Chris Riddell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Riddell OBE
Riddell in 2010
Born	(1962-04-13) 13 April 1962 (age 63) Cape Town, South Africa
Occupation	Illustrator, author, political cartoonist
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Brighton Polytechnic
Genre	Children's
Spouse	Joanne Burroughes
Children	3

Chris Riddell (born 13 April 1962) is a famous British illustrator, author, and political cartoonist. He is best known for the detailed and imaginative drawings in many popular children's books.

Riddell has won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal three times. This award is given each year for the best-illustrated children's book in the United Kingdom. He has also won many other awards for his work. In 2015, he was chosen to be the UK Children's Laureate, a special role given to an outstanding children's writer or illustrator.

Early Life and Inspiration

Chris Riddell was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1962. His father was an Anglican vicar who spoke out against apartheid, a system of unfair rules that separated people based on their race. When Chris was just one year old, his family moved back to England.

He loved to draw from a very young age. His mother would give him a pen and paper to keep him busy and quiet during his father's church sermons. As a child, he was a big fan of Sir John Tenniel, the artist who first drew the pictures for Alice in Wonderland.

Riddell studied illustration at Brighton Polytechnic. One of his teachers was Raymond Briggs, the creator of The Snowman.

A Career in Drawing

Chris Riddell has had a very successful career as an artist. He has worked on his own books, collaborated with other authors, and drawn cartoons for newspapers.

The Edge Chronicles

One of Riddell's most famous projects is The Edge Chronicles. This is a fantasy book series he created with writer Paul Stewart. The stories are set in a world called "The Edge." Riddell's incredibly detailed drawings help bring this unique world and its characters to life.

Award-Winning Illustrations

Riddell has won the Kate Greenaway Medal three times. The first time was in 2001 for Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter. This book, written by Richard Platt, is a fictional diary that feels like a real historical account. Riddell joked about drawing it, saying, "Everything I got excited about got shot down. No parrots, eye-patches or wooden legs. Thank god there were weapons and amputations!"

He won again in 2004 for his illustrations in Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver". This book was a new version of the classic story Gulliver's Travels. His third win was in 2016 for The Sleeper and the Spindle, written by Neil Gaiman.

Writing His Own Stories

Besides illustrating for other authors, Riddell also writes and illustrates his own books. His popular Ottoline series began with Ottoline and the Yellow Cat, which won a major children's book prize. He also created the much-loved Goth Girl series.

Drawing for Newspapers

Riddell is also a well-known political cartoonist for The Observer, a British newspaper. A political cartoonist draws clever or funny pictures about current events and politicians, who are people involved in running the government. His cartoons of leaders from John Major to Gordon Brown have made him famous for his sharp wit and excellent drawing skills.

Famous Books

Chris Riddell has worked on hundreds of books. Here are some of his most well-known works.

Written and Illustrated by Chris Riddell

• The Ottoline series:
  • Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (2007)
  • Ottoline Goes to School (2008)
  • Ottoline at Sea (2010)
• The Goth Girl series:
  • Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse (2013)
  • Goth Girl and the Fete Worse than Death (2014)
  • Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright (2015)
• The Emperor of Absurdia (2006)
• Wendel's Workshop (2007)

Illustrated for Other Authors

Riddell has worked with many writers, especially Paul Stewart and Neil Gaiman.

With Paul Stewart

• The The Edge Chronicles series
• The Muddle Earth series
• The Far-Flung Adventures series (Fergus Crane, Corby Flood, Hugo Pepper)
• The Barnaby Grimes series

With Neil Gaiman

• The Graveyard Book (2008)
• Fortunately, the Milk... (2013)
• The Sleeper and the Spindle (2013)
• The Tales of Beedle The Bard (2018), by J.K. Rowling (Riddell illustrated the new edition)

Awards and Recognition

Chris Riddell has won many awards for his work.

• Kate Greenaway Medal Wins:
  • 2001: Pirate Diary
  • 2004: Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver"
  • 2016: The Sleeper and the Spindle
• Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Wins:
  • 2004: Fergus Crane
  • 2007: Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
• Costa Book Award Win:
  • 2013: Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse
• Honours:
  • 2015–2017: Appointed UK Children's Laureate.
  • 2019: Made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his work in illustration and for charity.