How did Ian Falconer die? Ian Falconer gained huge success after his Olivia books, which featured a clever piglet named Olivia, who possesses innovative imagination, became a household name amongst children! The author created Olivia for his young niece in 1996, and seeing how the character is so good, his family members and close friends asked him to keep working on the character.
However, Ian initially was reluctant as he turned down publishers who wanted the text to be written by an outside author as he admittedly was afraid that his vanity would not allow him to relegate himself to illustration.
The author also explained how he thought his instincts about the story if it were unpolished and right, and further happened organically with the pictures. The first book in the series was called Olivia and was published back in 2000. The book was a huge success while dominating the New York Times bestseller list for over a year and later bagged the Caldecott Honor while selling a whopping 10 million copies of the book.
The success of the original book was followed by seven sequels, the last of which was called Olivia the Spy in 2017. Last year, Ian also published a new book for children called Two Dogs while revealing how a pair of dachshunds named Perry and Augie were inspired by his nephews. Let us find out how did Ian Falconer die.
How Did Ian Falconer Die?
Ian Falconer died of natural causes. The devastating news was further confirmed by the author’s lawyer and agent Conrad M. Rippy. He passed away while he was with his family in Norwalk. He was 63 years old.
The late author is survived by his two sisters named, Tonia Falconer Barringer and Tory Falconer Crane. Ian‘s father, Bruce Falconer, died when the author was 25 years old. The literary world mourns the death of the gifted illustrator and author.
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How Did The Olivia Series Happen?
When asked about his fan following in children, Ian stated that if he had to say one thing, it would be to not underestimate one’s audience as Children will figure things out as that is what they do best, which is to sort out the world.
While the Olivia book series was a huge success, it surely was one of those happy accidents! Ian made his 3-year-old niece, Olivia, a book with the piglet character back in the Christmas of 1996, and the rest is history.
Two years later, in 1998, the book happened after Anne Schwartz of Simon & Schuster was looking for an illustrator for a book, and that is how they approached Mr. Falconer, who had already grabbed attention for his witty New Yorker covers. While Ian was initially not interested in the assignment, he still went ahead and showed Anne the book that he had made for his niece.
When asked why he chose the animal pig, the author explained how piglets seem the appropriate shape for little kids, given how their heads are too big for their bodies! His character was a strong one as the author explained how the real Olivia could argue, stonewall, and even bulldoze or filibuster through any given inconvenience to achieve her goal, and that also in the nicest way.
Ian Falconer Talks About Olivia’s Success.
Ian Falconer’s Olivia series was such a big success that kids’ network giant Nickelodeon went in to make an animated television series out of the Olivia character back in 2009. Creator Ian Falconer had earlier admitted in an earlier interview how he was rather taken aback by the success of his creation.
The author admitted that it is a little embarrassing, as all these years he was working so hard to paint and draw, and now he would be remembered for this pig while adding that there are worse things that can happen to one.
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