Let's make this birthday one to remember.

59 years old (Born on July 14, 1966)

Happy Birthday, Brian Selznick! May your day be filled with more magic than Hugo Cabret's clockwork adventures and fewer mishaps than a runaway automaton. Your illustrations have enchanted readers young and old—earning you the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 2008—and proving once again that pictures truly speak louder (and funnier) than words.

Here's hoping this year brings even greater stories to sketch, endless inspiration for whimsical inventions, and plenty of cake that's sweeter than any plot twist you've ever penned. Keep dazzling us all; after all these years illustrating children's dreams into reality—you've certainly earned it!