Best illustrated books all over the world
Sydney Smith is a Canadian illustrator of children’s books. He is the 2024 recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his “lasting contribution to children’s literature”. He earlier won the 2015 Governor General’s Award for English-language children’s illustration for Sidewalk Flowers, a wordless picture book which he illustrated with […]
Gennady Kalinovsky (1929-2006) was one of the most famous and prolific Soviet illustrators. The brilliant illustrator and graphic artist created a unique, bright world of children’s book illustrations. He was born in Stavropol, then moved with his family to Makhachkala, where he spent his childhood. Already then, in 1943, he […]
The distant, cold, unreal expanses of the Nordic lands hide a warm fairy tale about the boundless sacrificial love between the beautiful black swan Kjel, an outcast from the swan flock, and the equally enchanting white swan Agnette. In order to realize their love, they had to overcome numerous obstacles […]
Dražen Jerabek is a contemporary Croatian author and illustrator of children’s books. He was born in 1966 in Zagreb, Croatia. He graduated from the School of Applied Arts, specializing in painting, then the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. Currently, he works at the School of Textiles, Design and Applied […]
Virginia Lee Burton (1909-1968) was an American author and illustrator of children’s books. She was born into a family of a dean of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a poetess; Virginia’s love for literature manifested itself in early childhood. When she was 8 years old, her family moved to […]
Alois Carigiet (1902-1985) was a Swiss artist, stage designer, decorator, book illustrator, and the first winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Prize. Alois Carigiet was born in the Swiss town of Trun, into a large farming family — he was the seventh of eleven children. He lived on a farm […]
Konrad Ernst Theophil Kreidolf (9 February 1863 – 12 August 1956) was a Swiss artist and children’s book illustrator. He was born in Bern, Switzerland, into a trader’s family. The family moved to Konstanz, Germany, where his father opened a toy shop. However, Ernst was largely raised by his grandparents […]
The magic and enchantment of Maeterlinck’s famous play have been adapted by Brian Wildsmith in this illustrated tale of a little girl whose illness can only be cured by a magical blue bird. To find the bird, Mytyl and Tyltyl must journey through the Land of Memory to the Palace […]
Brian Wildsmith (1930-2016) was an English artist and book illustrator. He earned a reputation as one of the most colourful and original children’s artists of his time. Along with Quentin Blake and John Burningham, he influenced a generation of illustrators and publishers of the 1960s, when the technical capabilities of […]
Maurice (Mooris) Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (1862-1949) was a Belgian writer, playwright and philosopher; winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. He was born in Ghent, into a notary’s family; he graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Ghent. Maeterlinck’s first poem was published in […]
Original title: Приключения Алисы в стране чудес. Алиса в Зазеркалье The book includes two of the most famous works by the English writer Lewis Carroll – “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass”. The color illustrations were created by Irina Kazakova, a talented graphic artist whose works appear in […]
Irina Ivanovna Kazakova (born on August 28th, 1935) is an artist and book illustrator. She graduated from the graphic department of the Russian Academy of Arts, where she studied under Mikhail Afanasievich Taranov. “I entered the Academy of Arts. I learned not only from wonderful teachers, but also from my […]
The classic Caldecott Medal–winning picture book about a neighborhood transformed by a delightful snowfall, from the legendary picture book duo Alvin Tresselt and Roger Duvoisin. When the first flakes fell from the grey sky, the postman and the farmer and the policeman and his wife scurried about doing all the […]
Roger Duvoisin (August 28, 1900 – June 30, 1980) was an American writer and illustrator of Swiss origin, best known for his children’s picture books. Roger Duvoisin was born in Geneva. He studied at the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. He began his career as a decorator […]
Gennady Pavlishin is a well-known artist from Khabarovsk. Since his student days, he has been deeply interested in the distinctive culture of indigenous peoples. His first illustrated book was the Nanai fairy tale “Mergen and His Friends”, and soon after he created a series of illustrations for D. Nagishkin’s collection […]
Original title: Винни-Пух и все-все-все Viktor Chizhikov’s illustrated books have been published for over fifty years. He has reimagined numerous children’s books in his unique, playful and dynamic style. The timeless stories about the restless bear and his friends, illustrated by Viktor Chizhikov, were published in 1986. But the artist […]
Pauli Ebner (1873-1949) was an Austrian illustrator. She received her art education at the private Viennese school Strehblow. In 1912, she was accepted into the Association of Austrian Artists. She illustrated many children’s books and postcards. She especially often used themes involving small children and family holidays. She signed her […]
Kenny’s Window is the first book Maurice Sendak both wrote and illustrated. It tells the dreamy, tender story of a boy named Kenny, who one night begins to wonder about life and happiness. In his sleep he enters a magical world and sets out to answer seven mysterious questions. Along […]
Little Black Crow is a quiet, meditative book. The text moves like a gentle chant, full of simple questions addressed to the crow: Where do you go? What do you see? Do you feel lonely? The language is pared down, but the repetition and rhythm create a sense of intimacy, […]
