AXEL SCHEFFLER
BIOGRAPHY
Axel Scheffler was born in 1957 in Hamburg, Germany. At
school, although always good at art, he never really considered
a career in illustration. But long before he began his professional
life, he had won his first drawing prize for an international
chocolate company - his prize was a cuddly lilac cow.
Axel went on from school to study History of Art at the
University of Hamburg - but he didn't like the course and
decided to leave. Knowing that he wanted to live in another
country and learn a second language, he moved to England
to study illustration at the Bath Academy of Art. During
his time there he spent much of his time drawing sheep and
peacocks in the grounds of Corsham Court.
After graduating with a first class degree, Axel moved
to London where he began illustrating for a variety of English
and German advertising companies, magazines and newspapers.
He took his portfolio to a number of publishers and Faber
commissioned him to illustrate The Piemakers by
Helen Cresswell and The Bottle Rabbit by Bernard
McCabe. In 1989, Walker asked Axel to illustrate a text
by Jon Blake, You're a Hero, Daley B.
A writer called Julia Donaldson was also writing songs
for Playdays at this time and her song A Squash and
a Squeeze (reissued to celebrate 10 years of the award
winning partnership in June 2003) was commissioned to be
a picture book. Axel Scheffler was recommended as an illustrator
for the text and an award-winning team was created.
Their next book, The Gruffalo, was published in
March 1999 and has already become a modern classic, selling
more than 2million copies worldwide and translated into
over 20 languages. It was nominated for the Kate Greenaway
Medal, and it won the 1999 Smarties Gold Medal Award for
picture books and the 2000 Blue Peter Award for The
Best Book to Read Aloud. It was followed by Monkey
Puzzle, also nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal,
and Room on the Broom was published September 2001
and also won the 2002 Blue Peter Award for The Best
Book to Read Aloud. Axel also continues to illustrate
for other authors as well, including Ian Whybrow and David
Henry Wilson. The next title The Smartest Giant in Town
was shortlisted for the Red House Children's Book Award,
and the Snail and the Whale was published to great
acclaim.
Still living in London, Axel makes frequent visits to continental
Europe. His hobbies include walking, cooking and reading
and beadwork.
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ILLUSTRATIONS
For more information about each of the illustrations
(size, price, etc), please
click here.
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Three elephants
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"I've got cold toes"
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“Should I eat fish?”
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The fox waited
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Hide and seek pig
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"I am a dog."
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Juice the Pig
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Live in a cage
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Hop along the road
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Title page
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Squash and Squeeze
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Piemakers, written by Helen Cresswell,
published by Faber
The Bottle Rabbit, written by Bernard McCabe,
published by Faber
You’re a Hero, Daley B, written by Jon
Blake, published by Walker Books 1992
Sam Who was Swallowed by a Shark, written by
Phyllis Root, published by Walker Books
The Tickle Book, written by Ian Whybrow, published
by Macmillan Children’s Books
Tales from Acorn Wood: Postman Bear, written
by Julia Donaldson, published by Macmillan Children’s
Books
A Squash and a Squeeze, written by Julia Donaldson,
published 2003 by Macmillan Children’s Books
The Gruffalo, written by Julia Donaldson, published
1999 by Macmillan Children’s Books
Monkey Puzzle, written by Julia Donaldson, published
2000 by Macmillan Children’s Books
Room on the Broom, written by Julia Donaldson,
published 2001 by Macmillan Children’s Books
The Smartest Giant in Town, written by Julia
Donaldson, published by Macmillan Children’s Books
Tales from Acorn Wood: Rabbit’s Nap, written
by Julia Donaldson, published by Macmillan Children’s
Books
Juice the Pig, written by Martine Osborne, published
1995 by Macmillan Children’s Books
Jingle Jangle Jungle, published 2003 by Macmillan
Children’s Books
Proverbs from Far and Wide, published 1997 by
Macmillan Children’s Books
The Snail and the Whale, published by Macmillan
Children’s Books
Tales from Acorn Wood: Rabbit’s Nap, written
by Julia Donaldson, published by Macmillan Children’s
Books
Tales from Acorn Wood: Fox’s Socks, written
by Julia Donaldson, published by Macmillan Children’s
Books
Muddle Farm, published 2003 by Macmillan Children’s
Books
The Gruffalo’s Child, written by Julia
Donaldson, to be published Sept 2004 by Macmillan Children’s
Books
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