Sammy the Seal

Sydney Hoff, a well-known cartoonist, author, and illustrator of books for children and young adults, was born in 1912 New York City and raised in the Bronx. His young adult novel, Irving and Me, was named one of the 10 best books for children by the New York Times.

Hoff first became interested in drawing as a child. Although he dropped out of public school, he later attended the National Academy of Design in New York City, where he studied to become a serious painter. However, at the age of 18 he sold his first cartoon to The New Yorker; this launched his career as a cartoonist.

Hoff has also drawn cartoon advertisements for CBS and has written short mysteries for popular mystery magazines. One of his earliest and most enduringly popular works is Danny and the Dinosaur, published in 1958. He wrote this book to entertain one of his daughters who was sick. Hoff's audience is, for the most part, the young child who likes clear illustrations, friendly animals, and a limited text.

Hoff died of pneumonia on May 12, 2004 in Miami, Florida. He and his wife, Dora, had two children.

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