"Anita Silvey, a leading authority in the field, has gathered information from nearly two hundred outstanding critics, writers, and artists to compile this companion to children's books. Covering genres, history, issues, authors, and illustrators, the volume emphasizes twentieth-century books, particularly those of the last fifty years.".

"Children's Books and Their Creators includes articles on such topics as sports stories, easy readers, Holocaust literature for children, science fiction, and classics. Among the more than eight hundred entries are many that focus on individual writers, such as Judy Blume, Dr. Seuss, and Chris Van Allsburg.

Reflecting the flourishing state of multicultural publishing, the book also contains contributions by and articles about Native American, African American, Latino, and Asian American writers, including Michael Dorris, Virginia Hamilton, Gary Soto, and Allen Say. The volume is enhanced by more than 175 illustrations in both black-and-white and color, featuring the work of Maurice Sendak, Edward Gorey, Robert McCloskey, David Macaulay, and others.".

"To express the vitality and sheer fun of children's books, seventy-five of today's most noteworthy writers and illustrators have contributed original essays commenting on their work's meaning to themselves and to children."--BOOK JACKET.