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David Wiesner

b. 1956

American children's illustrator and writer

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About David Wiesner

Born 1956. David Wiesner is an American writer, illustrator, children's writer, picture book writer and comics artist.

David Wiesner (born February 5, 1956) is an American illustrator and writer of children's books, known best for picture books including some that tell stories without words. As an illustrator he has won three Caldecott Medals recognizing the year's "most distinguished American picture book for children" Wiesner currently resides outside of Philadelphia with his family.

Career

Wiesner's first book was Honest Andrew, a picture book with text by Gloria Skurzynski, published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in 1980. That year he also illustrated a novel by Avi, Man From the Sky (Knopf, 1980). After illustrating a dozen or more books with other writers, he and his wife Kim Kahng co-wrote Loathsome Dragon, a picture book with his illustrations that G.P. Putnam's published in 1987. Since then Wiesner has created many picture books solo—as writer and illustrator, or stories without words. Free Fall (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1988) was a Caldecott Honor Book, a runner-up for the annual Caldecott Medal, conferred by the American Library Association on the illustrator of the year's best-illustrated picture book.

In January 2017, Wiesner had a retrospective art exhibition entitled David Wiesner & the Art of Wordless Storytelling at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. In the exhibition Wiesner showed his work highlights throughout the years of his career.

Works

As writer and illustrator 1987 Loathsome Dragon, retold by Wiesner and Kim Kahng 1988 Free Fall 1990 Hurricane 1991 Tuesday 1992 June 29, 1999 1999 Sector 7 2001 The Three Pigs 2006 Flotsam

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Bridgewater-Raritan High School
Awards
Caldecott Medal

People in David Wiesner's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped David Wiesner's

Frequently asked questions

Who is David Wiesner?

American children's illustrator and writer

When was David Wiesner born?

David Wiesner was born on 5 February 1956 in Bridgewater Township.

What is David Wiesner's occupation?

David Wiesner is a writer, illustrator, children's writer, picture book writer and comics artist.

What nationality is David Wiesner?

David Wiesner is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: David Wiesner

· Wikidata: Q650991

· DBpedia: David Wiesner

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Wiesner. https://biography.guide/david-wiesner/

MLA: "David Wiesner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-wiesner/.

Chicago: "David Wiesner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-wiesner/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-26 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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