author
Grace Moon
1877–1947
Best known for the Newbery Honor book The Runaway Papoose, this American writer created children’s stories shaped by Southwestern settings and Native American themes. Many of her books were illustrated by her husband, Carl Moon, giving the pair a distinctive collaborative style.
1 Audiobook
Wongo and the Wise Old Crow
by Grace Moon, Carl Moon
About the author
Born Grace Purdie, she was an American children’s author whose work is closely associated with the American Southwest. Reference sources consulted for this profile identify her as Grace Moon and place her life from 1877 to 1947, while some widely used summaries list 1884 as her birth year, so the exact year is reported inconsistently.
She wrote numerous books for young readers, often drawing on Native American themes and regional settings. Her best-known title is The Runaway Papoose (1928), which received a Newbery Honor, and a number of her books were illustrated by her husband, Carl Moon.
Today, she is remembered mainly for that body of children’s literature and for the strong visual-and-text partnership behind it. Her work reflects the tastes and storytelling approaches of its era, which can make it especially interesting for readers exploring older American children’s books.