William Steig (1907-2003) was an American author and illustrator of award-winning books for children. His books include Shrek!, on which the films of the same name are based, Dominic and The Real Thief, both published by Pushkin Children's. He twice received the Newbery Honor, was awarded the Caldecott Medal, and was the US nominee for both of the biennial international Hans Christian Andersen Awards, as a children's book illustrator in 1982 and a writer in 1988.