By JEANNE SMITH
Austrian children's book illustrator Lisbeth Zwerger, who long has enchanted young readers around the world with her gentle drawings, enchanted a large Library of Congress audience in person when she was honored at the 1993 celebration of International Children's Book Day.
"In my work, I just want to satisfy myself," she told her audience, adding with a modest smile, "but I am pleased that others like it too."
And like it they do. Her books have been published in nearly every developed country in the world and she has received almost every honor offered for children's book art.
The May 21 program in her honor at the Library was made possible by a grant from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, represented by its president, Martin Pope.
"Here we celebrate things that deal with quality of life," Mr. Pope told guests. "And not only does art do that, but, because it can be shared throughout the world, it also can contribute greatly to international understanding."
The foundation, established by the late artist and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats to encourage creativity in the arts, has supported the library's International Children's Book Day since its inception in 1987 to honor annually a person who has contributed to children's literature that crosses national boundaries.
The format for the Library of Congress program honoring Ms. Zwerger was a conversation between the illustrator and Sybille Jagusch, chief of the library's Children's Literature Center, sponsor of the celebration.
Ms. Jagusch introduced the artist as "an international star in the children's book world" and recounted some of Ms. Zwerger's honors: International Graphic Prize, Children's Book Fair, Bologna, four times; The New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books in 1982 and 1983; the Golden Apple, Biennale Bratislava, 1985; and the Austrian Children's Book Award, 1987.
In 1990, she received for the body of her work the coveted Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Illustration, one of the two "Little Nobels" awarded every two years by the International Board on Books for Young People.
The artist, whose watercolor and ink paintings have a delicate and dreamlike quality, grew up liking to draw but without artistic ambitions.
"I had a very ordinary childhood, happy but ordinary," she said in answer to a question about her early years, when her parents' home was in the shadow of the giant ferris wheel that would be recognized by most Americans from its use in the Orson Welles movie "The Third Man."
But for Ms. Zwerger, Vienna was not a particularly romantic or exciting city. One of the childhood memories she recounted was "not liking school very much." But at 16, encouraged by an English friend who was studying art in Vienna, she turned to the serious study of illustration and discovered her niche.
While developing her own distinctive style -- to please herself - - she turned to subjects she loved, folk tales and classic stories by Andersen, the Grimm brothers and others. The combination proved ideal and her books began appearing in many languages and many lands, to the delight of young readers everywhere. Today she lives and works in Vienna, not far from her childhood home.
Following the "conversation," Ms. Zwerger greeted International Children's Book Day celebrants at a reception. Prior to the program she autographed books for a large group of devoted fans who did not complain about the lengthy line leading to her table.
International Children's Book Day observances are conducted throughout the world each spring to commemorate the birthday of the famed Danish storyteller Andersen and recognize the international aspects of children's literature. The observances are sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People, based in Basel, Switzerland.
The Children's Literature Center was founded in 1963 in the Library of Congress to provide reference and bibliographic assistance to children's book authors and illustrators, publishers, librarians and scholars and to encourage recognition of excellence in literature for children. While offering no programs directly serving children, the center's reference service, publications and programs provide benefits to professionals who work in children's literature, and these are passed along to young readers.