Bob Barner grew up in northern Ohio and has been drawing since he was three years old. He graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design and moved to Boston to pursue a creative career. Bob initially worked as an art director at several advertising agencies and design studios. And he was hired to help nationally syndicated comic strip creator Al Capp draw Lil’ Abner. Early in his career he studied with Milton Glaser at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Bob became a successful freelance illustrator working for national accounts and large educational institutions like the New England Aquarium and the Boston Museum of Science. Eventually his work moved in the direction of creating children’s books. Today Bob has written and illustrated more than 30 books, some of which have been translated into Korean, Spanish, Danish, Chinese and French. Several have been developed as videos and set to music by Weston Woods, Inc. He likes to present his books and music to schools and libraries all around the world.
Bob has won the Parent’s Choice Award, Teacher’s Choice Award, Andy Award, several American Bookseller Association “Pick of the Lists” recognition, Book Build West honors and the Texas Library Association 2×2 Reading List among many other honors.
Videos made from his books by Weston Woods have won ALA Notable Video, Worldfest Silver Remi and Best of the List Heart of Texas Literature Center. The music, toy and book packages that he illustrated for Kindermusik have won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award and the National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval. In 2004 he was honored as a San Francisco Library Laureate. His books have been reviewed by the LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Boston Globe, Horn Book, School Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly. His work has been chosen several times for the Society of Illustrator’s Original Art Exhibition in New York.
He lives with his wife Catherine in San Francisco.
