By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Mevelyn Richardson of South Padre Island, Texas, and Harry Everson of Hamilton at the statue of Lentil, a character from one of Robert McCloskey's childrens books, at Riverfront Plaza in Hamilton. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

HAMILTON - Robert McCloskey left Hamilton 71 years ago and became a world-renowned author and illustrator of children's books. Yet Hamilton never really left him.

He based his fictional town of Alto, Ohio, which appeared in three of his eight children's books, on his Butler County hometown. Several buildings illustrated in those books closely resemble buildings in Hamilton.

In response to McCloskey's death on Monday at his home on Deer Isle, Maine, nine of McCloskey's local admirers paid tribute to him earlier this week at Lentil Park - named for one of McCloskey's fictional characters - at Riverfront Plaza and High Street in downtown Hamilton.

Dave Belew, past president of the Hamilton Community Fountain, placed two garlands around the necks of bronze statues of two of McCloskey's fictional characters - a boy named Lentil, a character McCloskey created from his own childhood experiences; and a dog, unnamed in McCloskey's book Lentil, but named Harmony by Hamilton children.

As an expression of mourning for McCloskey's death, Belew placed a black armband on Lentil's left arm.

"His stories are timeless," Belew said.

He placed a temporary black-and-gold sign, paid for by the Hamilton Community Foundation, in the middle of purple, orange and pink flowers near the two statues.

It says: "Robert McCloskey, 1914-2003. Thank you for your many contributions to the children's literary world and to Hamilton. We will remember Lentil."

"That is sort of our message to McCloskey," said Richard Haid, a Hamilton man who read and collected McCloskey's books during his boyhood.

A permanent sign eventually will replace the temporary one.

McCloskey graduated from Hamilton High School in 1932 and left the city to attend Vesper George Art School in Boston on a scholarship. In 1934, he designed the bas-reliefs for the exterior of the original Hamilton Municipal Building, which opened the next year.

After a few years of unsatisfying work in the commercial art field, McCloskey wrote and illustrated the book Lentil about a harmonica-playing boy in a Midwest town named Alto. Published in 1938, the book was a big success and launched McCloskey's career as an author and illustrator.

McCloskey earned the Caldecott Medal, which is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children, for Make Way for Ducklings in 1942 and Time of Wonder in 1958. He was the first artist to win the award twice.

His books, although written decades ago, still appeal to today's children. Hyatt has seen plenty evidence of that.

"We have a number of his books checked out at this time," she said.

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com