Norman Hinsdale Pitman

Born in Lamont, Michigan, in 1876, Norman Hinsdale Pitman was an American writer and teacher whose work centered on bringing Chinese stories and settings to Western readers. He earned a master's degree from the University of Tennessee and later taught in China, including at Chihli Province College and as a professor of English at Peking Teachers College.

Pitman is best remembered for books such as Chinese Fairy Stories, Chinese Playmates, A Chinese Wonder Book, and Dragon Lure. His writing often adapted Chinese folklore for young readers and general audiences, combining a teacher's interest in culture with a storyteller's sense of wonder.

He died in 1925. Though not widely known today, his books remain a window into an early 20th-century effort to share Chinese tales with English-speaking readers.