Updated June 18, 2026 at 1:58 PM CDT The author Jane Yolen published an astonishing number of books in her lifetime — more than 450. She died at 87 last week at her home in Hatfield, Mass. Her residence there anchored a career in which Yolen wrote picture books, like the hugely popular How Do Dinosaurs … ? series. But she also wrote across age groups and genres, including young adult fiction, fantasy, poetry and more. Yolen's daughter, Heidi Stemple, says her mom had a favorite saying: "Touch magic.