Acclaimed Israeli Children's Author Yehuda Atlas Dies at 89

Yehuda Atlas, a celebrated Israeli author and poet renowned for his contributions to Hebrew children's literature, has passed away at the age of 89. Tel Aviv's Ichilov Medical Center announced his death, relaying a statement from his family that described him as an "eternal child" who acted out of a desire to help others. Atlas's career spanned editing, children's writing, and translation, with a later focus on writing about at-risk children out of a sense of mission.

Born in 1937 in the Ein Vered moshav and raised near Karkur, Atlas studied Middle Eastern studies and philosophy at Tel Aviv University after his military service. He entered journalism and editing, working for publications like 'Bamahane Gadna' and later for 'Yedioth Ahronoth', where he edited the 'Shiva Yamim' and 'Shiva Leilot' supplements. He also edited the children's magazine 'Pilon'.

Atlas achieved widespread recognition in 1977 with the publication of "Veha Yeled Ze Ani" (And This Child Is Me), a collection of poems written from a child's perspective. This book became an Israeli classic and spawned a series of successful follow-ups, including "Gam HaYeled Ze Ani" (This Child Is Also Me), "VeRak Ani Lo" (And Only I Am Not), "Ani Rotze Shipta'om" (I Want Suddenly), and "HaYalda She Ani Ohev" (The Girl I Love). These works humorously explore children's daily lives and their perspectives on the world.

Beyond his iconic children's books, Atlas translated approximately 60 illustrated books and wrote about children's authors and illustrators. In his later years, he intensely focused on the theme of at-risk children. His book "Yeladim Shel Af Echad" (Children of Nobody) featured poems inspired by his encounters with children who had experienced neglect, abuse, and social or familial difficulties. His final works, including "HaYeled HaZe" (This Child) in 2017, revisited his own childhood, while "Dma'ot Kchulot" (Blue Tears) in 2018 presented short poems in the style of Haiku.