Provensen, Alice, 1918–2018, b. Chicago as Alice Rose Twitchell, and Martin Provensen [key], 1916–87, b. Chicago, American children's book authors and illustrators. They both attended the Chicago Institute of Art and later the Univ. of California, but met (1943) while working as animators in California and married in 1944. After moving to Washington, D.C., and then New York City, they illustrated the Fireside Book of Folk Songs (1947) and many Golden Books, including The Color Kittens (1949) by Margaret Wise Brown. Martin also designed (1952) Kellogg's Tony the Tiger. The couple, who collaborated seamlessly, illustrated Nancy Willard's A Visit to William Blake's Inn (1981; Newbery Medal and Caldecott Honor Book). They wrote and illustrated The Glorious Flight (1983; Caldecott Medal), which told the story of the French aviator Louis Blériot. The Provensens also wrote about life on their New York farm, including Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm (1974) and A Year at Maple Hill Farm (1978). Alice continued to write and illustrate after Martin's death; The Buck Stops Here (1990; updated 1997), about U.S. presidents, Punch in New York (1991), and A Day in the Life of Murphy (2003) and other tales of her dog are among her later works.
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