http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/02/07/brian-jacques-redwall-dies-71/ Apparently this happened right around a month ago, though I didn't find out until now. To me his Mossflower is right up there with The Black Cauldron in terms of canonical children's fantasy books. In fact, his books might be the second-most successful children's fantasy series (next to Harry Potter) in the past several decades, as evidenced by there being over 20 novels and an animated show. Very sad to see him go. There need to be more children's authors good enough to get kids to sit down and actually read a whole book of their own free will. I feel like that happens less and less as time goes on.
This guy was one of my favorite authors growing up. Even until college every year when he'd release his latest book, I'd get the hardcover. That's consistency. What a wonderful storyteller he was.
Man, I loved the Redwall series when I was growing up. Really captured my imagination when I was a little kid. I ended up getting to meet Jacques when he came to my middle school way back when. It's too bad, kids these days grow up on Twilight novels...
Ya it was cool. I was past 'Redwall' books when he came to Spacecenter (reading LOTR by that time) but it was a great experience. I still have 2 or 3 autographed paperbacks somewhere in my closet.
