🎂 Born 1968: Kwame Alexander
African American children’s literature author, poet, and educator (1968). He pioneered the fusion of hip-hop rhythms, verse novels, and children’s sports and family growth, creating works that are highly rhythmic, dynamic, and emotionally engaging.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Josh’s Court (The Crossover(2014) — Awarded 2015 Newbery MedalThe book is written in a free verse style full of the rhythm of basketball dribbling, changing direction and dunking. It tells the story of the tacit understanding and competition between 12-year-old twin brothers Josh and Jordan on the basketball court. Facing their father’s sudden heart disease and the psychological changes of adolescence, Josh learns to face love, loss and growth in the rhythm on and off the court.
- Never Give Up (The Undefeated(Illustration by Kadir Nelson, 2019) — Awarded 2020 Newbery Honor(Illustrator Kadir Nelson won the Caldecott Medal and Corita Scott Medal in the same year): A powerful poem paying tribute to the heroes, everyday strivers and resilient spirit in African American history.
- Representative works of juvenile fiction also include *Another Arena* (BookedCharlie’s StrikeRebound).
| Birth | Kwame Alexander | Kwame Alexander (Wikipedia) |
🎂 1935 – Born: Ali Mitgutsch
Alphonse Mittegücü, a German picture book author and illustrator (1935–2022), was born Alphonse Mittegücü. He was the pioneer and founder of the German large-format panoramic situational cognitive picture book (Wimmelbuch / treasure book) and is known as the “father of German Wimmelbuch”.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Wandering Around My City (Rundherum in meiner Stadt(1968) — Awarded 1969 German Youth Literature Prize (DJLP) Special Prize for Picture BooksThis groundbreaking wordless panoramic picture book abandons single-focus perspective and uses densely packed, vivid, and lively micro-scenes of urban life to showcase hundreds of humorous everyday stories happening simultaneously in construction sites, parks, intersections, ports, and residential buildings in the city. It pioneers a new genre of picture books that combines modern situational cognition and visual search.
- His representative works also include the children’s fairy tale “The Little Dwarf Stefan Zweig”.
| Birth | Ali Mitgutsch | Ali Mitgutsch (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 2007 – Death: Siobhan Dowd
British/Irish children’s and young adult literature writer and international human rights activist (1960–2007). During her lifetime, she dedicated herself to advocating for the rights of vulnerable groups and children. Her writing was restrained and clear, and she was adept at exploring the best and most resilient aspects of humanity within suspense and reality.
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Swamp Girl (Bog Child(2008) — Awarded 2009 Carnegie Medal(For the first time in Carnegie Medal history, the prize was awarded posthumously to a deceased author): The story takes place in the turbulent Northern Ireland border region of the 1980s, where 18-year-old Fergus accidentally unearths the well-preserved mummy of an Iron Age girl in a peat bog. The work intertwines the political storm of the brother’s hunger strike with the secret of the bog girl’s sacrifice a thousand years ago, profoundly exploring the themes of peace, conscience, and love.
- The Boy on the Ferris Wheel (The London Eye Mystery(2007) — A suspenseful and realistic classic that tells the story of Ted, a 12-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome (autistic traits), who uses his unique logical thinking to unravel the mystery of his cousin’s mysterious disappearance in the sealed cockpit of the London Eye.
- His representative works also include the allegorical novel *Don’s Ransom*.The Ransom of Dond) and Patrick Ness’s novel *A Monster Calls*, conceived during his lifetime and later completed.A Monster Calls).
| Passed Away | Siobhan Dowd | Siobhan Dowd (Wikipedia) |
🎂 1920 – Born: Christopher Robin Milne
British author and bookseller (1920–1996). He was the only son of the renowned British writer A.A. Milne. His childhood games with his teddy bear Edward (later named Winnie the Pooh), Piglet, and Tigger directly inspired his father to write the timeless classic *Winnie the Pooh*.Winnie-the-Pooh).
- Autobiographical Classics and Highlights:
- Land of Magic (The Enchanted Places(1974) — Christopher Robin’s memoir of adulthood: In an objective and candid style, he traces how he spent his childhood in the prototype of the Hundred Acre Wood (Ashdown Forest), and how he stepped out of the global fame of “the little boy in Winnie the Pooh” and found his own independent life as an adult.
| Birth | Christopher Robin Milne | Christopher Robin Milne (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 1905 – Death: Mary Mapes Dodge
American children’s literature author and renowned children’s magazine, *Saint Nicholas Magazine*St. Nicholas MagazineFounding Editor-in-Chief (1831–1905). She was a key promoter of children’s literature in the United States in the 19th century, and discovered and published children’s works by famous authors such as Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling.
- Representative works and content passed down through generations:
- Silver Ice Skates (Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates(1865) — A classic of inspirational literature for American children, listed in “1001 Children’s Books”. The story takes place in 19th-century Holland, where poor boy Hans and his sister Gretel skate on homemade wooden skates across a frozen canal. To raise money for their father’s medical treatment after he lost his memory in a work accident, the siblings, through perseverance, honesty, and kindness, participate in a canal skating competition to win the precious “silver skate” prize. In the end, they not only heal their father but also gain dignity and happiness.
| Deceased | Mary Mapes Dodge | Mary Mapes Dodge (Wikipedia) |
⚰️ 1948 – Death: Richard Atwater
American children’s humorist and newspaper columnist (1892–1948).
- Top Award and Representative Works:
- Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Mr. Popper’s Penguins(1938, co-authored with his wife Florence Atwater, illustrated by Robert Lawson) — Awarded Newbery Honor, 1939The story follows Mr. Popper, a painter who dreams of exploring Antarctica. He unexpectedly receives a live penguin named “Captain Cook” from an Antarctic expedition. After the penguin falls ill, it finds a mate and eventually breeds a 12-penguin troupe in its basement. The whole family, along with the penguin troupe, embarks on a hilarious tour across the United States.
| Deceased | Richard Atwater | Richard and Florence Atwater (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1953: Arthur Yorinks
American children’s picture book author, playwright, and director (1953). He is known for his absurd and fantastical plots, profound philosophical allegorical meanings, and dramatic tension.
- Representative works and content:
- Hey, Al! (Hey, Al(1986, illustrated by Richard Egielski) — Listed in “1001 Children’s Books” (the illustrator won the 1987 Caldecott Medal for this book): It tells the story of Al, a cleaning worker, and his dog Eddie, who live in a cramped, dark room. A large bird takes them to a beautiful but dangerous aerial island. When they discover they are gradually regressing into birds, Al desperately tries to escape back to his ordinary home with his dog, gaining a profound understanding of the value of everyday life.
- The picture book “The Fantasy Adventures of Pencil Tips and Paintbrush Tips” (in collaboration with Maurice Sendak)Presto and Zesto in Limboland).
| Birth | Arthur Yorinks | Arthur Yorinks (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born 1931: Alain Gauthier
French painter, picture book illustrator, and graphic designer (1931). He was adept at reconstructing classic fairy tales using surrealist forms, classical painting style, and mysterious imagery.
- International Awards and Representative Works:
- With the picture book retelling the classic fairy tale “My Donkey Skin“Ma peau d’âne) and Is She Tahiti?Est-elle Estelle?The illustrations drawn by [author’s name] won [award/title]. Plaque Award, 2005 Bratislava International Biennial of Illustrations (BIB).
| Birth | Alain Gauthier | Alain Gauthier (Wikipedia) |
🎂 Born in 1929: XJ Kennedy
Joseph Charles Kennedy (1929), an American children’s poet and literary critic, was known for his humorous, witty, rhythmic, and playful children’s limericks.
- Representative works and content:
- Mischievous Kids (Brats(1986, illustrated by James Watts) — A collection of dozens of humorous short poems about mischievous children reaping the consequences of their pranks, concise and full of ironic childlike fun.
- Representative poetry collections also include *Talking Like Rain*, illustrated by Jane Dyer.Talking Like the Rain), “Little Elephant’s Dream“Elefantina’s Dream).
| Birth | XJ Kennedy | XJ Kennedy (Wikipedia) |
🍃 [other]
| event | figure | Details/Awards | Wikipedia/Data Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| born | Emilio Salgari | Italian children’s adventure novelist (1862–1911). Often called “the Jules Verne of Italy,” his masterpiece is *Captain Storm*.Il Capitan Tempesta(1905) tells the legendary adventure story of a brave Christian female knight disguised as a man resisting the Ottoman siege in Cyprus and rescuing her fiancé. It is listed in “1001 Children’s Books”. | Emilio Salgari |
| born | Emma Smith | British children’s mystery and historical novelist (1923–2018). His representative work is *Indistinguishable* (…).No Way of Telling(1972) Set against the backdrop of a Welsh mountain farmhouse locked up by a blizzard, it tells the suspenseful story of a young girl named Amy and her grandmother facing a stranger intruder in the snowstorm, distinguishing between good and evil and protecting their home. It is listed in “1001 Children’s Books”. | Emma Smith |
| born | Éva Gaál | Hungarian picture book illustrator and animator (1940–2021). His most famous work is *The Musical Alphabet*.Kis zenei ábécéThe ingenious fusion of music theory symbols and letter design won an award. Plaque Award, 1987 Bratislava International Biennial of Illustrations (BIB). | Gaál Éva |
