Virginia Lee Burton died of lung cancer on October 15, 1968, in Boston, leaving behind a beloved body of children's literature still cherished today.
Virginia Lee Burton died on October 15, 1968, in Boston, Massachusetts, after a battle with lung cancer. She was 59 years old.
By the time of her death, Burton had authored and illustrated seven picture books, several of which had become enduring classics of American children's literature, including Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939), Katy and the Big Snow (1943), and her Caldecott Medal-winning masterpiece, The Little House (1942).
Her death marked the end of a career that had reshaped the visual and narrative language of picture books for children. Burton was known for her meticulous creative process: she tested her stories and illustrations first on her own two sons and neighborhood children in Folly Cove, Massachusetts, revising drafts dozens of times based on their reactions before finalizing a book—a practice virtually unheard of in the publishing industry at the time and one that reflected her deep respect for children as a discerning audience.
She was also the founder of the Folly Cove Designers, an influential textile design cooperative based in Cape Ann, Massachusetts, which produced hand-block-printed textiles for decades and became an important regional institution in American craft and design history.
Following her death, Burton's books continued to be reprinted, adapted, and celebrated. Her influence persists in the fields of children's literature, illustration, and graphic design, and institutions such as the Cape Ann Museum continue to preserve and exhibit her legacy through the Folly Cove Designers collection.