New York, NY (May 30, 2012)--LEO DILLON, one of the world’s most celebrated children’s book artists—internationally applauded for creating a world of stunning multicultural books using a broad diversity of art styles and ethnic backgrounds—died on Saturday, May 26, in Brooklyn, New York. He was 79. “The cause was complications of a sudden illness requiring lung surgery,” said Bonnie Verburg, his longtime editor at the Blue Sky Press/Scholastic and formerly Harcourt. Mr. Dillon, who died at Long Island College Hospital, lived in nearby Brooklyn.