Lena Anderson facts for kids

Lena Anderson is a famous Swedish artist who creates beautiful pictures for children's books. She was born in Stockholm, Sweden on May 27, 1939. Lena is known for both writing and illustrating her own stories, and for bringing other authors' words to life with her drawings.

Lena Anderson became well-known around the world for her illustrations in the 1985 picture book Linnea in Monet's Garden. This book was translated into English in 1987. She worked on this special book with writer Christina Björk, and it took them five years to complete! Lena has created many other books with Christina Björk, including a series of stories about a character named Linnea.

Lena's art often features nature, like plants, animals, and gardens. Her style is similar to traditional Swedish picture book artists, such as Elsa Beskow. Her drawings are usually gentle and full of detail, making them very appealing to young readers.

Lena Anderson's Creative Works

Lena Anderson has worked on many wonderful books throughout her career. Some of these books she only illustrated, meaning she drew the pictures. For others, she wrote the story and drew the pictures herself!

Books She Illustrated

• Linnea Planterar ("Linnea's Windowsill Garden") (1978; English translation, 1988), written by Christina Björk
• Linnea in Monet's Garden (1985; English translation, 1987)
• Linnea's Almanac (1985; English translation, 1989), written by Christina Björk

Books She Wrote and Illustrated

• Majas alfabet ("Maja's Alphabet") (1984)
• Stina (1988; English translation, 1989)
• Bunny Party (1989)
• Stina's Visit (1989; English translation, 1991)
• ABC, sa lilla t ("ABC, Said Little T") (1994)
• Tea for Ten (1998; English translation, 2000)
• Tick-Tock (1998)

Awards and Recognition

Lena Anderson has received many important awards for her amazing work in children's literature. These awards celebrate her talent as an illustrator and author.

• In 1984, she won the Elsa Beskow-plaketten [sv], a special award for Swedish children's book illustrators.
• Also in 1984, she received the Rabén & Sjögren's illustrator scholarship [sv].
• In 1988, Lena Anderson and Christina Björk together won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Prize. This award is named after another famous Swedish children's author.
• In the same year, 1988, her book Linnea in Monet's Garden was honored with the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Children's Literature Award) in the children's book category.
• Most recently, on July 13, 2023, Lena Anderson was given the Illis quorum medal by the Government of Sweden. This is a very high honor given to people who have made significant contributions to Swedish society.