🎂 Born 1946: Anthony Browne
Renowned British children’s picture book author and illustrator (1946). He was a master of surrealism in the world of picture books in the second half of the 20th century, adept at incorporating René Magritte-esque fantastical visual illusions, variations of famous paintings, and ambiguous symbols into warm and realistic life scenes. He served as the British Children’s Literature Laureate (2009–2011).
- World’s highest honors and representative works:
- At In 2000, he won the Hans Christian Andersen Award (HCAA) for Best Artist..
- Twice awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal (CIL): In 1983, he starred in “Gorilla” (Gorilla), 1992 with “Zoo” (ZooHe won the Greenaway Medal twice.
- Gorilla (Gorilla(1983) — Hannah, a lonely girl yearning for her father’s love and companionship, experiences the miraculous resurrection of her toy gorilla on her birthday night. The gorilla dons her father’s trench coat and takes Hannah for a walk in the night zoo, to eat dessert, and to dance. The book uses surreal techniques to reflect the emotional alienation in modern urban families and the deep psychological desires of children.
- Sounds in the Park (Voices in the Park(1998) — Award The French Sorcières AwardThe story of a walk in the same park at the same time is told by four protagonists from different backgrounds (an arrogant upper-class lady, an unemployed and frustrated father from the lower class, an insecure and introverted little boy named Charles, and a cheerful and lively little girl named Dirty), each using four different fonts, four different color styles, and completely different psychological perspectives. It is a textbook example of modern multi-perspective visual narrative.
- My Dad (My Dad(2000) — Using the classic tan plaid bathrobe as a central motif, the film portrays a versatile father who is “as strong as a gorilla and as happy as a hippo” in a childlike and proud tone, and has become a global phenomenon.
- His representative biographical works include “Playing with Shapes” (Playing the Shape Game).
| Birth | Anthony Browne | Anthony Browne (Wikipedia) / Douban People |
🎂 Born 1975: Matthew Cordell
A renowned contemporary American children’s picture book author and illustrator (1975). His style is characterized by relaxed and fluid pen lines, expressive and emotionally warm transparent watercolor washes, and a deep, empathetic gaze at wilderness and humanity.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- I Met a Little Gray Wolf (Wolf in the Snow(2017) — Awarded 2018 Caldecott MedalA masterpiece of visual narrative, almost entirely wordless. In a blizzard, a little girl in a red cloak, on her way home from school, encounters a lost gray wolf cub on a snowy plain. Braving the biting cold, the girl follows the wolf’s howls to return the cub to its pack; however, exhausted, she later loses her way and collapses in the blizzard. The mother wolf, leading her pack, howls to lure the girl’s parents. The work, with its extremely pure use of light and shadow and brushstrokes, composes a song of mutual rescue and trust between humans and wild animals, transcending species.
- His representative works also include the heartwarming picture book “You Are Hope,” which he wrote and illustrated himself.Hope), and the humorous picture book “Special Delivery” in collaboration with Philip Stead (Special Delivery), “Hi! Hi!“Hello! Hello!).
| Birth | Matthew Cordell | Matthew Cordell (Wikipedia) / Douban People |
⚰️ 1986 – Death: Noel Streatfeild
A renowned British children’s author and novelist (1895–1986). She was a stage actress in her early years and was adept at closely combining the rigorous and realistic details of professional training (ballet, circus, skating), the growth of an orphan, and the daily life of the British middle class, thus creating a classic paradigm for modern British children’s “career novels”.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- The Circus is Coming! (The Circus Is Coming / US version name Circus Shoes(1938) — Awarded The 1938 Carnegie Medal (British Literature Prize)The story follows Peter and Santa, siblings who, after losing their parents, escape their foster home and go to live with their uncle, a horse trainer in a traveling circus. The tale follows their growth as they learn humility, resilience, and a skill while living in the circus caravan.
- Ballet Shoes (Ballet Shoes(1936) — Selected for “1001 Children’s Books,” an inspirational classic that has been popular worldwide for nearly a century. It tells the moving story of three orphaned sisters (Pauline, Petrova, and Bosie) adopted by paleontologist Gum, who vow to “make their names in history through their own efforts” in their impoverished lives, and how they each strive to be self-reliant in their respective fields of drama, mechanical aviation, and ballet.
| Passed Away | Noel Streatfeild | Noel Streatfeild (Wikipedia) / Douban People |
🎂 1966 – Born: Thomas Lavachery
Belgian children’s literature author, documentary director, and professor at the Free University of Brussels (1966). He excels at combining the vast and desolate texture of ancient Norse mythology with modern fantasy adventure concepts, creating stories with a tight pace and refined, solemn writing.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Hero Björn: Who is Morpheus? (Bjorn le Morphir(2004) — Awarded 2006 Prix Sorcières (Fiction Prize)Set in the 11th-century Viking world, the story tells of Bjorn, a timid and small Viking boy, who, when his tribe is besieged by a brutal Yeti, unexpectedly awakens the power of an ancient Morphir and embarks on an epic journey to save his people.
- His representative works also include awards 2022 French Witch Awards The fantasy picture book “Lily’s Underwater World” (Lilly sous la mer).
| Birth | Thomas Lavachery | Thomas Lavachery (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1961: Philip Ardagh
A renowned British children’s humorist and history writer (1961). He is known for his signature beard, extremely absurd and bizarre black humor, and metafiction style that breaks the narrative rhythm at any time to engage in dialogue with the reader, making him very popular with young readers.
- Representative works and content:
- “The Adventures of Eddie Dickens series（The Eddie Dickens TrilogyHis debut work, “The Terrible End”.Awful End(2000, illustrated by David Roberts) — An absurd and humorous bizarre book: 11-year-old Victorian boy Eddie is sent away by his eccentric and irritable great-uncle and great-aunt after his parents are diagnosed with a strange “yellowing and wrinkling disease,” and gets caught up in a series of absurd and farcical escapes.
- His other notable works include the animated picture book *High Into the Clouds*, directed by Paul McCartney.High in the Clouds), the absurd life novel *The Croods: Adventures at Sea*The Grunts all at Sea), and the official guide “Welcome to Moominvalley” (The World of Moominvalley).
| Birth | Philip Ardagh | Philip Ardagh (Wikipedia) / Douban People |
🍃 [other]
| event | figure | Details/Awards | Wikipedia/Data Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death | David Wisniewski | A renowned American children’s picture book author and master of paper sculpting (1953–2002). He pioneered the use of scalpels and multiple layers of colored cardstock to create exquisite paper-cut collages with remarkable three-dimensional light and shadow and a sculptural quality. His representative work, *Clay Figures*, which he also illustrated, is a testament to his talent.Golem(1996) Adapted from the 16th-century Prague Jewish rabbi legend of bringing to life colossal statues from clay, it won the award. 1997 Caldecott Medal. | David Wisniewski |
| Death | Lois Lenski | A renowned American children’s author and picture book illustrator (1893–1974). She was a pioneer of “regional realism children’s literature” in the United States, conducting in-depth field research into the living conditions of ordinary people in rural areas. Her representative work is *Strawberry Girl*.Strawberry Girl(1945) chronicles the story of Beatrice, a poor fruit farmer girl from Florida, and her family’s struggle for self-reliance, and won an award. The 1946 Newbery MedalHis famous work depicting the raising of white girls by Indigenous people is “The Indian Prisoner” (Indian Captive) and Phoebe Fairchild (Phoebe Fairchild)Two-time Newbery Honor winner. | Lois Lenski / Douban People |
| Death | Roger Hargreaves | A renowned British picture book illustrator and author (1935–1988). His creation of timeless classics… ““Mr. Men and Little Miss” series（Mr. Men and Little Miss The series debuted in 1971, with its first installment being “Mr. Ticklish”.Mr. TickleThe series transforms abstract human emotions and personality traits into anthropomorphic symbols with solid colors, minimalist lines, and vivid faces. The entire series has sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide and has been included in “1001 Children’s Books”. | Roger Hargreaves / Douban People |
| born | Natalia Salienko | A renowned Russian book illustrator and printmaker (1961). His most famous work is the picture book *About One, Two, Three, Four, Five*.Pro odin, dva, 3, 4 i 5The illustrations, rich in geometric composition and modern humor, won awards. Plaque Award, 2015 Bratislava International Biennial of Illustration (BIB). | Саллиенко, Наталья Петровна |
| born | Alfred Slote | A renowned American author of children’s sports and science fiction novels (1926–2015). His famous children’s baseball novel, *Finding Buck McHenry* (…).Finding Buck McHenry(1991) Using baseball as a starting point, it vividly explores the history and intergenerational succession of Major League Baseball (MLB). | Alfred Slote |
| Death | Nancy Polette | American children’s reading promotion expert, author, and education scholar (1930–2025). She dedicated her life to research on fairy tale motifs and reading comprehension training, and authored *Eight Kinds of Cinderella*, which explores diverse cross-cultural versions of the Cinderella story.Eight Cinderellas). | Nancy Polette |
