⚰️ 1965 – Death: Monica Shannon
American children’s author (1890–1965). Born in Canada, she later lived for many years in the mountains and farms of California, USA, and was adept at combining rural natural scenery, folk traditions and customs with a poetic understanding of the psychology of young people.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Dobery (Dobry(Illustration by Atanas Katchamakoff, 1934) — Awarded The 1935 Newbery MedalThe story takes place in rural Bulgaria and tells of Dobry, a young Bulgarian farmer who deeply loves the country’s nature and landscape. Although his mother hopes he will follow in his footsteps and work the farm, his grandfather understands his artistic talent. In the snow-covered mountains during winter, Dobry sculpts a sacred statue of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child, showcasing a breathtaking artistic impact. This ultimately wins his mother’s understanding and the opportunity to study at a professional school.
| Passed Away | Monica Shannon | Monica Shannon (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 1977 – Died: Henry Williamson
British naturalist writer and naturalist (1895–1977). He was a major representative of 20th-century British nature literature and children’s animal epics, dedicating his life to observing the living conditions of streams and wild animals in the British countryside.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Otter Taka (Tarka the Otter(1927) — Awarded The 1928 Hawthornden Prize in BritainListed in “1001 Children’s Books,” this work depicts the life of a male otter named Taka, living in the rivers of Devon, England, with an almost naturalist-like precision and objectivity, coupled with a highly lyrical touch. From its birth, hunting, and courtship to its life-or-death struggles with hunting dogs and hunters, the work avoids any unfounded anthropomorphism, presenting the supreme dignity of wild life and the harsh laws of nature.
| Passed Away | Henry Williamson | Henry Williamson (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1969: Ursus Wehrli
Swiss comedian, visual artist, and photographer (1969). He became a global sensation with his unique “neatness obsession” and subversive visual concept organization, breaking the traditional paradigm of picture book reading.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- The Art of Tidying Up (L’Art en bazar / Original German name Kunst aufräumen(2002) — Awarded 2004 Prix Sorcières, the highest award for artistic creativity in France.With a dry sense of humor, Willy deconstructs and rearranges masterpieces by artists such as Paul Klee, Picasso, and Kandinsky—classifying and reorganizing them by color, shape, or size. The work offers a novel visual experience, guiding children and adults to re-examine the compositional elements and formal aesthetics of artworks.
| Birth | Ursus Wehrli | Ursus Wehrli (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1894: Ruth Gervis
Ruth St. John Stuartfield (1894–1988), a British illustrator and art teacher, was the older sister of the famous children’s author Noel Stuartfield.
- Representative works and content:
- Ballet Shoes (Ballet Shoes(1936, by Noel Stottfield) — included in “1001 Children’s Books”. Gervis illustrated the beautiful first edition black and white pen illustrations for his sister’s classic children’s novel. The story tells of three orphaned sisters, Polly, Petrova, and Possie, adopted by an elderly explorer, who, despite poverty, attend a children’s dance and drama school and strive for their dreams of ballet, drama, and aviation, ultimately achieving dignity and growth.
| Birth | Ruth Gervis | Ruth Gervis (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1929 – Peter Carter
British historical fiction writer for children (1929–1999). His works are known for their extremely rigorous research into the social and historical context, and for their reflections on the choices and fates of children amidst historical upheavals.
- Representative works and content:
- “sentinel” (The Sentinels(1980) — Awarded 1981 Guardian Children’s Fiction PrizeIt was included in “1001 Children’s Books”. The story takes place in the 1840s, when the British Royal Navy warship HMS Sentinel is on a mission to intercept illegal slave ships in the waters off West Africa. Fifteen-year-old John, a sailor orphan, and Ebu, an African boy rescued from a slave ship, forge a friendship that transcends race and culture amidst storms and war, profoundly exploring the themes of freedom, dignity, and the hardships of the abolitionist movement.
| Birth | Peter Carter | Peter Carter (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 2016 — Died: Joyce Carol Thomas
African American children’s novelist, poet, and playwright (1938–2016). She dedicated her life to depicting the rural life, family love, and social exploration of African American youth, and was awarded the National Book Award and the Corita Scott King Book Award.
- Representative works and content:
- Fire Mark (Marked by Fire(1982) — Awarded National Book Award for Children’s BooksThe story takes place in rural Oklahoma and tells the tale of a girl named Abelle who was accidentally “marked” by a cotton field fire at birth. Through growing pains and with the support of the women in her community, she gradually discovers her inner strength and healing talent.
- Representative poetry collections also include “The Darker the Berry, the Sweeter” (The Blacker the Berry: Poems).
| Died | Joyce Carol Thomas | Joyce Carol Thomas (Wikipedia) |