McDaniels, Preston 1952-

Personal

Born 1952.

Addresses

Home and office—Aurora, NE.

Career

Illustrator.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

A Perfect Snowman, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2007.

ILLUSTRATOR

Jaroslav J. Vajda, God of the Sparrow, Morehouse Pub. (Harrisburg, PA), 1999.

Jennie Bishop, The Princess and the Kiss: A Story of God's Gift of Purity, Warner Press (Anderson, IN), 1999.

Cecil Frances Alexander, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Morehouse Pub. (Harrisburg, PA), 2000.

Caroline Kim Hatton, Veiro and Philippe, Front Street (Chicago, IL), 2001.

Sabine Baring-Gould, Now the Day Is Over, Morehouse Pub. (Harrisburg, PA), 2001.

Christopher Webber, Praise the Lord, My Soul: Psalm 104 for Children, Morehouse Pub. (Harrisburg, PA), 2002.

Cynthia Rylant, The Lighthouse Family: The Storm, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2002.

Herbert F. Brokering, Earth and All Stars, Morehouse Pub. (Harrisburg, PA), 2002.

Cynthia Rylant, The Lighthouse Family: The Whale, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2003.

Bryce Milligan, The Prince of Ireland and the Three Magic Stallions, Holiday House (New York, NY), 2003.

Christopher Webber, Shout for Joy and Sing!: Psalm 65 for Children, Morehouse Pub. (Harrisburg, PA), 2003.

Cynthia Rylant, The Lighthouse Family: The Eagle, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2004.

John W. Stewig, Whuppity Stoorie, Holiday House (New York, NY), 2004.

Jennie Bishop, The Squire and the Scroll: A Tale of the Rewards of a Pure Heart, Warner Press (Anderson, IN), 2004.

Christopher Webber, The Lord Is My Shepherd: Psalm 23 for Children, Morehouse Pub. (Harrisburg, PA), 2004.

Cynthia Rylant, The Lighthouse Family: The Octopus, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.

Cynthia Rylant, The Lighthouse Family: The Turtle, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.

Frances O'Roark Dowell, Phineas L. MacGuire … Erupts!, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

Frances O'Roark Dowell, Phineas L. MacGuire … Gets Slimed!, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2007.

Frances O'Roark Dowell, Phineas L. MacGuire … Blasts Off!, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2008.

Sidelights

The detailed water color, graphite, and colored-pencil images of Nebraska-based artist Preston McDaniels have been paired with texts by authors ranging from Bryce Milligan and John Warren Stewig to Cynthia Rylant and Christopher Webber. Praising the artist's contribution to Stewig's retelling of a traditional Scottish tale in Whuppity Stoorie, Booklist contributor Abby Nolan noted that McDaniels' "flowing, earth-toned illustrations nicely complement the playful turns of the [Scots] language" in Stewig's book. An Irish story, Milligan's The Prince of Ireland and the Three Magic Stallions, also benefits from McDaniels' art, according to Booklist critic Carolyn Phelan, the critic concluding that the artist's "lively pencil artwork, tinted with watercolor washes," contains "humble details [that] help create an inviting setting."

McDaniels' most frequent collaborations include working with Frances O'Roark Dowell to create art for her "Phineas L. MacGuire" books and bringing to life the "Lighthouse Family" chapter-book series by popular author Rylant. Geared for early elementary readers, Rylant's The Lighthouse Family: The Storm and its sequels focus on a cat named Pandora who lives with a dog and several mice in a remote lighthouse. Reviewing the book, Booklist critic Karin Snelson wrote that "McDaniels' soft pastel sketches are as lovely and soothing as…. [Rylant's] simple, timeless tale," while Dona Ratterree compared the illustrator's "charming illustrations" with the work of noted nineteenth-century author/illustrator Beatrix Potter. In The Lighthouse Family: The Turtle, McDaniels depicts the family's reaction when a sea turtle washes up on the rocky shore surrounding their lighthouse, his "elaborate, accomplished graphite drawings exud[ing] … personality," according to a Kirkus Reviews writer. Describing The Lighthouse Family: The Whale, Hazel Rochman concluded in Booklist that the book's pastel-and-pencil "drawings are old-fashioned without being fussy and add needed drama" to Rylant's story. Turning to the "Phineas L. MacGuire" books, McDaniels' "amusing black-and-white illustrations add to the fun" of Dowell's middle-grade novel Phineas L. MacGuire … Blasts Off!, according to Horn Book reviewer Robin L. Smith.

In addition to his work for other authors, McDaniels has also written an original, self-illustrated book with a holiday theme. In A Perfect Snowman he tells the story of a boy who creates a snowman that then gives up one of his most prized possessions in order to ease the hunger of a family of rabbits. Praising McDaniels' "spa- cious" sepia-toned pencil drawings, Booklist contributor Ilene Cooper added that A Perfect Snowman benefits from its author/illustrator's "excellent artistic choices."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 15, 2002, Karin Snelson, review of The Lighthouse Family: The Storm, p. 612; March 15, 2003, Carolyn Phelan, review of The Prince of Ireland and the Three Magic Stallions, p. 1322; February 15, 2004, Abby Nolan, review of Whuppity Stoorie, p. 1058; October 1, 2005, Hazel Rochman, review of The Lighthouse Family: The Octopus, p. 59; August, 2007, Abby Nolan, review of Phineas L. MacGuire … Gets Slimed!, p. 77; December 1, 2007, Ilene Cooper, review of A Perfect Snowman, p. 49.

Horn Book, September-October, 2007, Robin Smith, review of Phineas L. MacGuire … Gets Slimed!, p. 571; July-August, 2008, Robin L. Smith, review of Phineas L. MacGuire … Blasts Off!, p. 443.

Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2005, review of Lighthouse Family: The Turtle, p. 294; July 1, 2007, review of Phineas L. MacGuire … Gets Slimed!; October 1, 2007, review of A Perfect Snowman.

School Library Journal, November, 2002, Dona Ratterree, review of The Lighthouse Family: The Storm, p. 134; November, 2003, Barbara Buckley, review of The Lighthouse Family: The Whale, p. 115; March, 2004, Grace Oliff, review of Whuppity Stoorie, p. 200; November, 2004, Debbie Stewart Hoskins, review of The Lighthouse Family: The Eagle, p. 117; June, 2006, Wendi Hoffenberg, review of Phineas L. MacGuire … Erupts!, p. 110.