The art of Mel Crawford from Rootie Kazootie Baseball Star Vintage Illustrated Book from 1954

A look at the artwork of Illustrator Mel Crawford from the 1954 book Rootie Kazootie Baseball Star

When I'm out looking for vintage illustrated books to add to my collection there are certain artists whose artwork I love! And one of them is Mel Crawford.

Here is an issue I found of a book he did for Golden Books from 1954 for the character Rootie Kazootie. Rootie Kazootie was a 1950s children's television show The Rootie Kazootie Club and featured human actors along with hand puppets.

(Related website category: Illustration)

Mel Crawford was a Canadian-American children's book illustrator and comics artist. He drew horror and fantasy comics for Western Publishing but is best known for adapting various child-oriented media into beautiful children's books.

Mel Crawford worked as an artist for various different film and TV companies and made books starring some of the most popular fictional characters of the 20th century, from Disney and Hanna-Barbera to Jim Henson Productions.

Mel Crawford worked as an animator at Disney in the 1950s but felt that illustrating children's books and record covers suited him better.

I really just love his style of artwork.

And of course the classic version of the back cover for Golden Books during this time period.

Check out the illustrated books for sale in my store here

Read Next: Sherlock Hemlock & Great Twiddlebug Mystery Retro Book Illustration Artwork Sesame Street from 1972

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Sherlock Hemlock & Great Twiddlebug Mystery Retro Book Illustration Artwork Sesame Street from 1972

Possibly one of my favorite sets of book illustrations and the artist's name isn't even listed, all just to keep up with the gag of the story! Just says it was told by the muppet Betty Lou from the story.

Raggedy Ann's secret vintage book illustration

On June 17, 1915, shortly after submitting his patent application for the doll's design, Johnny Gruelle who created the doll applied for a registered trademark for the Raggedy Ann name, which he created by combining words from two of James Whitcomb Riley poems, "The Raggedy Man" and "Little Orphant Annie".

Vintage Illustrated Cookie Monster Book Artwork by Joe Mathieu from 1977

I love vintage illustration artwork and some of the best comes from these drawings in old children's books.

Here is a set of artwork from the Sesame Street story Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree.

If you would like to see more of the vintage illustrated book artwork I have, you can check out the collection for sale in my eBay Store here! 

The artwork in this book was illustrated by Joe Mathieu who actually did many books and drawings for Sesame Street.

The story in this book starts out with a witch in the forest who has a talking tree that grows cookies.

Of course, as you guessed from the title Cookie Monster finds the tree.

I really do dig the pencil outline style of this artwork.

And check out the drawing of the witch in the background above.

The action poses drawn in these illustrations are also what really appeals to me in this artwork.

Some of the other Sesame Street characters show up in the book drawings like The Count, Bert, Prairie, Grover, and Oscar the Grouch.

Then don't forget the backs of these vintage illustrated children's books that all of us know by heart!

If you would like to see more of the vintage illustrated book artwork I have, you can check out the collection for sale in my eBay Store here! 

You should totally pin this thing!

Vintage Book Illustrations Anatole by Paul Galdone from 1970

This artwork is for the illustrated children's book "Anatole and the Toy Shop" from 1970.

Paul Galdone although he was also a painter and sculptor he is best known as a writer and illustrator of children's books. During his early career, Galdone worked in the art department at Doubleday where he designed a successful book jacket. 

The experience led him to believe that he could make a living as a freelance illustrator. He left behind the working world of New York City when he and his wife moved to rural Rockland County, New York. Many of Galdone's works are adaptations of fairy tales and folktales.

Children's author Eve Titus created the characters of Basil of Baker Street and Anatole. 

Basil, a mouse private detective in the Victorian age, was the subject of Walt Disney's The Great Mouse Detective. An animated adaptation was also made based on Anatole, a heroic and resourceful French mouse.

Look at more of my collection of vintage illustrated children's book artwork in my eBay store - Tom Ray's eBay Store!