In a speech published in Children's Literature in Education in 1970, artist, illustrator, and author Charles Keeping responded to those who found his picture books to be too mature for children: "How the devil I can disturb anybody I really don't know." He continued, "all these books that seem to be in a land of sugar puffs and cream--it doesn't exist, you know. Turn your television on any day and you will see that. Vietnam is happening and you can't dismiss it by living in a world of sugar puffs. Kids know it is happening, therefore violence and all these things are a part of their life."

The prolific Keeping, who illustrated mythological stories, monster stories, classics, poems, and works of nonfiction written by other authors as well as over twenty stories he wrote himself, was as controversial as he was hard- working. As Brian Alderson commented in Illustrators...