Felix Salten, the pen name of Austrian writer Sigmund Salzmann, was born on September 6, 1869. He is best known as the author of Bambi: A Life in the Woods, a classic of 20th Century children's literature that was later turned into a popular animated film by Walt Disney.

Salten wrote many novels featuring animals as the main characters, including Bambi's Children, Perri, A Forest World, Fifteen Rabbits, Renni the Rescuer and Florian, the Emperor's Stallion. I've long admired Salten's writing, and his books have been a major influence on my life and my creative work.

Read Deer Bambi for more background on Felix Salten.