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Regina Medal - Recipient for 2006

Regina Medalist 2006: Paul Goble

Jean Elvekrog
Chair of the Regina Medal Committee
Waunakee Public Library
Waunakee, WI

Paul GoblePaul Goble, the world renowned author and illustrator of over thirty-five picture books which celebrate the culture of the American Plains Indian people, is the winner of the 2006 Regina Medal. He will receive the prestigious award at a luncheon in his honor on April 19, 2007 at the Atlanta Holiday Inn, Atlanta, Georgia.

Mr. Goble was born and grew up in England, near Oxford. His father crafted harpsichords and other musical instruments. His mother was a musician. She was a great advocate of reading to her children, and captivated Paul's and his brother's attention with the complete works of the eminent naturalists, Grey Owl and Ernest Thompson Seton. This experience enkindled Paul's keen interest and respect for Native American culture.

Upon Paul's graduation from London's Central School of Arts and Crafts in 1959, he had the great fortune to visit this country for the entire summer. Most of the time was spent on reservations, either in South Dakota with Edgar Red Cloud, or in Montana with Tom Yellowtail. At this point in his life, Mr. Goble became an adopted member of the Yakima and the Oglala Sioux tribes.

Upon his return to England, he worked for the next eighteen years practicing and teaching industrial design, particularly furniture design. He considered book writing and illustrating a hobby during this period, and published three accounts of historical fiction, the first two which retold battles between the Plains Indians and the United States Cavalry. The third book describes a young Oglala Sioux boy's raid of horses belonging to the neighboring Crow tribe. His fourth book, The Friendly Wolf, began a long series of Native American myths and legends which are his most recognized body of work.

As a teacher with long summer breaks, Paul was able to spend four more summers, which he considered spiritual journeys, in the United States. His deep respect for and fascination with Indian traditions and history finally compelled him to make a permanent move from England to the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1977.

Mr. Goble wrote and illustrated The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, for which he won the coveted Randolph Caldecott Award in 1979. His wide knowledge of Native American apparel, horse gear, blanket design, and tipi decoration are evidenced in this classic work. The New York Times Book Review appropriately describes Paul's illustrations as "a marriage of authentic design and contemporary artistry."

During the past two and a half decades, Paul has followed his passion and shared his knowledge of authentic Native American legends and customs. His series of seven stories depicting the hilarious trickster character, Iktomi, exemplify the contagious sense of humor present in Indian culture. The tales are meant to not only relate a comical story, but also teach a lesson.

Another principle evidenced in his books is the Native American culture's harmony with and love for nature. Mr. Goble strives to remind his readers that every facet of the natural world is God's world. I Sing for the Animals, Remaking the Earth: A Creation Story from the Great Plains of North America, Beyond the Ridge, and Song of Creation fall into this "classification" of his works. One can't help but notice the meticulously detailed portraits of animals, plants, and insects in these tales of the universe.

In the foreword of Paul's latest book, All Our Relatives: Traditional Native American Thoughts about Nature, Joe Medicine Crow writes, "(Goble's) art is tremendous because he is able to recreate the traditional forms with great accuracy and detail. The designs he draws are completely authentic and his colors are the same ones that were used by the old-timers before the reservation days. He is able to recreate the spirit of the old stories with his illustrations and his words." What significant testimony from an Absaroke elder!

The Regina Medal is awarded annually to an individual or couple whose body of work is "of excellent quality, consistently exemplifying the words of Walter de la Mare in Bells and Grass: "…only the rarest kind of best in anything can be good enough for the young." How proud we are, as members of Catholic Library Association, to present our Regina Medal to Paul Goble, an author and illustrator with such glowing credentials!

Paul's books have been praised repeatedly by countless professional associations, including the National Council of Social Studies, International Reading Association, Children's Book Council, and American Library Association. The majority of his original artwork can be viewed in a permanent representative exhibition at the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings, SD. A number of pieces are also owned by the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Partial List of Books Written & Illustrated by Paul Goble

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