Charles Santore, illustrator of children’s books, dies at 84

PHILADELPHIA — An illustrator known for his richly detailed and whimsical interpretations of classic children’s books has died. Charles Santore was 84.

Christina Santore says her father died Sunday after a brief illness in Philadelphia, where he was born, raised and worked.

He spent over three decades reimagining classic children’s tales like L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz,” Beatrix Potter’s “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” and Aesop’s fables.

He started off as a magazine illustrator and frequently created covers for TV Guide.

The Woodmere Art Museum hosted a retrospective of his work last year.

His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Brandywine River Museum of Art outside Philadelphia and the Free Library of Philadelphia.

The Associated Press

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