Simms Taback died on December 25, 2011 at the age of 79 from pancreatic cancer.  He won a 1998 Caldecott Honor for his vibrant version of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.  I also adore his 2000 Caldecott Medal winning Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.

The LA Times has the story of his passing that includes this bit about his Caldecott winning book:

"When the art came in, everybody was so dazzled," recalled Regina Hayes, publisher of Viking Children’s Books, which published his two best-known books and other titles.

"Die cuts had been used many times in novelty books but never had been done with such artistry," said Hayes. "Instead of treating it like a novelty book, we gave it the highest production values because we were so impressed by the quality of the art."