Chris Riddell

Chris Riddell, February 2010

Chris Riddell (born 1962) is a British illustrator and occasional writer of children's literature, and a political cartoonist for The Observer. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize seven times.

Early life and background

Chris Riddell was born in 1962 in South Africa where his father worked as a vicar and was opposed to the system of apartheid. The family returned to England when Chris was one year old, where he spent the rest of his childhood with his sister and three brothers who are now living in South Africa, Brighton England, Egypt and Malaysia. Chris displayed artistic talent from an early age, and was encouraged in this by his mother. As a child, his favourite artists were John Tenniel (the original illustrator of Lewis Carroll's book Alice in Wonderland) and William Heath Robinson.

The Edge Chronicles

Some of Riddell's most notable work is The Edge Chronicles, a children's book series co-written with Paul Stewart and illustrated by Riddell himself. Set in the fictional world known as "The Edge", the books have been praised for Chris's beautifully detailed line drawings and the unique nature of their collaborative writing process.

Other works

As well as being an award-winning author and illustrator, Chris is also an acclaimed political cartoonist for The Observer newspaper in London, where his caricatures of politicians from John Major to Gordon Brown, Bill Clinton to George Bush have earned him a reputation as a fine draughtsman and acute commentator on the political scene. Before working at The Observer, Chris spent time working at The Economist as an illustrator and sometime cover artist.

Other books illustrated by Chris Riddell include Fergus Crane, Corby Flood, and Hugo Pepper; all set in the same world. These books were also co-written with Paul Stewart. He also collaborated with him on Muddle Earth and the Barnaby Grimes series. Most recently Chris Riddell has produced the acclaimed "Ottoline" series written whilst he was on holiday visiting his brother in Malaysia. The first book in the series, Ottoline and the Yellow Cat, won the Nestlé Gold Award and was followed by Ottoline Goes to School and Ottoline at Sea.

Chris Riddell is the cover artist for the Literary Review magazine formerly edited by Auberon Waugh, a role which he took over from the late Willie Rushton. Chris's gag cartoon for this magazine called "Illustration to Unwritten Books" was published in book form as The Da Vinci Cod And Other Illustrations To Unwritten Books.

Bibliography

As author and illustrator

• Ben and the Bear (1986)
• Humphrey the Hippo (1986)
• Humphrey of the Rovers (1986)
• Humphrey Goes to the Ball (1986)
• Humphrey's New Trousers (1986)
• Mr Underbed (1986)
• Bird's New Shoes (1987)
• The Fibbs (1987)
• The Trouble With Elephants (1988)
• The Wish Factory (1988)
• When the Walrus Comes (1989)
• The Bear Dance (1990)
• The Wonderful World of Zoom (1995)
• Puzzle Boy (1996)
• My Busy Book (1998)
• Tribal Politics (1999)
• Platypus (2001)
• Platypus and the Lucky Day (2002)
• Platypus and the Birthday Party (2003)
• The Da Vinci Cod (2005)
• The Emperor of Absurdia (2006)
• Wendel's Workshop (2007)
• Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (2007)
• Ottoline Goes to School (2008)
• Ottoline at Sea (2010)
• Alienography (2011)

Collaborations with Paul Stewart

Riddell has collaborated many times with Paul Stewart.

• The Edge Chronicles:
  • Beyond the Deepwoods (1998)
  • Stormchaser (1999)
  • Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (2000)
  • Cloud Wolf (2001)
  • The Curse of the Gloamglozer (2001)
  • The Last of the Sky Pirates (2002)
  • Vox (2003)
  • Freeglader (2004)
  • The Edge Chronicles Maps (2004)
  • The Winter Knights (2005)
  • The Stone Pilot (2006)
  • Clash of the Sky Galleons (2006)
  • The Lost Barkscrolls (2007)
  • The Immortals (2009)
• Rabbit and Hedgehog Stories:
  • A Little Bit of Winter (1998)
  • The Birthday Presents (1999)
  • Rabbit's Wish (2001)
  • What Do You Remember? (2002)
• The Blobheads:
  • Invasion of the Blobs (February 2000)
  • Talking Toasters (February 2000)
  • School Stinks (March 2000)
  • Beware of the Babysitter (April 2000)
  • Garglejuice (May 2000)
  • Silly Billy (June 2000)
  • Naughty Gnomes (July 2000)
  • Purple Alert! (August 2000)
• Muddle Earth (2003)
• Free Lance:
  • Free Lance and the Lake of Skulls (2003)
  • Free Lance and the Field of Blood (2004)
  • Free Lance and the Dragon's Hoard (2005)
• Far-Flung Adventures:
  • Fergus Crane (2004)
  • Corby Flood (2005)
  • Hugo Pepper (2006)
• Barnaby Grimes:
  • Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Nightwolf (2007)
  • Barnaby Grimes: Return of the Emerald Skull (2008)
  • Barnaby Grimes: Legion of the Dead (2008)
  • Barnaby Grimes: Phantom of Blood Alley (2009)

• • Wyrmeweald: Returner's Wealth (2010)

Collaborations with Kathryn Cave

Riddell has illustrated several books by Kathryn Cave.

• Henry Hobbs, Alien (1990)
• Out for the Count (1991)
• Andrew Takes the Plunge (1994)
• Something Else (1994)
• Jumble (1995)
• The Emperor's Gruckle Hound (1996)
• Horatio Happened (1998)
• William and the Wolves (1999)
• Septimus Similon, Practising Wizard (2000)
• Henry Hobbs, Space Voyager (2001)
• Henry Hobbs and the Lost Planet (2002)

Collaborations with Andrew Gibson

Riddell has illustrated several books by Andrew Gibson.

• Ellis and the Hummick (1989)
• The Abradizil (1990)
• Jemima, Grandma and the Great Lost Zone (1991)
• The Rollickers and Other Stories (1992)
• The Amazing Witherspoon's Amazing Circus Crew (1993)
• Chegwith Skillet Escapes (1995)

Collaborations with Brian Patten

Riddell has illustrated several books by Brian Patten.

• Beowulf and the Monster (1999)
• Juggling With Gerbils (2000)
• The Story Giant (2002)
• Gargling With Jelly (2003)
• Thawing Frozen Frogs (2003)
• The Utter Nutters (2007)

Collaborations with Philip Ridley

Riddell has illustrated several books by Philip Ridley.

• Kasper in the Glitter (1994)
• Meteorite Spoon (1994)
• Dakota of the White Flats (1995)
• Mercedes Ice (1995)
• Dreamboat Zing (1996)
• Scribbleboy (1997)
• ZinderZunder (1998)

Collaborations with others

• The Mystery of Silver Mountain (1984)
• Beware, Princess! (1986)
• Love Forty (1986)
• Dreamboat Brontosaurus (1987)
• Gruesome Giants (1987)
• The Magician's Cat (1987)
• Beyond the Rolling River (1988)
• Dracula's Daughter (1988)
• Moon Whales (1988)
• Peter Pan (1988)
• Treasure Island (1988)
• The Pirates of Pudding Beach (1989)
• Manifold Manor (1989)
• You're Thinking About Doughnuts (1989)
• Ffangs the Vampire Bat and the Kiss of Truth (1990)
• The Prism Tree (1990)
• Lizzie Dripping and the Witch (1991)
• Patrick in Person (1991)
• Best Enemies (1992)
• The Thing in the Sink (1992)
• An Armful of Bears (1993)
• A Trunkful of Elephants (1994)
• Rent-a-Friend (1994)
• Say Hello to the Buffalo (1994)
• The Iron Wolf (1995)
• Angus Rides the Goods Train (1996)
• Brilliant Minds (1996)
• Buddhism for Sheep (1996)
• Feng Shui for Cats (1997)
• Feng Shui for Dogs (1997)
• The Castle of Inside Out (1997)
• The Swan's Stories (1997)
• The Tall Story (1997)
• Until I Met Dudley (1997)
• Buddhism for Bears (1998)
• Buster's Diaries (1998)
• Management for Martians (1998)
• Stories for Me! (1998)
• Castle Diary (1999)
• The Tao for Babies (2000)
• Pirate Diary (2001)
• The Rabbits' Rebellion (2001)
• Three Scary Stories' (2001)
• Hairy Bill (2002)
• Un Italiano in America (2003)
• Jonathan Swift's Gulliver (2004)
• Politics - Cutting Through the Crap (2006)
• The Graveyard Book (2008)

Awards and recognitions

• 1997 Something Else won the UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance
• 2001 Pirate Diary won the Kate Greenaway Medal
• 2002 Pirate Diary won a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Silver Award
• 2002 The Story Giant was longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal
• 2003 Pirate Diary won a Blue Peter Book Award
• 2003 Muddle Earth was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal
• 2004 Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver" won the Kate Greenaway Medal
• 2004 Fergus Crane won a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Gold Award
• 2004 Fergus Crane won a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 4Children Special Award
• 2005 Corby Flood won a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award
• 2006 Hugo Pepper won a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Silver Award
• 2006 The Emperor of Absurdia won a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Silver Award
• 2007 Ottoline and the Yellow Cat won a Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Gold Award
• 2007 The Emperor of Absurdia was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal
• 2008 Ottoline and the Yellow Cat won a Red House Children's Book Award
• 2008 Ottoline and the Yellow Cat was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal
• 2008 Wendel's Workshop was shortlisted for the Booktrust Early Years Award
• 2008 Ottoline and the Yellow Cat was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal
• 2009 Wendel's Workshop was longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal

External links

• Dispatches from the Deepwoods