Louis Slobodkin (February 19, 1903 – May 8, 1975) was an American sculptor, writer, and illustrator of numerous children's books.
During the early 1930s, he served as an assistant to Malvina Hoffman while she was creating the sculptures that would constitute the exhibition The Races of Mankind at the Field Museum of Natural History.
Varying excuses were given as to why, including that it was too large for the space and casting shadows, and that a woman was offended by the sight of it.
Slobodkin waged a press campaign, which resulted in him being given a new commission to recast the statue in bronze.
[9] He also wrote and illustrated the popular book series The Space Ship Under the Apple Tree.