▁American ▁illustr ator ▁and ▁writer ▁of ▁children ' s ▁books . ▁She ▁won ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁Cal dec ott ▁Medal ▁for ▁U . S . ▁picture ▁book ▁illustr ation , ▁recogn izing ▁P ray er ▁for ▁a ▁Child , ▁after ▁being ▁a ▁runner - up ▁one ▁year ▁earlier . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁born ▁" half ▁past ▁Christmas " ▁in ▁High land ▁Park , ▁Illinois , ▁to ▁George ▁Roberts ▁Jones , ▁a ▁viol in ist , ▁and ▁Jess ie ▁May ▁Or ton , ▁a ▁pian ist ▁and ▁a ▁writer . ▁ ▁Elizabeth ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁brother ▁and ▁a ▁sister . ▁During ▁her ▁youth , ▁two ▁Boh em ian ▁girls ▁served ▁as ▁cook ▁and ▁nur se ▁in ▁her ▁home , ▁providing ▁an ▁alternative ▁set ▁of ▁cultural ▁norm s ▁which ▁surely ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁encourag ement ▁for ▁Elizabeth ▁to ▁develop ▁her ▁art istic ▁side . ▁ ▁During ▁Elizabeth ' s ▁youth , ▁she ▁and ▁her ▁sib lings ▁made ▁many ▁cre ative ▁out lets ▁for ▁their ▁imagination . ▁Setting ▁up ▁" tasks " ▁for ▁herself , ▁she ▁taught ▁less ons ▁to ▁her ▁doll s ▁and ▁eventually ▁read ▁the ▁entire ▁Bible . ▁A ▁more ▁collabor ative ▁project ▁between ▁her ▁and ▁her ▁sib lings ▁was ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁" Be agle ▁Language ", ▁named ▁after ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁p ets . ▁ ▁Jones ' ▁great - grand father , ▁Joseph ▁Russell ▁Jones , ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln , ▁was ▁minister ▁to ▁Belg ium ▁under ▁President ▁U ly ss