to create his own theater: ""I love the flow of turning the pages, the suspense of what's next. Ideas just come at me and after me. It's all so natural. I work all the time, long into the night, and it's such a pleasure. I don't know when the time ends. I've never been happier in my life!"" Don died in 1978, after a long and successful career. He created many beloved characters in his lifetime, perhaps the most beloved among them a stuffed, overall-wearing bear named Corduroy. Don Freeman was the author and illustrator of many popular books for children, including ""Corduroy,"" ""A Pocket for Corduroy,"" and the Caldecott Honor Book ""Fly High, Fly Low."""

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