Charles Folkard facts for kids

Charles James Folkard (born April 6, 1878 – died February 26, 1963) was a talented English artist. He drew pictures for books and created comic strips. Before becoming a famous illustrator, he even worked as a conjuror (a magician!). He is best known for creating Teddy Tail, a popular cartoon mouse. Teddy Tail appeared in the Daily Mail newspaper for many years. Charles Folkard also drew amazing pictures for classic stories like The Arabian Nights, Grimms' Fairy Tales, Aesop's Fables, and Pinocchio.

Discovering Charles Folkard's Artistic Journey

Charles James Folkard was born in Lewisham, a part of south London, in 1878. He had a very interesting start to his career. For a while, he worked as a magician! He became a conjuror after seeing a magic show in London.

From Magic Shows to Drawing

Folkard's artistic skills first showed up when he started designing his own posters and programs for his magic shows. People noticed his funny drawings. He began sending his humorous pictures to magazines like Little Folks and Tatler.

His big break came in 1910. He started illustrating children's gift books. His first major success was with The Swiss Family Robinson. His detailed drawings of plants and animals on the island showed how skilled he was.

Illustrating Classic Children's Books

In 1911, Charles Folkard created 77 drawings and 8 watercolor paintings for Carlo Collodi's famous book, Pinocchio. His illustrations for Pinocchio were so good that they became the standard version for many years.

That same year, he also worked on The Children's Shakespeare and Grimm's Fairy Tales. These were his first projects for the publishing company A & C Black. This partnership lasted for 27 years! He continued to illustrate many more classics for them. These included Aesop's Fables (1912), The Arabian Nights (1913), and Ottoman Wonder Tales (1915). His drawings for Ottoman Wonder Tales looked like beautiful Persian manuscripts.

The Birth of Teddy Tail

Charles Folkard created The Adventures of Teddy Tail in 1915. This was the very first daily newspaper cartoon strip in Britain! It became popular instantly when it first appeared in the Daily Mail on April 5, 1915.

The main character, a mouse, was named after Folkard's own three-year-old son, Ted. The fun adventures of Teddy Tail and his friends, like Dr. Beetle and the Penny Princess, were so loved that they were turned into a series of books. These books came out between 1915 and 1926. The success of Teddy Tail inspired other newspapers to create their own popular characters, such as Pip and Squeak and Rupert Bear.

Later Works and Legacy

After World War I, Folkard kept creating many books for A. & C. Black. Some of these included Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes (1919) and British Fairy and Folk Tales (1920). He also illustrated Songs from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass (1921).

His masterpiece, The Land of Nursery Rhyme (1932), was highly praised. It featured beautiful watercolor paintings of beloved characters like Old King Cole and The Queen of Hearts.

In his later years, he drew for the Children's Illustrated Classics series. One notable work was for The Book of Nonsense, by Many Authors (1956). This book included his imaginative drawing called A Nonsense Miscellany. It showed a fun seaside scene with characters like Baron Munchausen and figures from the stories of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear.

Charles Folkard was still actively drawing pictures just 10 days before he passed away in February 1963. His work continues to bring joy to readers of all ages.