Bruce Degen, Illustrator of 'Magic School Bus' Books, Dead at 79

Sad news for anyone who grew up wishing they could have a teacher like Ms. Frizzle: Bruce Degen, who illustrated the Magic School Bus children's book series, has passed away.

As People reported, the artist died from pancreatic cancer at his home in Newtown, Conn., on Nov. 7. He was 79 years old. 

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the iconic illustrator enjoyed a long and successful career. After showing interest in art as a child, he attended the High School of Art & Music in New York City (now LaGuardia High School). He went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in art from Cooper Union in 1966 and his master’s degree from Pratt Institute in 1975, both highly prestigious institutions, and worked as an art teacher before getting into children's book illustration.

🤩🤩 SIGN UP for Parade's Trending News newsletter & we'll keep you in the know on the viral pop culture moments & celebrity news everyone is talking about 🗞️🗞️

In 2020, Degen opened up to Science.org about finding his path as an artist.

“I was in art school doing very serious art, and I didn't know what I was going to do. I said to myself, 'Why did I do art in the first place?' It was fun,” he said. “And I realized that, in my heart of hearts, I wanted to do children's books because they could be funny and beautiful.”

Related: Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead Founding Member, Dead at 84

Degen provided the art for several successful kids' titles, even writing and illustrating the classic book Jamberry in 1982, before getting paired with writer Joanna Cole by Scholastic in 1984. Degen and Cole teamed up for the bestselling Magic School Bus series, publishing the first title—The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks—in 1986.

The Magic School Bus books have since sold over 95 million copies and are in print in 13 different countries.

“I will miss Bruce’s stories about the old days and how he’d unfurl them over a long lunch,” Scholastic Press VP, Publisher and editorial director David Levithan told Publisher’s Weekly. “I will miss the twinkle in his eye as he road-tested a new joke for Arnold or planned a new outfit for Ms. Frizzle. But hopefully I won’t miss the joy of it all, because that’s what I plan to hold on to—and what generation after generation of young readers will get to experience whenever they hop on board.”

Next: Quincy Jones, Legendary Music Producer and Entertainment Icon, Dead at 91