William Sherman Pène du Bois was an American writer and illustrator known for his books for young readers. He gained prominence with The Twenty-One Balloons, published in April 1947 by Viking Press, which won the 1948 Newbery Medal. In addition to his own writing, he was twice a runner-up for the Caldecott Medal for illustrating books by others, and earned two Caldecott Honor distinctions for picture books he authored and illustrated.

From 1953 to 1960, Pène du Bois served as the art editor of The Paris Review, collaborating with founder and editor George Plimpton.