Anna Dewdney author page

Anna Dewdney biography

Anna Dewdney was an American author and illustrator best known for creating the Llama Llama picture book series. Born Anna Elizabeth Luhrmann in New York City on December 25, 1965, she grew up in Englewood, New Jersey. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Wesleyan University in 1987.

Before achieving literary success, Dewdney worked in various roles, including as a rural mail carrier and as a teacher at a boarding school for boys with dyslexia. Her first illustrated book, The Peppermint Race by Dian Curtis Regan, was published in 1994. In 2005, she both wrote and illustrated Llama Llama Red Pajama, which received critical acclaim and launched the popular series.

The Llama Llama books, characterized by their rhyming text and focus on early childhood experiences, became New York Times bestsellers and have been translated into multiple languages. Dewdney’s work has been adapted into stage plays, musicals, and a Netflix animated television series that premiered in 2018.

In addition to the Llama Llama series, Dewdney authored and illustrated other children’s books, including Grumpy Gloria, Nobunny’s Perfect, and Roly Poly Pangolin. Her final book, Little Excavator, was published posthumously in 2017.

Dewdney was a strong advocate for children’s literacy and emphasized the importance of reading aloud to children. She passed away on September 3, 2016, at the age of 50, due to complications from brain cancer.