Leo Dillon (March 2, 1933 – May 26, 2012) and Diane Dillon (''née'' Sorber; born March 13, 1933) were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complic ...

s of

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

and adult paperback book and

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

covers. One obituary of Leo called the work of the husband-and-wife team "a seamless amalgam of both their hands". In more than 50 years, they created more than 100

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is a term that has been used with a variety of (sometimes contradictory) meanings. The broadest interpretation is as a category of fiction encompassing genres with elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, nat ...

book and magazine covers together as well as much interior artwork. Essentially all of their work in that field was joint. The Dillons won the

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Servic ...

in 1976 and 1977, the only consecutive awards of the honor. In 1978 they were runners-up for the

Hans Christian Andersen Award The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". Th ...

for children's illustrators; they were the U.S. nominee again in 1996.

Biography

Leo Dillon, of

Trinidadian Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The country is home to people of many different national, ethnic and religious origins. As a ...

immigrant parentage, was born and raised in

East New York East New York is a residential neighborhood in the eastern section of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, United States. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are roughly the Cemetery Belt and the Queens borough li ...

. He enlisted in the Navy for three years' service so that he could attend art school. He credited his interest in art and his inspiration to become an artist to his friend and mentor, Ralph Volman. Diane Sorber hails from the

Greater Los Angeles Area Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino ...

where her interest in art was encouraged early by her mother, who was a pianist. The couple met at the

Parsons School of Design Parsons School of Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is a private art and design college located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhatt ...

in New York City in 1953 — where they "became instant archrivals and remained together from then on". They graduated in 1956 and married the next year. This union resulted in an artistic collaboration, which the couple described as a third artist. Diane Dillon explained this in an interview through these words: “We could look at ourselves as one artist rather than two individuals, and that third artist was doing something neither one of us would do. We let it flow the way it flows when an artist is working by themselves and a color goes down that they didn’t quite expect and that affects the next colors they use, and it seems to have a life of its own.” An association with writer

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...

led to jobs doing book covers for his short story collections and both cover and interior

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas tha ...

illustration for his anthology ''

Dangerous Visions ''Dangerous Visions'' is a science fiction short story anthology edited by American writer Harlan Ellison and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. It was published in 1967. A path-breaking collection, ''Dangerous Visions'' helped define the Ne ...

''. They illustrated a large number of

mass market paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, lea ...

book covers for the original Ace Science Fiction Specials, for which they won their first major award, science fiction's 1971

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier ...

for Best Professional Artist. A detailed biography and introduction to their work and styles were written by

Byron Preiss Byron Preiss (April 11, 1953 – July 9, 2005)Byron Preiss
at the

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...

two days prior. Spectrum Fantastic Art, an annual art competition and art book project of which the couple were general managers, confirmed Leo's death on its website. The obituary of Leo in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' praised the Dillons jointly as "one of the world's pre-eminent illustrators for young people, producing artwork — praised for its vibrancy, ecumenicalism and sheer sumptuous beauty — that was a seamless amalgam of both their hands", also noting the ethnoracial diversity of characters in the Dillons' work in the 1970s, "until then, the smiling faces portrayed in picture books had been overwhelmingly white." The Dillons had one surviving son. Lee (Lionel John Dillon III), born 1965, became an artist and collaborated with his parents several times, including the illustrations for ''Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch'' by Nancy Willard (1991). Both Leo and Diane lived in the Cobble Hill neighborhood at the time of Leo's death.

Picture books illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

*1970 ''The Ring in the Prairie'', written by John Bierhorst /

Dial Press The Dial Press was a publishing house founded in 1923 by Lincoln MacVeagh. The Dial Press shared a building with '' The Dial'' and Scofield Thayer worked with both. The first imprint was issued in 1924. Authors included Elizabeth Bowen, W. ...

*1972 ''Honey, I Love'',

Eloise Greenfield Eloise Greenfield (May 17, 1929 – August 5, 2021) was an American children's book and biography author and poet famous for her descriptive, rhythmic style and positive portrayal of the African-American experience. After college, Greenfield bega ...

/ Viking *1973 ''Blast Off'', Linda C. Cain and Susan Rosenbaum / Xerox *1974 ''Whirlwind Is a Ghost Dancing'', compiled by Natalia Maree Belting / Dutton *1974 ''Songs and Stories from Uganda'', W. Moses Serwadda,

Hewitt Pantaleoni Hewitt Pantaleoni (March 22, 1929 – October 17, 1988) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his work on African music. Pantaleoni was born in New York, the son of Guido Pantaleoni Jr., born in Missouri to an Italian immigrant father, ...

/ World Music Press *1974 ''The Third Gift'', Jan R. Carew / Little Brown *1975 ''The Hundred Penny Box'', Sharon Bell Mathis / Viking *1975 ''Song of the Boat'', Lorenz B. Graham / Crowell *1976 '' Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears'', Verna Aardema / Dial Press *1977 '' Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions'', Margaret Musgrove / Dial Press *1977 ''Who's in Rabbit's House: A Masai Tale'', Verna Aardema / Dial Press *1980 ''Two Pair of Shoes'', P. L. Travers / Viking Press *1980 ''Children of the Sun'', Jan R. Carew / Little Brown *1985 ''Brother to the Wind'', Mildred Pitts Walter / Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books *1986 ''

All in a Day ''All in a Day'' is a 1986 children's picture book written and illustrated by Mitsumasa Anno. It features illustrations by Anno and several other internationally known illustrators: Eric Carle, Raymond Briggs, Nicolai Ye. Popov, Akiko Hayash ...

'',

Mitsumasa Anno was a Japanese illustrator and writer of children's books, known best for picture books with few or no words. He received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1984 for his "lasting contribution to children's literature." Life Ann ...

and

Raymond Briggs Raymond Redvers Briggs (18 January 1934 – 9 August 2022) was an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist and author. Achieving critical and popular success among adults and children, he is best known in Britain for his 1978 story ...

/ Hamish Hamilton (London) (Translation of: ''Marui chiky¯u no maru ichinichi''.) —illustrations by 10 artists, including the Dillons *1987 ''The Porcelain Cat'',

Michael Patrick Hearn Michael Patrick Hearn is an American literary scholar as well as a man of letters specializing in children's literature and its illustration. His works include ''The Annotated Wizard of Oz'' (1973/2000), '' The Annotated Christmas Carol'' (1977/20 ...

/ Little Brown *1989 ''The Color Wizard'', Barbara Brenner / Bantam Little Rooster *1990 ''The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks'', Katherine Paterson / Lodestar *1990 ''Aïda'',

Leontyne Price Mary Violet Leontyne Price (born February 10, 1927) is an American soprano who was the first African American soprano to receive international acclaim. From 1961 she began a long association with the Metropolitan Opera, where she was the first Af ...

/ Harcourt Brace Jovanovich *1991 ''The Race of the Golden Apples'', Claire Martin / Dial Books for Young Readers *1991 ''Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch'', Nancy Willard / Harcourt Brace Jovanovich *1992 ''Northern Lullaby'', Nancy White Carlstrom / Putnam *1992 ''Switch on the Night'',

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and ...

/ Knopf *1993 ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'', Nancy Willard / Scholastic/Blue Sky Press *1994 ''What Am I?'', N. N. Charles / Scholastic/Blue Sky Press *1997 ''To Everything There is a Season'', the Dillons / Scholastic/Blue Sky Press *1999 ''Wind Child'', Shirley Rousseau Murphy / HarperCollins *2000 ''Switch on the Night'',

/ Knopf (reissue) *2000 ''The Girl Who Spun Gold'', Virginia Hamilton / Scholastic/Blue Sky Press *2001 ''Two Little Trains'',

Margaret Wise Brown Margaret Wise Brown (May 23, 1910 – November 13, 1952) was an American writer of children's books, including '' Goodnight Moon'' and '' The Runaway Bunny'', both illustrated by Clement Hurd. She has been called "the laureate of the nursery" fo ...

/ HarperCollins *2002 ''Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles—Think of That'', written and illustrated by the Dillons / Scholastic/Blue Sky Press *2003 ''One Winter's Night'', John Herman / Philomel *2004 ''Where Have You Been?'', Margaret Wise Brown / HarperCollins *2005 ''The People Could Fly'' - The Picture Book *2005 ''Earth Mother'', Ellen B. Jackson / Walker & Company *2006 ''Whirlwind is a Spirit Dancing'', Natalia Maree Belting and

Joseph Bruchac Joseph Bruchac (born October 16, 1942) is an American writer and storyteller based in New York. He writes about Indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a particular focus on northeastern Native American and Anglo-American lives and folklore. He ...

/ Milk & Cookies Press —illustrations reprinted from 1974 title, ''Whirlwind is a Ghost Dancing'' *2007 ''Mother Goose numbers on the loose'' / Harcourt *2007 '' Jazz on a Saturday Night'' / Blue Sky Press *2009 '' The Goblin and the Empty Chair'' / Viking Australia *2009 ''

The Secret River ''The Secret River'' is a 2005 historical novel by Kate Grenville about an early 19th-century Englishman transported to Australia for theft. The story explores what might have happened when Europeans colonised land already inhabited by Aborigi ...

'',

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (August 8, 1896 – December 14, 1953)
accessed December 8, 2014. was an

/ Atheneum Books for Young Readers (reissue) *2009 ''Mama Says: A Book of Love for Mothers and Sons''

Picture books illustrated only by Diane Dillon

*2018 ''I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t''

Chapter books illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

*1962 ''

Mother Night ''Mother Night'' is a novel by American author Kurt Vonnegut, first published in February 1962. The title of the book is taken from Goethe's ''Faust'' (and ultimately from the Egyptian Goddess Nuit, mother of Osiris, Horus, Isis, Set, and Nepht ...

'', Kurt Vonnegut, Jr / Fawcett Publications/Gold Medal Books *1964 '' The Sea and the Jungle'',

H. M. Tomlinson Henry Major Tomlinson (21 June 1873 – 5 February 1958) was a British writer and journalist. He was known for anti-war and travel writing, novels and short stories, especially of life at sea. He was born and died in London. Life Tomlinson was ...

/ Time / Time Reading Program Special Edition *1964 '' Hakon of Rogen's Saga'', Erik Christian Haugaard / Houghton Mifflin *1965 '' A Slave's Tale Haugaard'', Erik Christian Haugaard / Houghton Mifflin *1967 '' Claymore and Kilt'', Sorche Nic Leodhas / Holt, Rinehart, Winston *1968 '' Shamrock and Spear Pilkington'' / Holt, Rinehart, Winston *1968 '' The Rider and His Horse'', Erik Christian Haugaard / Houghton Mifflin *1969 ''

The Preserving Machine ''The Preserving Machine'' is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Ace Books in 1969 with cover art by Leo and Diane Dillon as part of their Ace Science Fiction Specials series. Th ...

'', Philip K. Dick / Ace Books *1971 '' The Untold Tale'', Erik Christian Haugaard / Houghton Mifflin *1971 ''

The Search ''The Search'' is a 1948 American film directed by Fred Zinnemann that tells the story of a young Auschwitz survivor and his mother who search for each other across post-World War II Europe. It stars Montgomery Clift, Ivan Jandl, Jarmila Novotn ...

'' Murray / Thomas / Scholastic *1974 '' Burning Star'', Eth Clifford / Houghton Mifflin *1977 '' The Planets'' / Time Life Books *1979 ''

A Wrinkle In Time ''A Wrinkle in Time'' is a young adult science fantasy novel written by American author Madeleine L'Engle. First published in 1962, the book won the Newbery Medal, the Sequoyah Book Award, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and was runner-up for ...

'',

Madeleine L'Engle Madeleine L'Engle DStJ (; November 29, 1918 – September 6, 2007) was an American writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young adult fiction, including '' A Wrinkle in Time'' and its sequels: ''A Wind in the Door'', ''A Swiftly Tilting Plan ...

/ (reissue) *1984 '' The Enchanted World: Legends of Valor'' / Time Life Books *1985 '' The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales'', Virginia Hamilton / Knopf *1985 '' The Enchanted World: Magical Beasts'' / Time Life Books *1987 ''Wise Child'',

Monica Furlong Monica Furlong (17 January 1930 – 14 January 2003) was a British author, journalist, and activist. She was born at Kenton near Harrow, north-west of London and died at Umberleigh in Devon. An obituary called her the Church of England's ...

/ Knopf *1988 '' Sing A Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems''

Beatrice Schenk de Regniers Beatrice Schenk de Regniers (August 16, 1914—March 1, 2000) was an American people, American writer of children's literature, children's picture books. Beatrice Schenk de Regniers was born in Lafayette, Indiana, and studied social work administ ...

/ Scholastic — illustrated by many artists *1989 '' Moses' Ark'',

Alice Bach Alice Bach (born 6 April 1942) is an American feminist biblical scholar. She is Archbishop Hallinan Professor Emerita of Religious Studies at Case Western Reserve University. Biography Alice Bach was born 6 April 1942, in New York City. She stud ...

and J. Cheryl Exum / Delacorte Press *1991 ''

Juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arc ...

'',

/ Random House *1991 '' Miriam's Well'', Bach and Exum / Delacorte Press *1992 '' Many Thousand Gone'', Virginia Hamilton / Knopf *1993 '' It's Kwaanza Time'' Goss Putnam *1995 '' Her Stories'', Virginia Hamilton / Scholastic / Blue Sky Press *1995 ''

Sabriel ''Sabriel'' is a fantasy novel by Garth Nix, first published in 1995. It is the first in his Old Kingdom series, followed by '' Lirael'', '' Abhorsen'', '' Clariel'', '' Goldenhand,'' and ''Terciel and Elinor''. Plot introduction The novel is ...

'',

Garth Nix Garth Richard Nix (born 19 July 1963) is an Australian writer who specialises in children's and young adult fantasy novels, notably the '' Old Kingdom'', '' Seventh Tower'' and '' Keys to the Kingdom'' series. He has frequently been asked if hi ...

/ HarperCollins *1997 '' The Girl Who Dreamed Only Geese'', Howard A. Norman / Harcourt Brace & Co *2000 ''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (french: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre-J ...

'',

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

/ HarperCollins (reissue) *2001 ''

Mansa Musa Mansa Musa ( ar, منسا موسى, Mansā Mūsā; ) was the ninth ''mansa'' of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. Musa is known for his wealth and generosity. He has been subject to popular claims that he is ...

'', Khephra Burns / Harcourt Brace & Co *2001 ''

Lirael ''Lirael'' (called ''Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr'' in some regions) is a fantasy novel by Garth Nix, first published in 2001. Named for its central female character, ''Lirael'' is the second in his Old Kingdom trilogy, preceded by ''Sabriel'' ...

'',

/ HarperCollins *2003 ''

Abhorsen ''Abhorsen'' is a fantasy novel by Australian writer Garth Nix, first published in 2003. It is the third book in the Old Kingdom series (following ''Sabriel'' and '' Lirael''). ''Abhorsen'' features Lirael, who is the recently revealed Abhorsen-i ...

'', Garth Nix / HarperCollins *2004 '' Between Heaven and Earth: Bird Tales From Around The World'', Howard A. Norman / Harcourt Brace & Co *2004 ''Colman'',

/ Random House

Awards

*1971

Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist The Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist is given each year for artists of works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. The award has been given annually under several names since 1955, with the except ...

*1976

–

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

– ''

Why Mosquitoes Buzz In People's Ears ''Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale'' is a 1975 children's picture book by Verna Aardema and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Published in hardcover by Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, ...

'' by Verna Aardema *1977

- American Library Association – '' Ashanti To Zulu: African Traditions'' by Margaret Musgrove *1977 Hamilton King Award – Society Of Illustrators *1978 Highly Commended runner-up as a duo,

(body of work, children's book illustration) *198
Balrog Award
For Lifetime Contribution To Science Fiction/Fantasy *1982 Art Ninth Annual Lensman Award *1986 Coretta Scott King Award illustrator honor *1988 Third Annual

Keene State College Keene State College is a public liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is part of the University System of New Hampshire and the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Founded in 1909 as a teacher's college (originally, Keene Norm ...

Children's Literature Festival Award *1991 Doctorate Of Fine Art Degree – Parsons School Of Design *1992 Empire State Award For Children's And Adult Literature For Body Of Work *1992

Society Of Illustrators The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. It was founded in 1901 to promote the art of illustration and, since 1959, has held an annual exhibition. History Founding The Society of Illustrators was founded on ...

Gold Medal For Northern Lullaby From The Original Art Show Of Children's Picture Books *1996 U.S. nominee as a duo, Hans Christian Andersen Award (body of work, children's book illustration) *1997 Chesley Award For Best Science Fiction Hardcover Jacket Titled Sabriel *1997 The Grand Masters Award - For Body Of Work - From '' Spectrum - The Best In Contemporary Fantastic Art'' *1997

Society of Illustrators The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. It was founded in 1901 to promote the art of illustration and, since 1959, has held an annual exhibition. History Founding The Society of Illustrators was founded on ...

Hall Of Fame - Inducted By A Jury of Peers *2002 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award - For Body Of Work *200
Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor
For ''Rap A Tap Tap Here's Bojangles-Think Of That'' *200

- For ''The People Could Fly-The Picture Book'' *200
Knickerbocker Award
- For Body Of Work -

New York Library Association The New York Library Association (NYLA) is a group that promotes libraries in New York. It was founded in 1890 and was the first statewide organization of librarians in the United States. One of its founders was Melvil Dewey, who has had a last ...

*2006 Doctorate Of Fine Arts - Montserrat School Of Art *2008

World Fantasy Convention The World Fantasy Convention is an annual convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the event. Other features include an art show, a dealer's room, and an ...

Life Achievement Award *2012 BolognaRagazzi Award - Fiction Honorable Mention - ''The Secret River''

Notes

References

External links

* *
Leo Dillon
at

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

Authorities —with 64 catalog records *
Diane Dillon
at LC Authorities *

at JVJ Publishing Illustrators * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dillon, Leo and Diane American children's writers American speculative fiction artists American children's book illustrators Caldecott Medal winners Fantasy artists Hugo Award-winning artists Science fiction artists Married couples Art duos