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 talented British illustrator and writer. He is famous for his amazing drawings in children's books and for his political cartoons in The Observer newspaper. Chris has won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal three times. This award is given by British librarians for the best-illustrated children's book. He has also won three Nestlé Smarties Book Prizes for books he wrote or illustrated. In 2015, he was chosen as the UK Children's Laureate, a special role that promotes reading and children's literature.

Life and Early Art

Chris Riddell was born in 1962 in Cape Town, South Africa. His father was a church leader who strongly disagreed with apartheid, a very unfair system that separated people based on their race. When Chris was one year old, his family moved back to England. He grew up there with his sister and three brothers.

From a young age, Chris showed a great talent for art. His mother always encouraged him, even giving him paper and pens to keep him busy during his father's sermons! As a child, he admired the detailed drawings of Sir John Tenniel, who illustrated Alice in Wonderland, and W. Heath Robinson. Chris later studied illustration at Brighton Polytechnic. One of his teachers was Raymond Briggs, another famous illustrator who had also won the Greenaway Medal.

Chris started working as an illustrator for The Economist magazine in the 1980s. Later, in 1995, he began drawing for The Observer newspaper. He has mentioned that Tenniel and E. H. Shepard, who illustrated The Wind in the Willows and Winnie the Pooh, were big influences on his art.

Chris Riddell lives in Brighton with his wife, Joanne Burroughes, who is also an illustrator. They have three children. Their daughter, Katy Riddell, has also become a children's book illustrator.

Amazing Career Highlights

The Edge Chronicles

One of Chris Riddell's most well-known works is The Edge Chronicles series. He co-wrote these fantasy books with Paul Stewart. Chris also created all the detailed illustrations. These books take place in a fictional world called "The Edge." Readers love them for Chris's beautiful drawings and the unique way he and Paul worked together to create the stories.

Other Popular Books and Art

Chris Riddell has illustrated many other books. He was recognized for his drawings in Something Else by Kathryn Cave in 1994 and Castle Diary by Richard Platt in 1999.

In 2001, he won his first Kate Greenaway Medal for illustrating Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter by Richard Platt. This book was special because it was one of the first "information books" to win the award. Chris worked hard to make sure his drawings were historically accurate, even if it meant no parrots or wooden legs!

Three years later, Chris won the Greenaway Medal again. This time, it was for his illustrations in Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver" (2004). This book was a new version of the classic story Gulliver's Travels. The judges praised his 144 pages of "fantastic, faultless illustrations" that made the story even better. They noted that his picture books are enjoyed by readers of all ages, not just the youngest.

Chris has also worked with Paul Stewart on other series like Muddle Earth and the Barnaby Grimes books. He has also written and illustrated his own popular Ottoline series, which includes Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (2007). This first book won the final Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for its age group.

Besides his books, Chris Riddell is a famous political cartoonist for The Observer newspaper. He draws funny pictures that exaggerate the features of politicians, like John Major or Bill Clinton. These drawings show his amazing skill and his sharp observations about the world of politics. Chris also drew cartoons for a magazine called Literary Review. Some of his funny drawings from this magazine were later collected into a book called The Da Vinci Cod.

In 2017, Chris Riddell spoke out when he felt that a Christmas advertisement by the department store John Lewis had used ideas from his 1986 picture book Mr Underbed. John Lewis said that the idea of a monster under a bed is a common story idea, and that their advert was different. This discussion made many people interested in Mr Underbed, and copies of the book quickly sold out!

Selected Works

As author and illustrator

As illustrator

Chris Riddell has worked with many authors, creating illustrations for dozens of books. His most famous collaborations are with Paul Stewart on The Edge Chronicles series.

written by other authors

Awards and Recognitions

Chris Riddell has received many awards for his amazing illustrations and books. Here are some of his most notable achievements:

Awards

• 1997 Something Else, written by Kathryn Cave, won the UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature.
• 2001 Pirate Diary, written by Richard Platt, won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal.
• 2003 Pirate Diary also won the Blue Peter Book Award for Best Book with Facts.
• 2004 Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver", adapted by Martin Jenkins, won his second Kate Greenaway Medal.
• 2004 Fergus Crane, written by Paul Stewart, won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize and a special award.
• 2007 Ottoline and the Yellow Cat, which Chris wrote and illustrated, won the final Nestlé Smarties Book Prize.
• 2008 Ottoline and the Yellow Cat also won a Red House Children's Book Award.
• 2013 Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse won the Costa Book Awards in the Children's category.
• 2016 The Sleeper and the Spindle, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris, won his third Kate Greenaway Medal. This made him the first person ever to win this award three times!
• 2019 He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is an important honor from the British King or Queen for his great work in illustration and charity.

Other Recognitions

• 1994 Something Else was recognized for the Greenaway Medal.
• 1999 Castle Diary was highly praised for the Greenaway Medal.
• 2002 Pirate Diary was a runner-up for the Smarties Prize.
• 2005 Corby Flood was a bronze runner-up for the Smarties Prize.
• 2006 Hugo Pepper was a silver runner-up for the Smarties Prize.
• 2006 The Emperor of Absurdia, written and illustrated by Chris, was a silver runner-up for the Smarties Prize.
• 2007 The Emperor of Absurdia was shortlisted for the Greenaway Medal.
• 2008 Ottoline and the Yellow Cat was shortlisted for the Greenaway Medal.
• 2008 Wendel's Workshop was shortlisted for the Booktrust Early Years Award.
• 2010 The Graveyard Book, illustrated by Chris, was shortlisted for the Greenaway Medal.