Mansa Musa: The Lion of Mali
When Lois messaged me to tell me the sad news, that Leo Dillon passed away last weekend, my heart sank. All I could type back was “NO! NO! NO!” repeatedly, in all-caps. Without a doubt, Leo and Diane Dillon have been at the top of the list of my favorite book illustrators (sharing the ranks with Gennady Spirin, Maurice Sendak and Edward Gorey). When a great talent departs this Earth, even having left behind a bounty of beautiful work, the loss that is felt can be staggering.
Leo and Diane (photo: Lee Dillon)
Leo and Diane Dillon met as young art students at Parson’s in the ’50s, and they’d been married and creating stunningly lavish and inspired art since. During their career, the couple have produced (together and independently) work that garnered them such awards as the Caldecott Medal and the Hugo Award. The Dillon’s style blends classic influences, like Art Nouveau and Renaissance style, with modern and psychedelic tones that are distinct and recognizable.
From illustrating chapter and picture books, like Virginia Hamilton’s The Girl Who Spun Gold and Verna Aardema’s Why Mosqitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, to doing covers for many sci-fi and fantasy books by authors like Harlan Ellison and Madeleine l’Engle, the only praise left to give is to simply let the work speak for itself. Our hearts go out to Diane and their son Lee.
A beautiful mermaid from the “Herstories” colelction
Armadillo Woman
The Race of the Golden Apples
The Girl Who Spun Gold
The Ice Maiden
Deathbird Stories
