🎂 1858 – Born: E. Nesbit
Edith Nesbit (1858–1924), a British children’s author and poet, was a pioneer and founder of modern children’s fantasy literature that blended with everyday life. She broke away from the rigid moralistic conventions of Victorian fairy tales and placed living, erroneous, and humorous modern children in fantastical adventures.
- An enduring literary milestone:
- Five Children and the Sand Demon (Five Children and It(1902) — Listed in “1001 Children’s Books”. The story tells of five siblings who accidentally dig up an ancient sand spirit named Psammead in a sandpit. Psammead is eccentric and can grant people’s wishes. The children make various wishes, such as becoming beautiful, rich, and flying, but they find that each wish brings unexpected hilarious trouble and chaos before sunset, profoundly exploring the balance between desire and reality.
- The Children by the Railway (The Railway Children(1906) — The story takes place in London and follows three siblings who move with their mother to a small house by the railway after their father is wrongfully imprisoned. The children embark on a series of daily adventures by the railway, rescuing trains and averting dangers, and ultimately, through their innocence and kindness, help clear their father’s name. It is a well-known and heartwarming inspirational classic in Britain.
- His representative works also include “The Treasure Hunt Six” (The Story of the Treasure Seekers).
| Birth | E. Nesbit | E. Nesbit (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 1981 – Died: Carol Ryrie Brink
American historical fiction writer for children (1895–1981). Her works are known for their extremely warm and humorous language and their authentic accounts of rural life during the American frontier period.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Wild Girl Katie (Caddie Woodlawn(1935, also translated as “Cardy Woodlawn”) — Awarded The 1936 Newbery MedalBased on the author’s grandmother’s true childhood experiences in the Wisconsin wilderness during the 1860s, the story follows Katie, a tomboy who refuses to be bound by traditional ladylike etiquette. She rides horses and fishes in the forest with her brothers, and even single-handedly rides through snowstorms to resolve a crisis of war when misunderstandings arise between white settlers and Native Americans. The work showcases the vitality of perseverance, courage, and independent self-respect.
| Passed Away | Carol Ryrie Brink | Carol Ryrie Brink (Wikipedia) |
🎂 1915 – Born: Brinton Turkle
American children’s picture book author and illustrator (1915–2003). He was skilled at using extremely elegant and soft lithograph lines and watercolor rendering to depict the early history of America and the warm daily life of childhood.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Your Friend Obadiah (Thy Friend, Obadiah(1969) — Awarded 1970 Caldecott HonorThe story takes place on Nantucket Island in the 19th century. A Quaker boy named Obadiah is constantly followed by a wild seagull, which bothers and embarrasses him greatly. One day, the seagull gets a fishhook stuck in its beak, and Obadiah helps it out of its pain. After the seagull recovers and flies away, Obadiah suddenly realizes that he has established a sincere and equal friendship with this wild bird.
| Birth | Brinton Turkle | Brinton Turkle (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1922: Leonard Baskin
American sculptor, printmaker, and book illustrator (1922–2000). His sculptures and prints are characterized by strong expressionism, and he is known for his meticulous brushwork with an ink-wash print quality and a mysterious atmosphere in the field of children’s picture books.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- José’s Alphabet (Hosie’s Alphabet(1972, Tobias Baskin et al.) — Awarded 1973 Caldecott HonorThis is an art alphabet book created by Baskin for his son José. The illustrations combine watercolor, ink splashes, and realistic line drawing, depicting the animals and images corresponding to each letter with the depth and grandeur of an art gallery exhibit.
| Birth | Leonard Baskin | Leonard Baskin (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1987: Nastasia Rugani
French psychological novelist focusing on children and teenagers (1987). Her works are known for their extremely keen social and psychological insights, rigorous logic, and direct exploration of the inner trauma of teenagers.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Millie Vodovich (Milly Vodović(2018) — Awarded 2019 Prix Sorcières (French Sorcières Prize) for Young Adult FictionThe story tells of Millie’s journey of overcoming difficulties in the face of family changes, social indifference, and adolescent crisis, through her unwavering faith and independent thinking.
| Birth | Nastasia Rugani | Nastasia Rugani (Wikipedia) |
🎂 1972 – Born: Stella Dreis
German-Bulgarian picture book author and illustrator (1972). She is known for her delicate use of flat watercolor washes and highly stylized “Wimmelbuch” large-format panoramic compositions.
- International Awards and Representative Works:
- Based on the work “Grimm’s Fairy Tale Journey” (Grimms Märchenreise: ein Wimmelbuch von Stella DreisThe bold visual collage and panoramic details showcased won [awards/recognition]. Plaque Award, 2013 Bratislava International Biennial of Illustration (BIB).
| Birth | Stella Dreis | Stella Dreis (Wikipedia) |
🎂 1936 – Born: Jane Resh Thomas
American children’s psychological and life realist novelist (1936–2023).
- Representative works and content:
- My dad is no longer a giant. (Daddy Doesn’t Have to Be a Giant Anymore(1988) — A children’s realistic book that objectively confronts the problem of family alcoholism: It tells the story of a little girl’s psychological growth as she learns to accept her father’s imperfections and establish her own psychological boundaries in the face of her beloved father’s loss of control when he is drunk and his tenderness when he is sober.
| Birth | Jane Resh Thomas | Jane Resh Thomas (Wikipedia) |