Series: The Illustrators

An appreciation of the life and art of Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomin books, which are adored by children and adults across the globe. This book provides fresh insights and a deeper appreciation of the life and art of Tove Jansson (1914-2001), one of the most original, influential and perennially enjoyed illustrators of the 20th century. Jansson's flourishing Moomin...

An overview of the life and work of Oliver Jeffers, the Belfast-raised illustrator, bookmaker, painter, designer, campaigner and global superstar of the world of visual communication. A phenomenon of 21st-century bookmaking, Oliver Jeffers has carved an extraordinary career that shows no sign of slowing. Still only in his forties, he has published an array of hugely popular books, both as...

In the course of a career spanning more than fifty years, Posy Simmonds has become one of Britain's best-known satirical cartoonists. She is also a much-loved author and artist of widely translated children's books and graphic novels. These include Fred, animated in 1996 into the Oscar-nominated short film Famous Fred, and Gemma Bovery and Tamara Drewe, both adapted into films,...

An overview of the life and work of much-loved children's illustrator and author Judith Kerr, creator of classics such as The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and Mog. A thoughtful and intimate portrait, this book is not only a celebration of Judith Kerr's classic work, but a record of the hard work, development, and serious intent behind it. Referencing Kerr's...

Raymond Briggs has changed the face of children's picture books with his innovations in both form and subject. Stylistically versatile, he has illustrated around sixty books, twenty of them with his own text, and first became a household name in the late 1970s and early 1980s with a handful of books—Father Christmas, Fungus the Bogeyman, The Snowman, When the Wind...

For millions of children, Dick Bruna's books are the first they will encounter. They don't know how lucky they are Michael Bond This latest instalment in The Illustrators on Dutch artist Dick Bruna (1927-2017) takes readers behind the scenes of the creation of some of the world's most endearing children's characters. Offering a deeper appreciation of the artistry and skills...

While almost everybody knows Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline, the fact that the illustrator published over forty other titles remains a well-kept secret. The first title in Thames & Hudson’s brand-new series, this book offers a visually rich insight into the life and work of this important artist and writer. Ludwig Bemelmans grew up under the Austro-Hungarian empire and emigrated to the...

Czech artist Miroslav Šašek (1916-1980) was remarkable for his unique and pioneering approach to non-fiction picture books, illustrating daily life as if seen from a child's perspective. His bestselling This Is... series eventually totalled eighteen books. A witty collection of travel guides for children, the books employ an avant-garde synthesis of word and image that captures the joyous idiosyncrasies of...

Jenny Uglow narrates the story of Walter Crane, an intriguing and most prolific figure not only in illustration, but in political culture more broadly. Uglow expertly weaves a fascinating study of how Crane's art and politics developed from his childhood love of Pre-Raphaelite painting to the influences of Morris and William Blake on the journals, books, banners, pamphlets and postcards...