Errol Le Cain facts for kids

Errol John Le Cain (born March 5, 1941 – died January 3, 1989) was a talented British animator and children's book illustrator. He was famous for his beautiful and detailed artwork in children's books. In 1984, he won the important Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrations in Hiawatha's Childhood. This award celebrates the best children's book illustrations by a British artist each year.

Errol Le Cain's Early Life and Art

Errol Le Cain was born in Singapore on March 5, 1941. When he was very young, his family had to move to Agra, India, to stay safe during a war. His father was captured during this time. After the war, Errol returned to Singapore and went to St. Patrick's Catholic school.

Even without formal art lessons, Errol's artistic talent was clear from a young age. He loved movies and started making his own animated films when he was just 11 years old! His first film was called The Enchanted Mouse. When he was 15, he made another film, The Little Goatherd. These early films caught the eye of people from a British film company. They were so impressed that they offered to pay for him to move to London in 1956. This was a big chance for him to start a career in animation for movies and TV.

In 1965, Errol joined an animation studio in London. A few years later, in 1968, his first children's book was published. The next year, he decided to work for himself as a freelance illustrator and designer for TV shows. He married Dean Alison Thomson in 1976. They later moved to Bristol and had two children. Errol Le Cain passed away on January 3, 1989, at the age of 47.

Animation and TV Projects

In 1965, Errol Le Cain joined Richard Williams's animation studio in London. He worked on many different animation projects. This included creating the opening titles for famous films like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Casino Royale. One of his most important animation jobs was for a long animated film called The Thief and the Cobbler.

From 1969, Errol worked as a freelance artist. This meant he could choose his own projects. He designed sets for BBC television shows and continued with animation. This was also when he began his amazing career as a children's book illustrator.

His animation work for the BBC included a special TV show of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. This show, first shown on Christmas Day 1976, used real actors with beautiful backgrounds designed by Errol. He also created a picture book version of The Snow Queen with his illustrations. Other TV projects he worked on were The Light Princess (1978), The Mystery of the Disappearing Schoolgirls (1980), and The Ghost Downstairs (1982).

Creating Children's Books

Errol Le Cain's first illustrations for children were in a book called King Arthur's Sword (1968). This book was published by Faber and Faber, a company he worked with for many years. He once said that making this first book showed him how much he could do with children's book illustration. He realized it was the perfect way for him to express his art.

During his life, Errol Le Cain wrote 3 and illustrated 48 children's books. His books are known for their rich, detailed watercolor paintings and his amazing use of design and color. He wrote three of his own books: King Arthur's Sword (1968), The Cabbage Princess (1969), and The White Cat (1973).

He was recognized for his great work many times. He received special mentions for the Greenaway awards in 1969, 1975, and 1978. Then, in 1984, he won the top prize, the Kate Greenaway Medal, for Hiawatha's Childhood. He was also commended again in 1987. Some of the books that received special mentions include The Cabbage Princess, Thorn Rose, or the Sleeping Beauty, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and The Enchanter's Daughter.

Selected Children's Books

Books Errol Le Cain Wrote and Illustrated

• King Arthur's Sword (Faber, 1968)
• The Cabbage Princess (Faber, 1969) — This book was specially mentioned for the Kate Greenaway Medal.
• The White Cat (Faber, 1973)

Books Errol Le Cain Illustrated Only

• The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin, written by Idries Shah (Jonathan Cape, 1968)
• Sir Orfeo, written by Anthea Davies (Faber, 1970)
• The Faber Book of Children's Songs, selected by Donald Mitchell and Roderick Biss (Faber, 1970)
• The Child in the Bamboo Grove, written by Rosemary Harris (Faber, 1971)
• Cinderella, adapted from Charles Perrault (Faber, 1972)
• The Beachcomers, written by Helen Cresswell (Faber, 1972)
• The King's White Elephant, written by Rosemary Harris (Faber, 1973)
• King Orville and the Bullfrogs, written by Kathleen Abell (Faber, 1974)
• Dragon Kite, written by Thomas P. Lewis (Holt, 1974)
• The Lotus and the Grail: Legends from East to West, written by Rosemary Harris (Faber, 1974)
• Thorn Rose, or the Sleeping Beauty, adapted from The Brothers Grimm (Faber, 1975) — This book was specially mentioned for the Greenaway Medal.
• The Flying Ship, by Rosemary Harris (Faber, 1975)
• The Rat, the Ox, and the Zodiac: A Chinese Legend, written by Dorothy Van Woerkom (Crown, 1976)
• The Little Dog of Fo, by Rosemary Harris (Faber, 1976)
• The Shy Cormorant and the Fishes, written by Brian Patten (Kestrel, 1977)
• The Twelve Dancing Princesses, adapted from The Brothers Grimm (Faber, 1978) — This book was specially mentioned for the Greenaway Medal.
• Beauty and The Beast, adapted from Charles Perrault (Faber, 1979)
• The Snow Queen, adapted from Hans Christian Andersen by Naomi Lewis (Viking Kestrel, 1979)
• The Three Magic Gifts, written by James Riordan (Kaye & Ward, 1980)
• Mrs Fox's Wedding, retold by Sara and Stephen Corrin (Faber, 1980)
• Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, retold by Andrew Lang (Faber, 1981)
• Molly Whuppie, written by Walter De La Mare (Faber, 1983)
• Hiawatha's Childhood, selected from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Faber, 1984) — This book won the Greenaway Medal!
• Growltiger's Last Stand and Other Poems, written by T.S. Eliot (Faber, 1986)
• Crisis at Crabtree, written by Sally Miles (Lutterworth Press, 1986)
• A School Bewitched, written by Naomi Lewis and E. Nesbit (Macmillan, 1986)
• The Enchanter's Daughter, written by Antonia Barber (Cape, 1986) — This book was specially mentioned for the Greenaway Medal.
• The Christmas Stockings, written by Mathew Price (Mathew Price / Barrons Juveniles, 1987)
• Christmas 1993 or Santa's Last Ride, written by Leslie Bricusse (Faber, 1987)
• Alfi and the Dark, written by Sally Miles (Hodder & Stoughton, 1988)
• The Pied Piper of Hamelin, retold by Sara and Stephen Corrin (Faber, 1988)
• Mr Mistoffelees with Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, written by T.S. Eliot (Faber, 1990)
• Have You Seen My Sister?, written by Mathew Price (Kingfisher / Harcourt, 1990)