Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Belgian literature. For literature in Flemish (Dutch), see Dutch and Flemish literature. The writings of French-speaking Belgians, of whom the chief are Maeterlinck and Verhaeren, belong to French lit...

(Encyclopedia) McCloskey, Robert (John Robert McCloskey) məklŏˈskē [key], 1914–2003, American writer and illustrator of children's books, b. Hamilton, Ohio. He studied at the Vesper George Art School, Boston, ...

(Encyclopedia) Vittorino da Feltre vēt-tōrēˈnō dä fĕlˈtrā [key], 1378–1446, Italian humanist and teacher, b. Feltre. His real name was Vittorino Ramboldini. He studied at Padua and later taught there, but...

(Encyclopedia) Celtic literature: see Breton literature; Cornish literature; Gaelic literature; Welsh literature. ...

(Encyclopedia) Carle, Eric, 1929–2021, American children's book author and illustrator, b. Syracuse, N.Y. Although born in the U.S., Carle was raised in Stuttgart, G...

(Encyclopedia) Coles, Robert, 1929–, American child psychiatrist, b. Boston, grad. Harvard (B.A., 1950), Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (M.D., 1954). He began working with children while in the air fo...

(Encyclopedia) Charlotte shärˈlət [key] (Charlotte Sophia), 1744–1818, queen consort of George III of England. The niece of Frederick, duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, she was married to George in 1761 and bore hi...

(Encyclopedia) Le Clézio, Jean-Marie Gustave, 1940–, French novelist, b. Nice, grad. Univ. of Nice (L. ès L., 1963), Univ. of Aix-en-Provence (M.A., 1964), Univ. of Perpignan (D. ès L., 1983). He spent much of ...

(Encyclopedia) autism ôˈtĭzəm [key], developmental disability resulting from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain. It is characterized by the abnormal development of communica...

(Encyclopedia) Pied Piper of Hamelin, legendary figure of Hameln, Germany. He rid the town of its rats and mice by charming them away with his flute playing. When the citizens refused to pay him the price they had a...