Amy Oscar

Amy Schwartz, born April 2, 1954, was an American author and illustrator who created over 60 children's books throughout her career. She was recognized for her warm and humorous storytelling, often from a child's perspective, and her distinctive artwork using gouache and pen-and-ink. Schwartz received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drawing in 1976 and began illustrating books shortly after, eventually moving to New York City to pursue her career. She took a course in writing and illustrating children's books at the School for Visual Arts, which led to her first publication in 1982. Schwartz's work garnered several accolades, including features on "Reading Rainbow," selections by the Horn Book Magazine, and Junior Library Guild recognitions.

Her personal life included growing up on the West Coast with her parents, a writer and a chemistry professor, and three sisters. After graduating high school early, she attended Antioch College and later the California College of Arts and Crafts. She married Leonard S. Marcus in 1990, and they had a son, Jacob. Amy Schwartz passed away on February 26, 2023, in Brooklyn, where she lived with her husband.

“best known for her warm, humorous tales with a kid-centered point of view, and her equally distinctive gouache and pen-and-ink artwork.”