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Birth and childhood
Arnold was born in Los Angeles. He grew up in Schenectady, New York and was mostly raised by his grandparents. -
Education
Lobel studied Illustration at Pratt University and graduated in 1955 with a Bachelors in Fine Arts Degree. -
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After university
Lobel married Pratt peer and fellow artist, Anita Kempler. Unable to break into the children's book industry, he found work in advertising and trade magazines for the better part of the decade. -
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Breaking through
In the 1960’s, Lobel illustrated several children’s books with Harper and Row. Such titles included Charlotte Zolotow's The Quarreling Book (1963), I'll Fix Anthony by Judith Viorst (1969), and Grimm fairy tales. -
On his own
Lobel also started to write and illustrate his own stories. His first story was A Zoo for Mister Muster (1962). -
Frog and Toad
Lobel’s Frog and Toad Are Friends was published in 1970 and won the 1971 Caldecott Honor Book. The iconic story of the amphibian pair was illustrated with earthy tones of green, brown, and grey. -
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More Frog and Toad
Frog and Toad Together (1972) was also celebrated as a 1973 Newbery Honor Book. Lobel later published Frog and Toad All Year (1976) and Days with Frog and Toad (1979). -
Coming out
Four years after Frog and Toad was published, Lobel came out to his family as gay. -
Other notable works
Lobel continued to create several more works such as Mouse Soup (1977) and Fables (1981) a Caldecott Award Winner. -
An early death
Lobel died at the age of 54, a victim of the AIDS crisis. -
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On stage
Adrienne, Lobel’s daughter, produced a Broadway stage adaptation of the Frog and Toad stories. The musical is titled “A Year With Frog and Toad” and created by brothers, Willie and Robert Reale. -
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Lasting impact
The Frog and Toad characters have become beloved symbols of same-sex love. Lobel is celebrated for his stories that were ahead of his time.