The Israeli author and poet Yehuda Atlas died on Thursday at the age of 89, Sourasky Medical Center's Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv announced.
"Yehuda was an eternal child until his last moments. In his life, he acted and worked for people out of emotion and a desire to help. He was an editor, children's writer, and translator, and in his last years he wrote about children at risk out of a sense of mission. May his memory be blessed," read the statement.
Atlas, one of the most recognizable and beloved authors in Hebrew children's literature, left behind a work that became an integral part of the childhood of several generations in Israel.
His most recognizable book, And This Child Is Me (Vehayeled Haze Hu Any), was published in 1977 and introduced readers the a child's world in simple, direct, everyday language as he grapples with parents, friends, shame, love, jealousy, and frustration.
In an interview with Walla Culture, Atlas revealed the principles of his writing: "I write briefly, simply, understandably, and to tell the truth."
An inflation in children's books
In the same interview, Atlas said that he believed there was an "inflation" in children's books, criticizing books that he described as trying to be too educational or therapeutic.
"Everything in our lives is a long process, and by the time you get close to describing the problem, you're at the end of the book," he said.
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