Astrid Lindgren was a Swedish author best known for creating some of the most iconic children's characters in literature—most famously Pippi Longstocking, the eccentric red-haired girl with superhuman strength who refuses to grow up or behave like a proper child. She also wrote Karlsson-on-the-Roof, about a boy and his peculiar flying friend, and the Six Bullerby Children (published in the US as Children of Noisy Village), a gentler series following the everyday lives of rural Swedish kids.

Beyond books, Lindgren worked as a screenwriter and remained prolific across multiple formats throughout her career. She died on January 28, 2002, leaving behind a body of work that fundamentally shaped how children's literature approached imagination, mischief, and independence.