Charles Santore

Charles Santore (born 1935 in Philadelphia) is an award winning American illustrator best known for his children's books. His work is on display permanently at the Brandywine River Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. He won the Hamilton King award from the New York Society of Illustrators in 1972. His book William the Curious was honored in the 1998 Storytelling World 'Stories for Pre-Adolescent Listeners' category. His most popular works include celebrity portraits that he has done for TV Guide.

Background

Santore was born in Philadelphia in 1935 and attended the Museum School of Art (which is now the University of the Arts) where he studied illustration. When he graduated in 1956 he served in the Army and then returned to Philadelphia to work in a small art studio. He started to get assignments from the N.W. Ayer Agency and his first editorial assignment was for the old Saturday Evening Post headquartered in Philadelphia.

Career beginnings

In 1985 he was approached by Running Press to illustrate a new version of "Tales of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter. It was a life changing experience as he realized how different it was to illustrate an entire book rather than just one image.