Nonny Hogrogian

The New York Times attributes her for bringing multiculturalism to children's literature by evoking her Armenian heritage. Another children's author describes her approach to American culture as that of a patchwork quilt, rather than a melting pot.

Nonny Hogrogian studied at Hunter College and The New School. Training under Antonio Frasconi and Hodaka Yoshida is recorded. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is children's literature and book illustration. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are fantasy. Residence is recorded at Lyme Center. Work by Nonny Hogrogian is recorded in the collections of De Grummond Children's Literature Collection and Print Collection. Distinctions recorded are Caldecott Medal.

• Name — Nonny Hogrogian • Birth Name — May Hogrogian • Born — 7 May 1932 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Died — 9 May 2024 • Place of death — Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S. • Occupation — * Writer • illustrator • Education — Hunter College • Genre — Children's literature • Awards — Caldecott Medal (1966, 1972)

Hogrogian was born in New York City on May 7, 1932, to Mugerdich and Rakel (Ansoorian) Hogrogian, who were born in Armenia and fled the Armenian genocide. Her parents were amateur painters and her sister became an interior designer. Hogrogian earned a B.A. in Fine Arts from Hunter College in 1953. Afterward, Hogrogian worked as a book designer at Thomas Y. Crowell Co. She studied with Antonio Frasconi and Hodaka Yoshida, and she studied art at the New School. In 1960, Crowell published her first works in King of the Kerry Fair, a book with text by Nicolete Meredith, which Hogrogian illustrated with woodcuts. Subsequently, she worked as a designer at Holt and Scribner's and as a freelance illustrator. In 1971 Hogrogian married David Kherdian, a writer and editor. For two years they lived in Lyme Center, New Hampshire, where he was the state "poet-in-the-schools." The state university library is one repository for their works (in a joint collection). Hogrogian has illustrated some of his poetic anthologies and other works for publication. For one seven year period, they moved to a farm in Oregon with other followers of George Gurdjieff. In 2016 they moved to Armenia, but later moved back to the United States after she sustained a back injury—residing in Black Mountain, North Carolina and then in western Massachusetts. Hogrogian died of cancer in Holyoke, Massachusetts on May 9, 2024, two days after her 92nd birthday.