🎂 Born 1952: Karen Hesse
She was a renowned American children’s and young adult author and poet (1952). She was adept at using free verse, rich in blank rhythms and a sense of breath, to reconstruct the living conditions of children in real historical events. Her writing was restrained and detached yet extremely emotionally powerful.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Don’t Let the Wind Come (Out of the Dust(1997) — Award 1998 Newbery MedalSet in Oklahoma during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, the story follows 14-year-old Billy Joe, a passionate pianist whose pregnant mother dies in a kerosene fire that severely burns her hands. Amidst the swirling dust, poverty, and guilt, Billy’s love for the land and music helps her emerge from the shadows, poignantly showcasing the resilience of life in the face of adversity.
- Livka’s Letters (Letters from Rifka(1992) — A realistic masterpiece that tells the story of a Jewish girl named Livka and her family who are on their way to exile from Russia to the United States. She is isolated in Belgium because she has a ringworm disease and records her courage and hope through poetic letters to her cousin.
- His representative works also include the children’s novel *Brooklyn Bridge*.Brooklyn Bridge), Nier’s Sky (Phoenix Rising) and the heartwarming picture book “Accompanying Dad to the Night Shift” (Night Job / Nights with Dad).
| Birth | Karen Hesse | Karen Hesse (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 1992 – Death: Mary Norton
Catherine Mary Norton (1903–1992), a renowned British children’s author, was a leading figure in 20th-century British fantasy literature. She was adept at constructing wondrous miniature worlds with extremely realistic microscopic physical details and empathetic writing.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- The Borrower Series (The Borrowers (Series, pioneering work 1952) — Awarded 1952 Carnegie MedalListed in “1001 Children’s Books,” the story tells of the Crook family (Pod, Homilly, and Arrietty), who live beneath the floorboards of an old English mansion. They are only a few centimeters tall and survive by “borrowing” safety pins for door latches, blotting paper for wallpaper, and stamps for wall hangings when humans aren’t looking. Arrietty’s encounter with a human boy shatters their tranquility, unfolding a miniature adventure about survival, freedom, and dignity. It was later adapted by Studio Ghibli into the classic animated film “Arrietty the Secret World of Arrietty.”
| Deceased | Mary Norton | Mary Norton (Wikipedia) |
🎂 1854 – Born: Joseph Jacobs
A renowned British folklorist, historian, and literary critic of Australian descent (1854–1916). He was the founder of the systematic collection and compilation of English oral literature and folk tales, and is hailed as “the Brothers Grimm of England”.
- An enduring monument to folk customs:
- British folk tales (English Fairy Tales(1890) and More British Fairy Tales (More English Fairy Tales(1894) — He rejected the rigid didactic rewriting of the Victorian era, insisting on preserving the oral rhythm and original flavor of folk storytelling. *The Three Little Pigs*The Three Little Pigs), Jack and the Beanstalk (Jack and the BeanstalkThe classic English texts of timeless fairy tales such as “Donnie and the Gingerbread Man” were all collected and established by him, becoming a source of inspiration for countless picture books in later generations.
| Birth | Joseph Jacobs | Joseph Jacobs (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 1958 – Died: Marjorie Flack
American children’s picture book author and illustrator (1897–1958). She was an important female creator in the pioneering period of American picture books in the first half of the 20th century, and was good at showing the psychological exploration of young children through the innocent and intuitive perspective of animals and the brisk short sentences.
- Representative works and content passed down through generations:
- The Story About Ping (The Story About Ping(1933, illustrated by Kurt Wiese) — Selected for “1001 Children’s Books,” a perennial favorite in American picture books. The story takes place on the Yangtze River, where a little duck named Ping follows the flock to forage for food. At dusk, the last duck to board a boat gets a spanking. One day, to avoid being spanked, Ping hides on the shore, experiencing a night of getting lost and being captured by fishermen. Ultimately, he bravely faces reality, accepts his punishment, and returns home.
- ““Angus the Puppy” series（Angus and the Ducks (etc., 1930) — A classic picture book for young children, written and illustrated by the author, vividly depicting the adorable daily life of a curious little Scottish Terrier chasing wild ducks and exploring the unknown world in the yard.
| Passed Away | Marjorie Flack | Marjorie Flack (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 2002 – Death: Phoebe Gilman
American-Canadian children’s picture book author and illustrator (1940–2002). Her style is characterized by a strong folk art warmth, retro and delicate wood tones, and exquisite vertical parallel panels.
- Representative works and content passed down through generations:
- Grandpa will definitely have a way. (Something from Nothing(1992) — A global bestseller and heartwarming classic: adapted from a Jewish folktale. It tells the story of a young boy named Joseph whose grandfather sews him a warm blanket when he is young; as Joseph grows up and the blanket gets old, his grandfather skillfully repurposes it into a coat, vest, tie, handkerchief, and even a button. When the button is eventually lost, Joseph turns it into a wonderful story. The illustrations also feature a parallel detail at the bottom showing a family of mice in a burrow decorating their cozy little home with scraps of cloth.
- His representative works also include the fantasy picture book “The Balloon Tree” (The Balloon Tree).
| Passed Away | Phoebe Gilman | Phoebe Gilman (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1942: Lian Hearn (born Gillian Rubinstein)
Gillian Rubinstein (1942) was an Australian children’s and fantasy author of British descent. She established her reputation in the Australian children’s literature world under the name Gillian Rubinstein, and later created an epic series under the pen name “Lian Hearn” that blended a medieval Japanese feudal background with an Eastern fantasy style.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Crossing the Nightingale Floor (Across the Nightingale Floor, 2002, German translation Das Schwert in der StilleThe Sword in Still Water — Award 2004 German Youth Literature Prize (DJLP) for Young People’s BooksIt was selected for “1001 Children’s Books”: the first work of the “Tale of the Bamboo Cutter/Otori” trilogy. It tells the story of Takeo, a boy with supernatural hearing and invisibility, who seeks revenge for his family in a chaotic world. He sneaks into a castle to assassinate a warlord by stepping on “Nightingale Floors” that can emit warning sounds.
- His representative works also include the children’s fantasy series “The Story of the Deer’s Child” (The Tale of Shikanoko).
| Birth | Lian Hearn | Gillian Rubinstein (Wikipedia) |
🎂 1879 – Born: Elsie Singmaster
American historical fiction writer for children (1879–1958). She lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for a long time and was known for her stories set against the backdrop of the Battle of Gettysburg and the German-American community in Pennsylvania, depicting the choices and resilience of ordinary young people amidst the war.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Steel Sword (Swords of Steel(Illustrated by David Hendrickson, 1933) — Awarded Newbery Honor, 1934The story centers on the Battle of Gettysburg and tells the historical coming-of-age story of 12-year-old John, who experiences the dramatic changes in his small town before and after the outbreak of the Civil War, and who comes to understand the value of responsibility and peace amidst family conflicts and the storms of war.
| Birth | Elsie Singmaster | Elsie Singmaster (Wikipedia) |