Childhood Classics

Bruce Degen (1945–2024), The Magic School Bus illustrator

Bruce Degen was an artist and writer best known for illustrating dozens of books for young readers, including the beloved children’s book series “The Magic School Bus.”

Rachael Lillis (1969–2024), voiced both Misty and Jessie in Pokémon

Rachael Lillis was a voice actress best known as the voices of Misty and Jessie in the hit animated series “Pokémon.” 

Francine Pascal (1932–2024), Sweet Valley High creator

Francine Pascal was an author who helped revolutionize young adult literature with her popular “Sweet Valley High” series and its spinoffs.

Spencer Milligan (1937–2024), dad Rick Marshall on Land of the Lost

Spencer Milligan was an actor best known for playing Rick Marshall, the park ranger and widowed father on the popular Saturday morning adventure show, “Land of the Lost.” 

Laurent de Brunhoff (1925–2024), longtime Babar author and artist 

Laurent de Brunhoff was a French author and illustrator who carried on the work of his father, Jean de Brunhoff, the creator of Babar the Elephant.

Joe Camp (1939–2024), Benji filmmaker 

Joe Camp was the creator, screenwriter, and director behind the beloved “Benji” movie franchise.

Janice Burgess (1952–2024), creator of The Backyardigans

Janice Burgess created the Nickelodeon animated show “The Backyardigans.”

Marty Krofft (1937–2023), co-created H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost 

Marty Krofft was a writer, puppeteer, and television producer who co-created an array of popular children’s shows with his brother, Sid Krofft, including “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Land of the Lost.”

Raymond Briggs (1934–2022), children’s author known for “The Snowman”

Raymond Briggs was a British author and illustrator of graphic novels and children’s books including the beloved classic “The Snowman.”

Tommy Kirk (1941–2021), "Old Yeller" star

Tommy Kirk was an actor best known for starring in Disney films such as "The Shaggy Dog" and in beach party movies.

Ken Spears (1938–2020), Scooby-Doo co-creator

Ken Spears was a TV writer and producer best known for co-creating Scooby-Doo.

Bonni Lou Kern (1941–2020), original Mouseketeer

Bonni Lou Kern was an original Mouseketeer who appeared on the first season of the popular Disney  ‘The Mickey Mouse Club.’

Sam McBratney (1943–2020), children’s author of “Guess How Much I Love You”

Sam McBratney was an Irish author of books for children and adults, best known for the children’s bestseller “Guess How Much I Love You.”

Joanna Cole (1944–2020), “The Magic School Bus” author

Joanna Cole was a children’s author best known for her “The Magic School Bus” series.

Kelly Asbury (1960–2020), “Shrek 2” director

Kelly Asbury was the director of the animated films “Shrek 2,” “Gnomeo and Juliet,” "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" and “Ugly Dolls.” He also was a story artist for “Frozen” and “Toy Story.”

Tomie dePaola (1934–2020), children’s author who wrote “Strega Nona”

Tomie dePaola was a children’s book author and illustrator whose hundreds of books included the Caldecott Honor-winning “Strega Nona.”

William Dufris (1958–2020), original voice of Bob the Builder

William Dufris was a voice actor best known as the original voice of Bob the Builder on the children’s animated series. He was also an award-winning audiobook narrator and producer.

20 years after Charles Schulz's death, Charlie Brown & Snoopy live on

When died on February 12, 2000, he had been writing and drawing his beloved comic strip, “Peanuts,” starring the ever-worried schoolchild Charlie Brown and his beagle, Snoopy, for nearly 50 years.

Sitcom Dads

Sitcom dads: They trip, they stumble and they're often the butt of jokes. But they also work hard, dispense wisdom and make plenty of jokes of their own. From Ward Cleaver and Andy Taylor to Bernie Mac and Paul Hennessy, their roles and personalities changed with the decades, but most were hard-working role models who loved their children and, in nearly every episode, sat them down and tried to give them their best advice. Take a look back at photos of our favorite sitcom dads.

Lee Mendelson (1933–2019), “Peanuts” TV specials producer

Lee Mendelson wasthe executive producer for the beloved cPeanutsc19 TV special,cCharlie Brown Christmas.c19 He also producedcItc19s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,c19 cA Charlie Brown Thanksgivingc19 and more than 50 other animated TV specials. Outside of cPeanuts,c19 he oversaw the cGarfieldc19 and cCathyc19 animated TV specials. Mendelson decided to hire jazz musician Vince Guaraldi to create music for cCharlie Brown Christmasc19 and he co-wrote the lyrics for the timeless song in that special, cChristmas Time Is Here.c19

Caroll Spinney (1933–2019), Sesame Street's beloved Big Bird

He played the giant character ever since the show's 1969 premiere — and also played Oscar the Grouch.

Edward Dee (1924–2019), founder of Smarties Candy Company

Edward Dee was the founder of Smarties Candy Company and the inventor of the sweet candy discs, packaged in rolls and especially popular on Halloween.

Karen Pendleton (1946–2019), original Disney Mouseketeer

Karen Pendleton was one of the original Disney Mouseketeers who appeared on the “Mickey Mouse Club” children’s television series for all four seasons, from 1955 until 1959. She was one of the youngest performers in the cast and was known for singing the show’s closing song with fellow Mouseketeer Cubby O’Brien. She left show business after the series ended. Paralyzed from the waist down in an auto accident in 1983, she became an advocate for people with disabilities. Pendleton appeared on “Mickey Mouse Club” reunion shows and at fan conventions.

Maureen Beebe (2019), inspired children's book "Misty of Chincoteague"

Maureen Beebe Hursh was one of the inspirations for the classic children's novel "Misty of Chincoteague" by Marguerite Henry.

Stefán Karl Stefánsson (1975 – 2018), “LazyTown” actor

Played Robbie Rotten on the popular children’s TV series.

Bob Dorough (1923–2018), “Schoolhouse Rock” musician

Wrote and performed songs like “Three Is a Magic Number.”

Chuck McCann (1934 – 2018), beloved comedian and voice actor

The voice of Sonny the Cuckoo Bird who declared "I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!"

Charles Lazarus (1923–2018), Toys R Us founder

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Simon Shelton Barnes (1966–2018), Played Tinky Winky on "Teletubbies”

The children’s show was an international sensation…

Heather North (1945 – 2017), the voice of Scooby-Doo’s Daphne

Heather North first entered show biz as a child in the 1950s, singing and competing in pageants. As a young adult in the 1960s, she began appearing on television in shows like “My Three Sons,” “Gidget,” and “The Monkees.” She co-starred alongside Kurt Russell — and a chimpanzee — in the 1971 Disney movie “The Barefoot Executive.” But what most fans will affectionately remember her for is her thirty-year stint on "Scooby-Doo," performing the voice of danger-prone Daphne Blake.

In ‘A Wrinkle in Time,' She Found a Heroine to Inspire Her

A look back 10 years after Madeleine L’Engle’s death

Michael Bond (1926 - 2017), Paddington Bear author

English children's author created the beloved Paddington Bear...

The Kindest Man in the World: Fred Rogers (video)

Fred Rogers ( ) changed the face of children’s educational television as the creator and host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” The show, produced for 33 years in Pittsburgh and broadcast to homes across America on PBS, gave preschoolers a daily half hour of imaginative “make-believe” puppetry and gentle talk that encouraged every child’s inner life.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal (1965 - 2017), children's author

Author and filmmaker Amy Krouse Rosenthal touched many lives when she wrote a moving essay about her husband, Jason, and her terminal cancer diagnosis.

New Tributes to Seuss and Henson

Sept. 24, 2016, represents an interesting coincidence of anniversaries: It would have been Jim Henson's 80th birthday, and it's the 25th anniversary of Dr. Seuss' death. That's two major anniversaries for two great men who changed the landscape of children's entertainment.

Read to Your Children (In Memory of Anna Dewdney)

When Anna Dewdney died last weekend, her obituary in Publisher's Weekly included one unusual specification: "She requested that in lieu of a funeral service that people read to a child instead."

Child Actors

Child stars are a very special sort of actor. They make us laugh, cry and believe — sometimes before they're even old enough to walk. Since the dawn of the movies, we've been delighted by child stars like MickeyRooney, Shirley Temple, Gary Coleman and many more. Join us as we pay tribute tostars who found their fame at an early age with this photo gallery of child actors.

In Obituaries, Dr. Seuss Quotes Reflect Life's Magic

Some love Dr. Seuss so much that they've added his quotes to an unexpected place: obituaries.

Shel Silverstein Set to Music

Today we're celebrating the life and work of chart-topping, Grammy Award-winning songwriter Shel Silverstein .

Winnie-the-Pooh (and A. A. Milne Too)

A. A. Milne, creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, was born Jan. 18, 1882 and died Jan. 31, 1956.

Fess Parker: Winemaker

Forty years after he'd made his name portraying Davy Crockett, actor Fess Parker still had fans seeking autographs and photos. But they wouldn't go to the Walt Disney lot to find him.

Jim Henson, Muppet Man

Here are 20 things you might not know about the puppet master who created the Muppets.

Bob Keeshan: Captain Kangaroo

Bob Keeshan's career took him from a short stint as the original Clarabell the Clown on NBC's Howdy Doody to a 30-year run as Captain Kangaroo on his own CBS show. The New York Times called the captain "one of the most enduring characters television ever produced."

The Toy Story of Betty James

In the beginning it was Betty James who found the word “slinky” in a dictionary and thought it aptly described the toy her husband had invented. In the long haul, she was the one who ran the business and rejuvenated the Slinky.

Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop

When puppeteer Shari Lewis died Aug. 2, 1998, the world lost a gentle soul who knew how to entertain children like few others.

Buffalo Bob Smith: It's Howdy Doody Time!

Buffalo Bob Smith and Howdy Doody: the two were inextricably linked thanks to pioneering children's television show "Howdy Doody," which ran on NBC from December 1947 through September 1960.

Kids Love Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears have captivated generations of children.

Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys

When Roy Rogers began his movie career in the 1930s, the cowboy was achieving new fame on the silver screen—and he became one of the most famous of them all.

He Made Muppets Sing

Jeff Moss, the first head writer for "Sesame Street," helped to bring to life classic characters like Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch.