During more than four decades of illustrating children's books, two-time Caldecott Medalists Leo and Diane Dillon have received nearly every award and honor in this genre. They have illustrated scores of books written by others, and they have written two of their own titles.
Leo Dillon and Diane Sorber were born eleven days apart in 1933 — Leo in Brooklyn, New York, and Diane near Los Angeles, California. When they met at Parsons School of Design in New York City in 1954, each already aspired to a life of art. The Dillons have produced an incredible variety of drawings and illustrations for prints, book jackets, textbooks, album covers, and of course children's books. (see more of their biography here)
Leo Dillon died in Brooklyn, NY, on May 26, 2012. He was 79, so I thought it would be fitting to post their work on the Turquoise Umbrella. I most remember them for their beautiful work in "Why Mosiquitoes Buzz in People's Ears."
Aurelius Battaglia was an American illustrator, muralist, writer, and director (January 16, 1910 – May, 1984). He worked for Disney in the late 1930's and contributed most notably to Dumbo, Fantasia, and Pinocchio. He was also well known for his picture books in the 1950s and 1960s. His work features bold, solid colors and striking, stylized pen and brush work - indicative of the looser, more abstract mid-century cartooning style that he helped pioneer.
