William Steig was a children's book author born in 1907 in Brooklyn, New York. He began his career in art and illustration before publishing his first children's book in 1968 at age 61. Steig went on to write over 30 children's books and continued writing and illustrating until his death in 2003 at age 95. Some of his most famous works included Shrek!, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, and the Doctor De Soto series. Steig helped popularize children's literature through his whimsical stories and illustrations.

1. William Steig