P.D.
Eastman
A Remarkable Children’s Author

Phillip Dey
Eastman
1909-1986
Born in Amherst,
Massachusetts

The Early
Years
After graduating Amherst College in
1933 Eastman moved to New York City where he studied at the National
Academy of Design
Eastman moved to Los Angeles in 1936 when he landed a job with Walt Disney
Studios working in design and story and was also an assistant animator
The unpredictability of the 1930’s economy had set the stage for great turmoil amongst the animation employees of Disney Studios by 1941

Marriage
During Eastman's time at Disney
Studios he met a woman named
Mary Louise Witham
Mary worked in the color model department They would marry in 1941
In 1942 Eastman moved from the
Disney Studios over to a place called
“Leon Schlesinger Productions”; more popularly known as “Warner Brothers
Cartoons”

WWII
Duty called upon Eastman in
1943 when he was inducted in to the United States Army and assigned to the Single
Corps Film Unit
His duties included picture planning for training and orientation videos
He was also a writer and storyboard artist for the
“Private Snafu” which was a very popular Army-Navy magazine This would also be Eastman’s first encounter with Ted
Geisel (aka Dr Seuss) as he was the head of his unit

Post WWII
Eastman was discharged from the Army in 1943 and became a writer and storyboard artist for United productions of America (UPA)
During his time at UPA he helped create the famous character “MR. Magoo”
Along side his co-writer Bill
Scott they wrote Gerald
McBoing-Boing This animated story was based off a phonograph record by Dr.
Seuss
Gerald McBoing-Boing won an Oscar in 1951 for “Best
Animated Short Subject”

Headed East
In 1954 Eastman and his family moved back east to Westport
Connecticut where he would do mostly freelance work
A couple of years after moving back to Connecticut Eastman was approached by Ted Geisel to write a series of children’s books called “Beginner Books”
The first of this series was, Sam and the Firefly
Many more wonderful books followed including Big Dog Little
Dog, The Alphabet Book, The best Nest, I’ll Teach My Dog 100
Words, Snow, Flap Your Wings,
Are You MY Mother?, Go Dog Go and Robert The Rose Horse