Ilon Wikland is a Swedish artist and illustrator, she was born on February 5, 1930 in Tartu, Estonia, but raised Haapsalu on Estonia's Baltic coast. In 1944 she escaped with the family of a classmate from the second soviet occupation, to Sweden. She went to Sweden in 1944 as a refugee. In 1953, Ilon applied for a job as illustrator at Rab�n & Sj�gren. She was met by Astrid, who had just finished writing the book Mio, my Son and who could see immediately that Ilon was able to ?draw fairytales?. Ilon did a test-drawing for the book and after that her collaboration with Astrid Lindgren continued. Ilon has said that Astrid?s writing continually makes her see inner pictures. She also derives inspiration for her pictures from real life. In the same way that Astrid Lindgren wrote for ?the child within her?, Ilon often also draws for the child within her. Ilon Wikland is the artist who has illustrated the greatest number of Astrid Lindgren?s books. 

February 5th, 1930 in Tartu (Age 94)