Wolf Erlbruch facts for kids

Wolf Erlbruch (born June 30, 1948 – died December 11, 2022) was a famous German artist. He was known for illustrating and writing children's books. He also taught at several universities.

Erlbruch used many different art methods in his books. He would cut and paste, draw, and paint. His art style was sometimes a bit surreal, meaning it was dreamlike and unusual. Many artists in Germany and other countries copied his unique style. Some of his books talked about big topics like death and the meaning of life. He won many awards for his work. These included the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 1993 and 2003. In 2006, he received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. This award is for artists who make a lasting contribution to children's books. In 2017, he was the first German person to win the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Wolf Erlbruch's Life Story

Wolf Erlbruch was born in Wuppertal, Germany, on June 30, 1948. His father worked with textiles, like fabrics. When Wolf was a child, he loved drawing more than playing.

He studied graphic design at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen. This was from 1967 to 1974. While he was a student, he worked in advertising. He also drew pictures for magazines like Stern and Esquire.

His first job illustrating a children's book came in 1985. A publisher asked him to draw pictures for a book called Der Adler, der nicht fliegen wollte. Erlbruch's son, Leonard, had just been born. Erlbruch wanted his son to be able to say, "Look, my dad made a children's book!" After that, he started both drawing and writing many of his own books.

Erlbruch also shared his knowledge by teaching. He was a professor of illustration at the Fachhochschule Düsseldorf from 1990 to 1997. Then, from 1997, he taught at the University of Wuppertal. From 2009 to 2011, he was a professor of illustration at the Folkwang University of the Arts.

Wolf Erlbruch passed away in Wuppertal on December 11, 2022. He was 74 years old.

Erlbruch's Unique Style

Wolf Erlbruch often explored grown-up ideas in his children's books. Even though he wrote for kids, he didn't always like being called only a "children's author."

Some of his books included parts of his own life. For example, his book Leonard was partly inspired by his son, who was six years old at the time. Many characters in his books, like the mole in The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit, wear small, round black glasses. These were similar to the glasses Erlbruch himself wore.

People praised his work for being very original and having a surreal quality. A German newspaper called Die Welt said that the "Erlbruch-style" became very popular. This style often featured characters that looked a bit odd or out of proportion, but you could still easily recognize them. Many artists copied this style both in Germany and other countries.

Death is a topic that appears often in Erlbruch's books. In Duck, Death and the Tulip (2008), a duck becomes friends with Death. In Ein Himmel für den kleinen Bären (A heaven for the little bear), a young bear tries to find his grandfather in bear heaven.

Erlbruch once said that the message of his stories was important. He believed people should look at themselves from a distance. They should accept what is unique, strange, or not so perfect about themselves. He thought this was how people truly understood who they were.

How Erlbruch Made Illustrations

Many of Erlbruch's illustrations were made using a mix of different materials and techniques. This is called mixed media and collage. For his book The Story of the Little Mole, he drew the characters on brown wrapping paper. Then, he glued them onto white paper.

Awards and Lasting Impact

Wolf Erlbruch received many important awards for his work. In 2003, he won the Gutenberg Award from the City of Leipzig. This award celebrates contributions to book arts. He also received a special Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for all his illustrations.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is given every two years by the International Board on Books for Young People. It is the highest honor for a children's book writer or illustrator. Erlbruch won the illustration award in 2006. This was for his "lasting contribution" as an illustrator for children. In 2017, he made history by becoming the first German person to win the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Here are some of the awards he received:

• Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for picture book 1993, Das Bärenwunder
• Zilveren Griffel 1998, Mrs. Meyer the Bird
• Zilveren Griffel 1999, Leonard
• Troisdorfer Bilderbuchpreis [de] 2000, Das Neue ABC-Buch
• Bologna Ragazzi Award 2000, Das Neue ABC-Buch
• Gutenberg Prize of the City of Leipzig, 2003
• Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 2003, special award for illustrations
• von der Heydt Award [de], Wuppertal, 2003
• Bologna Ragazzi Award 2004, The Big Question
• Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, 2017

In 2004, Erlbruch's family started the Wolf Erlbruch Foundation. This foundation helps to protect and preserve his artwork. The money from the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award helps support this foundation.

See also

In Spanish: Wolf Erlbruch para niños