Chris van Abkoude

Chris van Abkoude was a Dutch author best known for creating the beloved children's character Pietje Bell and the novel *Kruimeltje* (Little Crumb). Born on 6 November 1880 in Rotterdam, he began his career as a teacher. Observing that his students found the children's books of the era dull, he decided to write his own. His first Pietje Bell novel appeared in 1914, while he was still living in his hometown. The following year, he moved to the United States, settling in Portland, Oregon, where he wrote the remaining books in the series through 1936. In America, he anglicized his name to Charles Winters. In 1923, he published *Kruimeltje*, a story that would later be adapted into a 1999 film. Van Abkoude died on 2 January 1960 in Portland. Though his primary work was in prose, he is credited as a writer on 19 comic book issues, most notably for *Donald Duck* and *Pietje Bell* adaptations, with his comics work appearing between 1991 and 1992. His legacy endures through his classic Dutch children's literature, which has been adapted into film and comics.