PHILADELPHIA — Charles Santore, an illustrator known for his richly detailed and whimsical interpretations of classic children’s books, has died, his daughter said Friday.

Christina Santore said her father died Sunday after a brief illness in Philadelphia, where he was born, raised and worked. He was 84.

He spent over three decades reimagining classic children’s tales like L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz,” Beatrix Potter’s “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” Grimm fairy tales and Aesop’s fables.

“Charlie Santore was an artistic treasure in the industry. He created worlds that were familiar but elevated them beyond the scope of our imagination,” said Running Press Kids creative director Frances Soo Ping Chow, who worked with Santore for over a decade.

Santore started off as a magazine illustrator, had a successful freelance advertising career and frequently created portraits of celebrities for TV Guide in the 1970s and 1980s. Santore’s work appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, Good Housekeeping and he even created a poster for the 1964 World’s Fair.

After over 20 years doing magazine work, Running Press approached him to illustrate “The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit and Other Stories” in the 1980s. He was hooked.

“An advertisement runs in a magazine today and someone wraps fish in it the next day,” Santore told Communication Arts. “With a book, you know it’s going to be around.” He sometimes took years to finish paintings for books, working primarily in watercolor.

Santore is survived by his three children, Christina, Charles III and Nicholas. His wife of 55 years, Olenka, died in April.