The late Brian Wildsmith was raised in a small mining village in Yorkshire, England, of which he once said, "Everything was gray. There wasn''t any color. It was all up to my imagination." During his lifetime, Wildsmith created over 200 picture books, some of which have been translated into more than 30 languages. A winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1962, he changed the way children''s books were illustrated.

Brian Wildsmith (1930-2016) was a British painter and children''s book illustrator known for his vibrant use of color and radiant portrayal of nature. He won the 1962 Kate Greenaway Medal for his alphabet book, ABC.