Farewell, Syd Hoff

A colleague on one of the listservs I read has just informed me that Syd Hoff, the beloved author / illustrator / cartoonist passed away at his home in Miami Beach on Wednesday, May 12 of natural causes. He was 91 years old.


Mr. Hoff is perhaps best known for his many "I Can Read" books, most notably, Danny the Dinosaur. He wrote and illustrated many other books, had a syndicated comic strip, created cartoons for The New Yorker, and even had a television show ("Tales of Hoff") for a short time. Even if you didn't know his name, you recognized his art, as will our children, for years to come...

(And what a lovely tribute to Syd that as I prepare to create a tribute book display, most of the books our library owns that were written or illustrated by him are checked out.)

Update: there is now an obituary at the Miami Herald.