Helen Oxenbury facts for kids

Helen Gillian Oxenbury (born 2 June 1938) is an English artist. She is famous for illustrating and writing children's picture books. Helen lives in north London.

She has won the important Kate Greenaway Medal twice. This award is given by British librarians for the best children's book illustrations. Her 1999 illustrated version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was even named one of the top ten winning books in the Medal's 50-year history.

About Helen Oxenbury

Helen Oxenbury was born and grew up in Ipswich, Suffolk. Her father was an architect. From a young age, she loved to draw.

Her Education and Early Career

After school, Helen went to the Ipswich School of Art. During her holidays, she worked at theatres, mixing paints. She then studied in London at the Central School of Art and Design from 1957 to 1959. There, she met her future husband, John Burningham.

After college, Helen worked in theatre, film, and television. She was a designer for a theatre in Colchester. She also worked for three years at the Habima Theatre in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 1962, she came back to Britain. She did design work for ABC Television and Shepperton Film Studios.

Starting Children's Books

In 1964, Helen married John Burningham. He was also a children's book author and illustrator. After their marriage, Helen started illustrating children’s books herself.

In 1988, she created a series of books about a boy named Tom and his stuffed monkey, Pippo. Helen said that Tom was much like her own son when he was little. Her son would often blame his naughty actions on the family dog. The "Tom and Pippo" books were even made into a French animated TV series. Helen continues to illustrate books today.

Awards and Recognition

Helen Oxenbury has won many awards for her amazing illustrations.

Kate Greenaway Medal Wins

Helen is one of only 14 illustrators to win two Kate Greenaway Medals. This award celebrates the best children's book illustrations by a British artist each year.

• In 1969, she won for The Quangle Wangle's Hat. This book was an edition of a 19th-century poem by Edward Lear.
• She won again in 1999 for her edition of Alice in Wonderland. This version showed Alice as a modern, spirited child.

Other Important Awards

Helen also won two "Emils," which are Kurt Maschler Awards. This award celebrates books where the words and pictures work perfectly together. She won for So Much by Trish Cooke and for Alice.

She also won three Nestlé Smarties Book Prizes in the 0–5 years category. Children themselves voted for these awards!

• In 1989, she won for We're Going on a Bear Hunt, retold by Michael Rosen.
• In 1991, she won for Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell.
• In 1994, So Much won in its age group.

Farmer Duck also won the 1991 Illustrated Children's Book of the Year. Her own book, Tickle, Tickle, won the 1999 Booktrust Early Years Award. In the United States, Big Momma Makes the World won the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.

Selected Works by Helen Oxenbury

Here are some of the children's books Helen Oxenbury has illustrated or written:

• The Quangle Wangle's Hat (1969), by Edward Lear
  • —Won the Kate Greenaway Medal
• The Dragon of an Ordinary Family (1969), by Margaret Mahy
  • —Won the Greenaway Medal
• Helen Oxenbury's ABC of Things (1971)
• Pig Tale (1973), written and illustrated by Helen
• Cakes and Custard (1975), children's rhymes
• I can (1985), a board book for babies
• I hear (1985), a board book for babies
• I see (1985), a board book for babies
• The Helen Oxenbury Nursery Story Book (1985), familiar folk tales
• All Fall Down (1987), written and illustrated
• Clap Hands (1987), written and illustrated
• Say Goodnight (1987), written and illustrated
• We're Going on a Bear Hunt (1989), retold by Michael Rosen
  • —Won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
• Farmer Duck (1991), by Martin Waddell
  • —Won the British Illustrated Children's Book of the Year and the Smarties Prize
• The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig (1993), by Eugene Trivizas
  • —Won the Parents' Choice Gold Award
• It's My Birthday (1993), written and illustrated
• So Much (1994), by Trish Cooke
  • —Won the Kurt Maschler Award and the Smarties Prize
• Tickle, Tickle (1999), written and illustrated
  • —Won the Booktrust Early Years Award
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1999), by Lewis Carroll
  • —Won the Kurt Maschler Award and the Kate Greenaway Medal
• Big Momma Makes the World (2002), by Phyllis Root
  • —Won the 2003 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
• Alice Through the Looking Glass (2005), by Lewis Carroll
• The Growing Story (2007), by Ruth Krauss
• Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes (2008), by Mem Fox
• There's Going to Be a Baby (2010), by John Burningham
• The Giant Jumperee (Re-Illustrator in 2017), by Julia Donaldson
• Red Riding Hood (2019), Lost Story by Beatrix Potter
• Welcome to the World (2022), by Julia Donaldson