One hundred years ago today — April 12, 1916 — children's literature icon Beverly Cleary was born. Today we hope she's enjoying a gigantic slice of carrot cake!

We've been celebrating her life and legacy in the pages of The Horn Book and at hbook.com. Here are some of children's literature's best and brightest on the centenarian.

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"The Real Ramona" by David Reuther, longtime Cleary editor and publisher.

Nonfiction author — and Friend of Beverly — Elaine Scott's "Telling the Truth While Making Things Up."

Varian Johnson's secret girlfriend: "Dear Mrs. Cleary."

Ame Dyckman gets tough with the mailman: "You Don't DO That to Beverly Cleary!"

"Ramona in the 21st-Century Library" — complete with tattoo! — by Julie Roach.

Cleary illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky gets schooled: "Dear Mr. Zelinsky": "Our class would like to know why you drew people smoking."

Kate Messner: "Everyone Needs a Ramona."

"Beverly Cleary and the Art of Growing Up" by Kurtis Scaletta.

You can take a walking tour of Beverly Cleary's Portland, Oregon.

Tony DiTerlizzi on Cleary illustrator Louis Darling: "Once Upon a Time It Was 1950." Visit the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art to see the DiTerlizzi-curated exhibit Louis Darling: Drawing the Words of Beverly Cleary from May 17–November 27, 2016.


Beverly Cleary's letter to Louis Darling's widow, Lois, with a Horn Book connection. (Thanks to Tony DiTerlizzi for finding it!)

Megan Dowd Lambert's 2010 Horn Book Magazine Books in the Home article: "The Boy Ramona" (he's now in college!)

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Links to recent interviews:

The New York Times/Associated Press April 10, 2016

Publishers Weekly April 6, 2016

The Washington Post April 3, 2016

The Today Show, March 25, 2016