Longtime children's book illustrator Charles Santore died August 11. He was 84.
Santore was best known for his luminous interpretations of classic children's stories such as Snow White, The Night Before Christmas, and Paul Revere's Ride. He was also well known for his celebrity portraits that ran on the cover of TV Guide. His honors include the Library of Congress's 2009 National Book Festival Artist, the Society of Illustrators' Award of Excellence, and the Hamilton King Award. His works are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Free Library of Philadelphia, the National Portrait Gallery, the Brandywine River Museum and many private collections.
Running Press Kids editors and creative director have fond memories of walking down Chestnut Street in Philadelphia to Santore's studio to review his gorgeous, intricate paintings, and to review pages of his forthcoming picture book, Jabberwocky, which is slated for publication in spring 2020. He will be sorely missed.