
The author and illustrator of the infamous Olivia picture book series, Ian Falconer, passed away last Tuesday, March 7, due to kidney failure. He won a Caldecott Honor Award in 2000 for Olivia, about a feisty young pig, first in the series of seven titles, which he originally wrote for his young niece. Falconer was also a set and costume designer for the theatre, and created 30 covers for the New Yorker. He will be missed in the world of children’s books…