Leo and diane dillon biography for kids

Leo (1933-2012) and Diane (1933- ) Dillon were a remarkable pair of illustrators. The two met at Parsons in the early 1950s and married in 1957. An interracial couple whose symbiotic process resulted in seamless art reflecting their merged sensibilities, they called their work the creation of “the third artist.” Wide-ranging in their techniques and dedicated to depicting a world in which people of color and women featured prominently, the Dillons illustrated many children’s booksand were the only artists to be awarded consecutive Caldecott Medals.

Leo and diane dillon illustrations

Leo Dillon was the first Black artist to win a Caldecott. In addition to their children’s book work, they created many adult book covers (especially in the genres of fantasy and science fiction) and magazine covers. In the 1960s, they designed several jaw-dropping covers for the Time Reading Programdone in unconventional techniques, including wood carving and crewel embroidery.

(The Archives has a large collection of