Children’s literature has lost some extraordinary voices in recent years. Yet the books left behind by Allan Ahlberg, Gary Paulsen, Eric Carle, Norton Juster and Jean Van Leeuwen continue to introduce new generations to the pleasures of reading. Each was uniquely talented, but all shared an exceptional ability to see the world through a child’s eyes.
Allan Ahlberg, who died in July 2025 aged 87, was one of Britain’s most beloved children’s writers. Working memorably with his wife, illustrator Janet Ahlberg, he created classics including Each Peach Pear Plum, Peepo!, Funnybones and The Jolly Postman. Ahlberg’s gift was his extraordinary feel for rhythm, humour and the small details of childhood. His books could be playful and funny while also capturing family life with warmth and affection. The Jolly Postman, with its letters and envelopes to discover, showed how inventive a picture book could be.
Gary Paulsen, who died in 2021 aged 82, wrote more than 200 books, many inspired by his own adventurous life. His most celebrated novel, Hatchet, follows Brian Robeson, a boy forced to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness. Paulsen had a remarkable ability to make young readers feel the cold, hunger, fear and exhilaration of survival. His stories respected children as capable, thoughtful people and never shied away from difficult emotions.
Eric Carle, who also died in 2021, transformed the picture book through his distinctive collage artwork and wonderfully simple storytelling. The Very Hungry Caterpillar remains his defining achievement, alongside books such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Carle understood that very young children respond to repetition, colour, texture and discovery. His books made learning feel like play.
Norton Juster, who died in 2021 aged 91, gave children one of literature’s greatest flights of imagination with The Phantom Tollbooth. Milo’s journey through a fantastical world of puns, numbers and wordplay remains a celebration of curiosity. Juster’s special talent was treating children as intellectual equals: his jokes could delight a child while offering an entirely different layer of meaning to an adult.
Finally, Jean Van Leeuwen, who died in 2025 aged 87, was the prolific creator of the beloved Oliver Pig and Amanda stories. Her talent lay in making ordinary childhood experiences—friendships, family squabbles, fears and discoveries—feel both funny and important.
Together, these authors remind us why children’s books matter. They entertained, challenged and reassured young readers, while giving them something even more lasting: the feeling that their experiences, questions and imaginations were worth taking seriously.