Starting in 1937 and slightly reconfigured in 1941, the New York Herald Tribune began to award prizes to outstanding children’s books each spring. At the time, these awards were considered by many, both inside and outside the publishing world, as the equivalent of the Caldecott and Newbery medals. Each year, a major children’s illustrator would create a poster for the festival, the vast majority of which were destroyed following the celebration.

This original 22 x 16-3/4” color poster is by artist and storyteller Lynd Ward. Ward won the Caldecott Medal for The Biggest Bear (Boston: Houghton Mifflin) in 1953 and was the illustrator for the Newbery Award-winning Johnny Tremain (Boston: Houghton Mifflin) in 1944 as well as the creator of six adult wordless novels in woodcuts such as Madman’s Drum (London: Jonathon Cape, 1930). This Herald Tribune Children’s Spring Book Festival poster is printed on heavy stock, dates from the 1950’s, and is in Fine condition. A young boy rests against a tree, fishing pole and worms by his side, and shares a book with a curious squirrel.