[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f_tLN4WJ5lY_AOH8r0x4Cl7_nOwkTe6ALilhtZuOr12g":3,"$f8pyAhGdAIR2_qAK3aO6XzOp-zxVgP_LDEhB5cjqfSzo":14},{"author":4,"tags":13},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":10,"slug":11,"image_url":12},68577,"Peter Sís","P",21,"In 1949, Peter Sís was born in Brno on 11 May, and he went on to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration, a recognition that came to a person whose working life crossed graphic art, painting, illustration, animation, film direction, and children's writing.\n\nSís held Czechoslovak citizenship and was educated at Uměleckoprůmyslová škola Žižkov and then at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. He later attended the Royal College of Art, extending his formal training further. At some point he also took up United States citizenship, and he worked in both Czech and English across his career.\n\nHis professional life ranged across a number of distinct roles. He worked as a graphic artist, painter, illustrator, animator, visual artist, film director, writer, and children's writer. Among his notable works is Happy City. Alongside these activities, he received a MacArthur Fellowship, an award given to individuals in recognition of their work.\n\nRecognition came to Sís from multiple directions. In addition to the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration and the MacArthur Fellowship, he received the Artis Bohemiae Amicis Medal, the Czech Medal of Merit, the Magnesia Litera award, and the City of Brno Award. That last honor connected his wider career back to the city where he was born on 11 May 1949.","In 1949, Peter Sís was born in Brno on 11 May, and he went on to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration, a recognition that came to a person whose working life crossed graphic art, painting, illustration, animation, film direction, and children's writing.","peter-sis",null,[],{"quotes":15,"pagination":120},[16,29,35,46,58,65,76,87,98,109],{"id":17,"quote_text":18,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":21,"source":22,"quote_tag":23,"commentary":12},2526177,"When I was about 12 or 13, my father gave me 'The Little Prince.' He was making sure that I knew it was a special book. I'd seen the name of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, but to me it seemed a very French name, and I was not excited about him as a person.",4,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[24],{"id":25,"tag":26},5505726,{"id":27,"tag_name":28},13296,"excited",{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":32,"source":33,"quote_tag":34,"commentary":12},2526173,"When I do my own books, I take it as more of my own confessional, but when I illustrate for other people, it is intriguing because I feel like I shouldn't be stepping too much into the limelight. It's like playing the piano while someone else is singing.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[],{"id":36,"quote_text":37,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":38,"source":39,"quote_tag":40,"commentary":12},2526170,"Ursula Nordstrom was famous for finding artists in unlikely places. Maurice Sendak was a window designer, and she just came across one of his windows. Everyone was looking to find a talent.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[41],{"id":42,"tag":43},5505716,{"id":44,"tag_name":45},25099,"across",{"id":47,"quote_text":48,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":49,"source":50,"quote_tag":51,"commentary":57},2526165,"The birds never needed passports... We always thought, the birds can go wherever they want, and we couldn't, really. The birds were very much the symbol of... free movement for me.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[52],{"id":53,"tag":54},5505712,{"id":55,"tag_name":56},11698,"needed","**The Backstory**\nThis poignant quote is attributed to Peter Sís, a renowned Czech-American author and illustrator, best known for his imaginative and often autobiographical children's books. The quote likely stems from Sís' own experiences as a refugee, fleeing his homeland of Czechoslovakia during the Soviet occupation. His family's forced migration and subsequent struggles to adapt in a new country undoubtedly influenced his perspective on freedom and movement.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nOn the surface, Sís' quote appears to be a simple observation about the migratory patterns of birds. However, it belies a deeper paradox: that the very creatures we often associate with freedom and unencumbered movement are, in fact, bound by their own biological and environmental constraints. This tension highlights the complex relationship between freedom and the constraints that shape our lives, whether they be geographical, societal, or personal.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset in your own life, recognize that even the most seemingly free entities are subject to their own limitations. This awareness can foster a more nuanced understanding of your own circumstances, allowing you to appreciate the constraints that shape your choices and behaviors, rather than viewing them as absolute barriers to your aspirations. By embracing this paradox, you can develop a more adaptive and resilient approach to navigating life's challenges.",{"id":59,"quote_text":60,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":61,"source":62,"quote_tag":63,"commentary":64},2526159,"People think children's books are about teddy bears and little flowers. I realize people sometimes don't know what to do with my books because they say, 'Is it a children's book, and what age group?'",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is likely from an interview with Peter Sís, a renowned children's book author and illustrator, perhaps discussing his approach to creating complex, layered narratives in the children's literature genre. The sentiment echoes his unique blend of historical accuracy, mythology, and personal experience, often challenging traditional notions of what constitutes a \"children's\" book.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nAt its core, Sís' statement highlights the tension between categorization and creative freedom. He's not merely pointing out confusion about his work; he's also subtly subverting the expectations imposed by genre labels, suggesting that such boundaries can stifle artistic expression.\n\n**How to Use This**\nWhen faced with criticism or misunderstanding of your work, recognize that it might be an opportunity to redefine the boundaries of your craft and push against conventional expectations. By embracing the complexity and nuance in your creative endeavors, you can not only challenge but also enrich the perceptions of others.",{"id":66,"quote_text":67,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":68,"source":69,"quote_tag":70,"commentary":12},2526158,"If I would use anything from 'The Little Prince,' even some little quote, it's all copyrighted in France. Like Walt Disney in this country, it's a national treasure.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[71],{"id":72,"tag":73},5505703,{"id":74,"tag_name":75},19246,"disney",{"id":77,"quote_text":78,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":79,"source":80,"quote_tag":81,"commentary":12},2526152,"I'm a visual person, so it always starts with a picture, and then I get obsessed with the idea, sometimes too much. I have these blank books in which I take notes, and I add postcards and other physical items.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[82],{"id":83,"tag":84},5505700,{"id":85,"tag_name":86},9093,"add",{"id":88,"quote_text":89,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":90,"source":91,"quote_tag":92,"commentary":12},2526145,"I didn't understand in the beginning that the editor didn't want me to know the author. I'd make an effort to meet the author, but it would end up being a disaster because then I had the author telling me what I should be doing.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[93],{"id":94,"tag":95},5505695,{"id":96,"tag_name":97},502,"author",{"id":99,"quote_text":100,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":101,"source":102,"quote_tag":103,"commentary":12},2526140,"I am afraid that people will think I re-illustrated 'The Little Prince,' when really, it was more a tribute to him as a dedicated pilot and a man who believed in the goodness of people.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[104],{"id":105,"tag":106},5505687,{"id":107,"tag_name":108},4924,"believed",{"id":110,"quote_text":111,"author_id":5,"source_id":19,"has_image":20,"author":112,"source":113,"quote_tag":114,"commentary":12},2526133,"I always think like I was born in the country where everybody ate apples. Then I ended up in the country where everybody eats bananas. So now, I eat bananas so long, I'm just remembering the apples.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":11,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":12},{},[115],{"id":116,"tag":117},5505680,{"id":118,"tag_name":119},55881,"ate",{"currentPage":121,"totalPages":122,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":123},1,3,10]