Bergen County Author Of 'Baby Llama' Children's Books Dies Of Brain Cancer

Anna Dewdney, an Englewood native and author of the beloved children's book,"Llama, Llama Red Pajama," died Saturday at her Vermont home, according to an obituary on Legacy.com and the Associated Press.

Dewdney, 50, died after a 15-month battle with brain cancer.

She began her career as an illustrator while working as a mail carrier and a waitress, her obituary stated. She illustrated many books, including "The Peppermint Race," before finding success in 2005 with "Llama, Llama Red Pajama." The New York Times-best-selling book is about a baby lama who did not want to go to sleep.

The "Llama, Llama" now features more than 10 books, which have sold more than 10 million copies combined. Netflix is producing an animated series based on the books that is due out in 2017, Publishers Weekly reported.

Dewdney's publisher, Jen Loja, president of Penguin Young Readers, said “The entire Penguin Young Readers family is heartbroken. And as we grieve, we also celebrate Anna’s life, in dedicating ourselves to carrying forward her mission of putting books into as many little hands as possible."

Dewdney requested that, rather than have a funeral service, people read to a child. She is survived by her partner and two grown daugthers.

Photo by Jeffrey Beall, Flickr — used with permission via Creative Commons license