Clarence William Anderson (1891 – 1971), born in Wahoo, Nebraska, and known professionally as C.W. Anderson, was an author and illustrator of children's books. Anderson had an interest in horses and drawing. When he wasn't out riding horses, he was drawing them, taking great interest in their bone structure and conformation. Anderson started his career by illustrating for other authors, but eventually began developing texts to accompany his realistic and lively black and white drawings. He is best known for his "Billy and Blaze" book series.
The adventures of Billy and Blaze revolve around proper care of the horse, while teaching a lesson. Anderson would go to great lengths to give accurate information. He would even go on to write Heads Up, Heels Down as a training tool for young horse lovers. All of the stories Anderson wrote would be based on true stories or people that he knew-only the plots were fictitious.
By the end of Anderson's life, he had written and illustrated over thirty-five horse books, and had also created covers for the Saturday Evening Post. Anderson is the namesake for Andy's Summer Playhouse, a youth theater in Wilton, NH.
All Thoroughbreds, Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1948 - 20 illustrationsPost Parade, Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1949 - 15 illustrationsTurf and Bluegrass, Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1950 and 1952 - 15 illustrationsGrey, Bay, and Chestnut, Harper and Brothers Publishers 1952 and 1955 - 10 illustrationsColts and Champions, Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1955 and 1956 - 10 illustrationsAccent on Youth, 1958 - 10 illustrationsBred to Run, 1960 - 12 illustrationsThe Look of a Thoroughbred, 1963 - 8 illustrationsBefore the Bugle, 1965 - 9 illustrationsThe World of Horses, 1965 - 8 illustrationsFillies and Colts, year unknown -- 5 illustrationsMan O'War, Horse of the Century, 1970 -- 8 illustrationsBooks written and illustrated
And So to Bed, 1935Billy and Blaze, 1936Blaze and the Gypsies, 1937Blaze and the Forest Fire, 1938Black Bay and Chestnut, 1939Deep Through the Heart, 1940Salute!, 1940High Courage, 1941Thoroughbreds, 1942Big Red, 1943Heads Up, Heels Down, 1944A Touch of Greatness, 1945Tomorrow's Champion, 1946Bobcat, 1949Post Parade, 1949Blaze Finds the Trail, 1950Horses Are Folks, 1950A pony for Linda, 1951Horse Show, Harper, 1951Linda and the Indians, 1952Turf and Bluegrass, 1952The Crooked Colt, 1954The Smashers, 1954Blaze and Thunderbolt, 1955Colts and Champions, 1956The Horse of Hurricane Hill, 1956Afraid to Ride, 1957Pony for Three, 1958Blaze and the Mountain Lion, 1959A Filly for Joan, 1960Lonesome Little Colt, 1961Complete Book of Horses, 1963Blaze and the Indian Cave, 1964The World of Horses, 1965Great Heart, 1965Twenty Gallant Horses, 1965Blaze and the Lost Quarry, 1966Another Man o' War, 1966C. W. Anderson's Favorite Horse Stories, 1967The Outlaw, 1967Blaze and the Gray Spotted Pony, 1968Blaze Shows the Way, 1969Phantom, Son of the Gray Ghost, 1969Blaze Finds Forgotten Roads, 1970The Rumble Seat Pony, 1971The Blind Connemara, 1971The Red Roan Pony, by Joseph Wharton Lippincott, 1934Honey the City Bear by Madalena Paltenghi Grosset & Dunpal 1937Honey on a Raft by Madalena Paltenghi Garden City Press 1941Rumpus Rabbit by Madalena Paltenghi Harper & Brothers 1939A Pony Called Lightning by Miriam E. Mason, 1948Midnight, Rodeo Champion by Robert E. Gard, 1951A Horse Named Joe by Robert E. Gard, 1956