Crosby Bonsall was born on January 2nd in 1921 in Long Island. She studied at New York University School of Architecture and the American School of Design. She had a passion for designing even as a young child. Her children’s literature career started as a doodle on her drawing board. A doll manufacturer bought the rights to her orange-haired, freckle-faced rag doll who later became a character in her first book, The Surprise Party. A spokesperson for HarperCollins described her as follows, “Ms. Bonsall’s deceptively simple style conceals a wealth of artistry, skillful characterization, suspense and humor rarely found in children’s books—the drawings, as delightful as the text, are an extra dividend.” Some of her titles include The Case of the Scaredy Cats, The Day I Had to Play With My Sister, and Piggle. Bonsall died in 1995.

— Karen Ritz