Helen Oxenbury
Helen Gillian Oxenbury (1938 - ) is an award-winning illustrator of children's picture books. She lives with her husband, the illustrator John Burningham, in north London.[1]
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[edit] Background
Helen Oxenbury was born in 1938 in Ipswich, England[2], the daughter of an architect. From an early age she developed a passion for drawing. On leaving school she attended the Ipswich School of Art as a teenager, and during holidays she worked at a small theatre in Felixstowe and at the Ipswich Repertory Theatre Workshop, mixing paints.[3] She went on to study in London at the Central School of Art and Design (1957-1959) (where she met her future husband, John Burningham).
In her adult life she embarked on a career in theatre, film and television. She worked as assistant designer at Colchester Repertory Theatre, and for three years as painter and designer for the Habimah Theatre in Tel Aviv in Israel. In 1962 she returned to Britain and did some design work for ABC Television and Shepperton Film Studios.
After marrying the children’s book illustrator John Burningham in 1964, she herself also turned to illustrating children’s books.
In 1988 Oxenbury created a series of books about a mischievous young boy called Tom, and his stuffed monkey, Pippo. She commented that Tom was very much like her own son in his younger years. Like Tom, her son would often blame his misdeeds on an accomplice (the family dog).[4]
Oxenbury is still illustrating children’s books: some of her most recent work includes the illustrations for "The Growing Story" in the September 2008 edition of Bayard Presse's StoryBox magazine.
[edit] Bibliography
Her numerous books for children include:
- The Quangle Wangle's Hat, by Edward Lear (winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, 1969)
- The Dragon of an Ordinary Family, by Margaret Mahy (winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, 1969)
- Cakes and Custard, children's rhymes chosen by Brian Alderson, 1975
- We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen (winner of the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, 1989)
- Farmer Duck, by Martin Waddell (winner of the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, 1991;[5] Illustrated Children's Book of the Year, British Book Awards, 1992)
- The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, by Eugene Trivizas, 1993
- So Much, by Trish Cooke (winner of the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, 1994; Kurt Maschler Award, 1994)
- I Can, by Helen Oxenbury, 1995 (a board book for babies)
- Tickle, Tickle, by Helen Oxenbury (Booktrust Early Years Award, 1999)
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll (winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, 1999)[6]
- Big Momma Makes the World, by Phyllis Root (winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, 2003)
- Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, by Mem Fox, 2008
[edit] Further reading
- D. Martin, 'Helen Oxenbury', in D. Martin, The Telling Line (1989), p.202-214
[edit] References
- ^ Helen Oxenbury Biography at Fresh Fiction
- ^ Helen Oxenbury at Walker Books
- ^ Interview with Helen Oxenbury at BooksforKeeps
- ^ Helen's 'Tom and Pippo' book range at LibraryPoint.org
- ^ Helen's Nestlé Smarties Book Prize listing at A1-WDB
- ^ Helen Oxenbury's Medal entry at the Kate Greenaway Awards Official Site
[edit] External links
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