Great Creators For Children – Who Had No Children

Here is another list of some great people from history who did not have children from J.O. Raber’s new book, Famous – But No Children. This one has to do with the stereotype that the childfree must not like children. Well, this would not describe the people on this list. They were authors and illustrators of children’s books who never raised children themselves: 

Harriet Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit

J.M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan

Hans Christian Anderson,  Thumbelina; The Ugly Duckling

C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Lewis Carroll (Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland)

Louisa May Alcott, Little Men; Little Women

Wilson Rawls (wrote books for juveniles)

Jack Prelutsky (children’s poetry)

Maurice Sendak (author and illustrator)

Crockett Johnson (author and illustrator)

Emanuele Luzzati (author and illustrator) Anne Ophelia Todd Dowden (author and illustrator)

Kate Greenaway (from Britain, illustrated over 60 children’s books and wrote verse for some of them)

Margaret Wise Brown, Authored over a 100 children’s books

C.J. Dennis,  Author of children’s books of poetry

Kate DiCamillo Winn-Dixie, The Tiger Rising

Anne Ophelia Todd Dowden, Botanical artist authored and illustrated children’s books

Gyo Fujikawa, Children’s books with multi-racial illustrations (before this was politically correct!)

Rose O’Neill: Artist, illustrator, wrote children’s books, invented the Kewpie Doll

Michelle Paver, Wolf Brother, Spirit Walker

Kay Thompson, Author of children’s books, Eloise Elizabeth

Janet Gray Vining, Meggy MacIntosh; Adam of the Road

Theodor Seuss Geisel a.k.a. “Dr Seuss” also did not have children of his own-although he became a stepfather in his 60s upon marrying his second wife.

This list surely is not exhaustive, but gives but one example of how many childfree have children in their lives in some way – and that way can be a major way.

As Rover puts it, these great people “expressed themselves through creation rather than procreation.”

Here’s to them, and all the childfree authors and illustrators for children’s books alive today. Know any personally? Nominate them for Childfree Man / Woman of the Year!