Leo and Diane Dillon facts for kids

Jadis, the White Witch of Narnia. Art by Leo and Diane Dillon, 1994

Leo Dillon (born March 2, 1933 – died May 26, 2012) and Diane Dillon (born March 13, 1933) were a famous American husband-and-wife team of illustrators. They created beautiful artwork for many children's books, as well as covers for adult paperback books and magazines. Their work was so well-blended that people often said it looked like one artist had created it.

Over 50 years, the Dillons illustrated more than 100 books and magazine covers. They won the prestigious Caldecott Medal twice in a row, in 1976 and 1977. This was a unique achievement, as no other illustrators have won it consecutively. They were also nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award for children's illustrators in 1978 and 1996.

About Leo and Diane Dillon

Leo Dillon grew up in East New York, Brooklyn. His parents were immigrants from Trinidad. He joined the Navy for three years so he could go to art school. He often said his friend and mentor, Ralph Volman, inspired him to become an artist.

Diane Sorber grew up in the Los Angeles area. Her mother, a pianist, encouraged her interest in art from a young age.

Meeting and Collaboration

Leo and Diane met at the Parsons School of Design in New York City in 1953. They quickly became friendly rivals and stayed together from then on. They both graduated in 1956 and got married the next year.

Their marriage led to an amazing artistic partnership. They often described their collaboration as if a "third artist" was at work. Diane explained that they saw themselves as one artist, creating something neither of them could have done alone. This allowed their art to flow naturally, like when a single artist works and one color choice influences the next.

Their Artistic Style

The Dillons were known for combining different cultural styles in their art. They often used patterns and designs from various heritages. For example, in their illustrations for Margaret Musgrove's Ashanti to Zulu, they used tribal designs and mixed old and new art styles.

Their artwork was praised for being vibrant, diverse, and beautiful. In the 1970s, they were among the first to show many different races and cultures in children's picture books. Before them, most characters in picture books were white.

Later Years

Leo Dillon passed away on May 26, 2012, at the age of 79, due to lung cancer. His obituary in The New York Times celebrated the Dillons as "one of the world's pre-eminent illustrators for young people."

Leo and Diane had one son, Lee (Lionel John Dillon III), who was born in 1965. Lee also became an artist and worked with his parents on several projects. This included the illustrations for Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch in 1991. At the time of Leo's death, both he and Diane lived in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Picture Books Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

• 1970 The Ring in the Prairie, written by John Bierhorst / Dial Press
• 1972 Honey, I Love, Eloise Greenfield / 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 / 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 Tai, 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, Mitsumasa Anno and Raymond Briggs / 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 / 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 / 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 / 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, Ray Bradbury / Knopf (reissue)
• 2000 The Girl Who Spun Gold, Virginia Hamilton / Scholastic/Blue Sky Press
• 2001 Two Little Trains, Margaret Wise Brown / 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 / 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 Secret River, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings / 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, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr / Fawcett Publications/Gold Medal Books
• 1964 The Sea and the Jungle, H. M. Tomlinson / 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, Philip K. Dick / Ace Books
• 1971 The Untold Tale, Erik Christian Haugaard / Houghton Mifflin
• 1971 The Search Murray / Thomas / Scholastic
• 1974 Burning Star, Eth Clifford / Houghton Mifflin
• 1977 The Planets / Time Life Books
• 1979 A Wrinkle In Time, Madeleine L'Engle / (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 / Knopf
• 1988 Sing A Song of Popcorn: Every Child's Book of Poems Beatrice Schenk de Regniers / Scholastic — illustrated by many artists
• 1989 Moses' Ark, Alice Bach and J. Cheryl Exum / Delacorte Press
• 1991 Juniper, Monica Furlong / 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, Garth Nix / HarperCollins
• 1997 The Girl Who Dreamed Only Geese, Howard A. Norman / Harcourt Brace & Co
• 2000 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne / HarperCollins (reissue)
• 2001 Mansa Musa, Khephra Burns / Harcourt Brace & Co
• 2001 Lirael, Garth Nix / HarperCollins
• 2003 Abhorsen, Garth Nix / HarperCollins
• 2004 Between Heaven and Earth: Bird Tales From Around The World, Howard A. Norman / Harcourt Brace & Co
• 2004 Colman, Monica Furlong / Random House

Awards

• 1971 Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist
• 1976 Caldecott Medal – American Library Association – for Why Mosquitoes Buzz In People's Ears by Verna Aardema
• 1977 Caldecott Medal - American Library Association – for Ashanti To Zulu: African Traditions by Margaret Musgrove
• 1977 Hamilton King Award – Society Of Illustrators
• 1978 Highly Commended runner-up as a duo, Hans Christian Andersen Award (for their overall work in children's book illustration)
• 1982 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 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 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 (for their overall work in 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 Hall Of Fame - Inducted By A Jury of Peers
• 2002 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award - For Body Of Work
• 2003 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor- For Rap A Tap Tap Here's Bojangles-Think Of That
• 2005 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award - For The People Could Fly-The Picture Book
• 2006 Knickerbocker Award - For Body Of Work - New York Library Association
• 2006 Doctorate Of Fine Arts - Montserrat School Of Art
• 2008 World Fantasy Convention Life Achievement Award
• 2012 BolognaRagazzi Award - Fiction Honorable Mention - The Secret River