Wanda Gag

wrote and illustrated the first book I knew (and could recite by heart before age 2).

Wanda Gag (1893-1946) illustrated the children’s book Millions of Cats (1928), and pioneered the double-page book spread, using both pages for one illustration that furthered the story. In Millions Of Cats there is use of bright colour, but a lot of her work is high-contrast black-and-white.

http://www.slaphappylarry.com/picturebook-study-hansel-and-gretel-by-neil-gaiman-and-lorenzo-mattotti/