I was sorry to hear about the death of cartoonist and children's book author and illustrator Syd Hoff. According to an Associated Press article in the Washington Post, Hoff died of pneumonia on May 12, 2004, at the age of 91. The article reported that "Anne Hoppe, executive editor of the HarperCollins children's books division, said Mr. Hoff was one of the first creators of books for beginning readers. 'Syd was so good at humor for young readers and for creating big-hearted characters,' Hoppe said."
if the name Syd Hoff doesn't mean anything to you, perhaps the titles of some of his books will. "Danny and the Dinosaur," "Sammy the Seal," The Horse in Harry's Room," and "Julius" are some of his many books for beginning readers that remain in print. For information about books for second and third graders by a variety of different authors, see my Chapter Books directory.
if the name Syd Hoff doesn't mean anything to you, perhaps the titles of some of his books will. "Danny and the Dinosaur," "Sammy the Seal," The Horse in Harry's Room," and "Julius" are some of his many books for beginning readers that remain in print. For information about books for second and third graders by a variety of different authors, see my Chapter Books directory.
For those interested, there’s a new website, which is the official Syd Hoff website created by his niece Carol Edmonston. See it at http://www.SydHoff.org