🎂 Born 1954: Lisbeth Zwerger
Austria’s national treasure-level picture book master and illustrator. She is the key figure in the visual reshaping of classic fairy tales at the end of the 20th century.
- Highest Honor: 1990 Hans Christian Andersen Award (HCAA) for IllustrationThe winner (who was only 36 years old at the time) has won the Golden Apple Award and Honorable Mention at the Bratislava International Biennial of Illustrations (BIB) multiple times.
- Representative works:
- The Daughter of the Sea (The Little Mermaid)、The Selfish Giant (The Selfish Giant)、“nutcracker” (The Nutcracker)、Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland)、Noah’s Ark (Die Arche Noah)。
- Artistic Style: Zwerger was deeply influenced by the British Victorian-era illustrators E.H. Shepard and Arthur Rackham. She was adept at using large areas of flowing pastel colors and elegant, slightly exaggerated lines to create a series of misty, rainy, and poetic fantasy worlds. Her use of negative space and dramatic composition gave classical stories a modern vitality.
| Birth | Lisbeth Zwerger | Lisbeth Zwerger (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1977: Raina Telgemeier
She is one of America’s top contemporary female graphic novelists and cartoonists. She is a key figure in bringing modern children’s comics into the mainstream literary field.
- Representative works:
- “Smile” (SmileHer most famous autobiographical work records her delicate psychology during her teenage years, including getting her teeth straightened, dealing with growing pains, and struggling with self-identity.
- “drama” (Drama), and her redrawn comic book version of the Babysitter Club series (The Baby-Sitters Club Graphix)。
- Historical impact: Her works achieved the remarkable feat of topping the New York Times bestseller list for several consecutive weeks. Tajimaier, with her extremely sincere and unadorned perspective on everyday school life and her approachable and refreshing writing style, precisely captures the inner anxieties and emotional resonance of contemporary teenagers.
| Birth | Lena Tajimaier | Raina Telgemeier (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 2012 – Passed away: Leo Dillon
He was an outstanding African American graphic artist and illustrator (1933–2012). He and his wife, Diane Dillon, formed the famous “The Dillons” in the history of children’s books.
- Supreme Honor (Repeated Miracle): They created a legend unprecedented in the history of the Caldecott Medal—Winner of the Caldecott Medal for two consecutive years!
- Gold Medal, 1976: Why do mosquitoes keep buzzing around people’s ears? (Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears): It presents West African folk tales with a dynamic African feel and modern graphic decorative beauty.
- Gold Medal 1977: From Ashanti to Zulu (Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions): An alphabet book that introduces the customs of different African tribes.
- Artistic features: The Dillon couple’s work spanned multiple media, including airbrush, woodcut, and painting. Their style was characterized by a sculptural solemnity, vibrant exoticism, and a profound sense of historical and cultural dignity. They dedicated their lives to elevating the visual representation of people of color within the mainstream of Western children’s literature.
| Died | Leo Dillon | Leo Dillon (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1956: Rolf Erdorf
A distinguished German translator of children’s and young adult literature. In the field of children’s book translation, he is a magnificent bridge connecting the Low Countries with the German-speaking world.
- Highest Honor: Awarded 2024 DJLP (German Youth Literature Prize) Lifetime Achievement Special Award(Sonderpreis Gesamtwerk Übersetzung).
- Translation Contribution: Throughout his life, he translated a large number of excellent Dutch children’s literature into German. His German translations, which are highly literary and accurately capture the tone and emotional tension of the original works, have helped many Dutch works win major awards in German-speaking regions.
- Representative translations (Dutch to German):
- Famous works by Dolf Verroen:How White I Am (Hoe mooi wit ik ben)。
- Edward van de Vendel’s classics:The Dog Nino Never Had (De hond die Nino niet had)。
- And the critically acclaimed “Mishka” (Mischka)。
| Birth | Rolf Eldorf | Rolf Erdorf (Wikipedia) |
🗓️ Other Important Creators Briefings (with Exact Original Names)
| event | People (including their original names) | Details/Awards | Wikipedia link |
| born | Antonia Forrest (Antonia Forest) | British novelist (1915–2003). His masterpiece depicting life in British boarding schools, *The Autumn Term*.Autumn TermIt was included in “1001 Children’s Books” for its extremely realistic and insightful portrayal of the psychology of young girls. | Antonia Forest |
| Death | Alan Levin (Ellen Levine) | Henry’s Freedom Box (1939–2012), a renowned American nonfiction author and historian. His book, *Henry’s Freedom Box*, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, is a prime example.Henry’s Freedom BoxIt is a powerful and moving account of the true history of enslaved people packing themselves into wooden boxes and mailing them in order to gain freedom. | Ellen Levine |
| born | Ann Schli (Ann Schlee) | British historical novelist and poet. His representative work, *Don’t Ask Me Questions*, which focuses on the fate of ordinary people in turbulent times.Ask Me No QuestionsIt possesses extremely high literary and philosophical depth. | Ann Schlee |
| born | Shera Grinwald (Sheila Greenwald) | A prolific American bestselling author and illustrator. Her “Rose Cole” series (such as…) Rosy Cole, SuperstarRose Cole’s Autobiographical Explosion Rosy Cole’s Memoir ExplosionIt is humorous and witty, and is loved by school-aged children. | Sheila Greenwald |
