In Memoriam: Remembering Those Lost in 2025

Each January we take a moment to remember those who left us in the previous year. Some were not surprises. Others were. Some lived here in the States and some abroad, but we do our best to remember the creators of books that have made changes to the minds, hearts, and general beings of children worldwide. Join us as we celebrate them (albeit briefly) in this annual post.

And, if you’d like an alternative round-up that includes industry professionals as well, you can check out the Publishers Weekly posting on the same topic here.

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Jules Feiffer

January 26, 1929-January 17, 2025

“Some artists draw every line as if they know just where it will end. Jules Feiffer never did. Not for him the delicate feathering, diligent crosshatching or obsessive pointillism of the neurotically controlling craftsman. His lines unfurled across the page like banners of the subconscious, zooming forward, doubling back and propelling the reader’s gaze (and even, you had to suspect, his own) in directions nobody could have anticipated.” –
Etelka Lehoczky, NPR.

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Uri Shulevitz

February 27, 1935 – February 15, 2025

“Uri had an innate, untaught sense for effectively shaping the narrative of a picture book, a gift that many well-known illustrators wish they shared. And his distinctive visual style, as unique as his fingerprints, is unmistakable. His books will last.” – Michael di Capua, Publishers Weekly

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Jean Van Leeuwen

December 26, 1937 – March 3, 2025

“The challenge of writing an easy-to-read book, with its strict limits of length and vocabulary, is to tell a story that is simple but not ordinary.” – Jean Van Leeuwen, NPR

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Marjorie Agosín

June 15, 1955 – March 10, 2025

“Más que la paz” – Zones of Pain

No quiero nombres

ni tumbas

para mis muertos

ni compartir cementerios

con huesos

extraviados

solo denme

mi colchón

de hojas

sólo déjenme

regresar a mis

bosques

I want neither names

nor tombs

for my deaths

nor to share cemeteries

with bones

gone astray

just give me

my pillow

of leaves

just let me

go back to my

forests. – Latin American Jewish Studies Association

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Jane Gardam

July 11, 1928 – April 28, 2025

“I discovered that writing was very nice indeed when I was very young, and I never changed,” Gardam told the Telegraph in 2013. “I don’t think my style has changed very much at all – though I hope what I say is a bit more interesting. It’s about getting to know a character and loving them, I think.” – The Guardian

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Susan Beth Pfeffer

February 17, 1948 – June 23, 2025

“… she rarely wasted time on finding the perfect word or crafting a detailed character description; like the former film student she was, her focus was pacing and dialogue.” – Shelf Awareness

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Gene Vosough

November 3, 1965 – July 25, 2025

“Gene was instrumental in helping me ‘navigate’ the intricate and very complex world of creating commercial 3D books for young readers… He helped me understand the technological challenges of printing my work in the way I wanted it to appear, especially in using non-traditional inks, in the finished books, in addition to being a fantastic art director and hand-holder. His passing is a great loss to the publishing world, and I will miss his wonderful, wonderful laugh!” – Robert Sabuda, Publishers Weekly

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Allan Ahlberg

June 5, 1938 – July 31, 2025

“He was enormously playful in spirit and language and had the ability to make you smile in one sentence,” said , CEO of Walker Books Group, which published some of his books. “Allan inspired generations of children’s writers, inspired all of us who worked with him, and inspired artists to make some of their very best work.” – Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, The Guardian. Also: Top illustrators pay homage to Allan Ahlberg – in pictures

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Ken Mochizuki

May 18, 1954 – September 20, 2025

“Ken’s books bravely told stories that needed to be told. His books will serve not only as his legacy, but as a testament to his belief that we can all be the heroes of our own stories.” – Jason Low, Publishers Weekly

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Jeanette Winter

October 6, 1939 – November 7, 2025

“To my mind Jeanette was a visionary. She quite often had her fingers on the pulse of what was pertinent in the moment. She loved art and artists; worried about animals, the environment, and political issues—both of the moment as well as historical ones; she championed brave young, as well as older, women.” – Anne Bobco, Publishers Weekly

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Helme Heine

April 4, 1941 – November 20, 2025

“Helme Heine made you feel welcome; I admired his free perspective on life, his philosophical variations, of course his three friends who brought happiness to generations of children and adults, and his tireless artistic creation.” – Petra Albers, msn.com

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Peg Kehret ‘

November 11, 1936 – December 7, 2025

Peg wrote what she loved, and her emails were as engaging and entertaining as her manuscripts. She often ended her messages with a small, vivid description of the moment, like this: ‘Rhodies and lilacs in full bloom; bluebells around the big stump. A hummingbird and an elk at the same time last night—the smallest and largest of my wildlife.’ And sometimes, instead of a scene, she closed with practical wisdom: ‘Bottom line: No action needed. Go eat a cookie.’ ” – Shannon Maughan, Publishers Weekly

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