Philip D. Eastman, 76; Wrote Children’s Books

Philip D. Eastman, author of children’s books that sold more than 3 million copies in 10 languages, has died at 76 in a New Jersey nursing home.

Best known for “Are You My Mother?” and “Go, Dog, Go,” Eastman was a story department member at Walt Disney Productions before World War II. During the war he worked with director Frank Capra’s award-winning Army Signal Corps film unit producing military documentaries.

After writing some story lines for the Oscar-winning “Gerald McBoing Boing” cartoon, he was encouraged by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) to turn his hand to children’s works.

Eastman, who died Jan. 7, became author and illustrator for “Sam and the Firefly,” “The Best Nest,” “The Cat in the Hat Beginner Dictionary” and “Big Dog, Little Dog,” among others.