Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney, acclaimed for his picture books honoring his Black heritage as well as for his richly detailed retold fairy and folktales, died on October 20 at 81.
Award-winning and prolific author Gary Paulsen, best known for his novels and nonfiction for young people about self-reliance and the transformative power of the wilderness, died suddenly on October 13 in New Mexico. He was 82.
Award-winning children's book author and poet Eloise Greenfield died on August 5; she was 92.
Children’s author April Pulley Sayre, known for her many books spotlighting the wonders of science and nature, died on November 6.
Award-winning author-illustrator Ted Lewin, known for his realistic and richly detailed watercolors, died on July 28 at age 86.
Award-winning author-illustrator Floyd Cooper, widely lauded for his evocative and luminous paintings depicting the African American experience, died on July 16 at age 65.
Author and journalist Ann Rinaldi, best known for her painstakingly researched YA historical fiction featuring female protagonists, died on July 1 in Branchburg, N.J.; she was 86.
Prolific children's book author Patricia Reilly Giff died on June 22 at her home in Fairfield, Conn.; she was 86.
Author and activist Byrd Baylor, whose picture books reflected her deep appreciation for the Southwest, died on June 16 at 97.
Author, editor, and publisher Bernette Ford, a champion of children's books by people of color, died of cancer on June 20. She was 70.
Prolific children's book author-illustrator and fine artist Robert M. Quackenbush died on May 17. He was 91. Quackenbush wrote and illustrated more than 200 books for young readers.
Dick Robinson, whose nearly five decades at the head of Scholastic shaped it into one of the world's most influential and recognizable publishers of children's literature, died unexpectedly on June 5. He was 84.
Iconic and groundbreaking author, illustrator, and fine artist Eric Carle died on May 23 in Northampton, Mass. He was 91.
Award-winning author-illustrator Lois Ehlert, known for her signature collage artwork featuring bold colors and crisply cut shapes as well as found objects, died on May 25 at age 86.
Children's poet, author, and anthologist Arnold Adoff, widely noted for his inventive poetry style and for depicting African American experiences in his work, died on May 7; he was 85 years old.
Children's book author Constance C. Greene, best known for such notable middle-grade novels as 'A Girl Named Al' and 'Beat the Turtle Drum,' died on April 7 at age 96.
Longtime children's book editor Norma Jean Sawicki died on March 4 at her home in Manhattan; she was 78.
Children’s author Beverly Cleary, whose stories featuring such endearing and enduring characters as Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins elevated her to iconic status, died on March 25 at 104.
Children's editor Ann K. Beneduce, who launched the careers of Eric Carle and many other authors and illustrators, died on March 18 at 102.
Children's book creator Joan Walsh Anglund, widely known for her instantly recognizable images of sweet-faced, dot-eyed children, died on March 9; she was 95.
Editor, publisher, education reformer, and founder of 'Cricket' magazine Marianne Carus died on March 3 at her home in Peru, Ill. She was 92.
Children's author Norton Juster, author of the much-loved 'The Phantom Tollbooth,' died on March 8 following complications from a recent stroke; he was 91.
Mexican American children's author, photographer, and filmmaker George Ancona, acclaimed for his slice-of-life photo essays introducing children to new experiences or cultures, has died at age 91.
Japanese artist and children's book author-illustrator Mitsumasa Anno, known for his highly detailed illustrations containing visual tricks, humorous elements, and math concepts, died on December 24. He was 94.
Prolific children’s book author and former editor Kathleen Krull died on January 15 following a brief illness; she was 68.
