The Dog and the Chicken Thief Award-winning illustrator by Chantal de Marolles (author) and Axel Scheffler (illustrator)

A fabulously funny picture book, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the superstar illustrator of The Gruffalo and Zog. Each night, a farmer’s chickens get gobbled up by a cunning fox. When the farmer has finally had enough, he decides the culprit must be found – and tasks his loyal dog with catching the chicken thief. Poor Dog searches and waits to no avail. And when Dog asks for help, things just get worse! Pig falls asleep, Sheep is too scared…who will help Dog catch the thief, and how? Tuck into this hilarious tale, illustrated by the one and only Axel Scheffler, written by Chantal de Marolles.

A joyful clash of wits to be enjoyed again and again.
Every spread features gorgeous original artwork by Axel Scheffler with lots of enjoyable details for families to spot together
Axel Scheffler is the illustrator of a whole host of beloved classic children’s books such as Stick Man and Room on the Broom
Featuring a lively translation of Chantal de Marolles’ original text by Alison Green, author of Kind

Product Details

Catalogue number

121 in Setanta SCB September 2025

Format

Paperback

ISBN

9780702307867

Publisher

Alison Green Books

Date published

August 4th, 2022

Lexile measure

560L

Other details

32 pages

Condition

New

Author/Illustrator

Axel Scheffler

Axel Scheffler was born in 1957 in Hamburg, Germany. At school, although always good at art, he never really considered a career in illustration. But long before he began his professional life, he had won his first drawing prize for an international chocolate company – his prize was a cuddly lilac cow.

Axel went on from school to study History of Art at the University of Hamburg – but he didn’t like the course and decided to leave. Knowing that he wanted to live in another country and learn a second language, he moved to England to study illustration at the Bath Academy of Art.

After graduating with a first class degree, Axel moved to London where he began illustrating for a variety of English and German advertising companies, magazines and newspapers. He took his portfolio to a number of publishers and Faber commissioned him to illustrate The Piemakers by Helen Cresswell and The Bottle Rabbit by Bernard McCabe. In 1989, Walker asked Axel to illustrate a text by Jon Blake, You’re a Hero, Daley B.

A writer called Julia Donaldson was also writing songs for Playdays at this time and her song A Squash and a Squeeze was commissioned to be a picture book. Axel Scheffler was recommended as an illustrator for the text and an award-winning team was created.

Their next book, The Gruffalo, was published in March 1999 and has already become a modern classic, selling more than 2 million copies worldwide and translated into over 20 languages. Axel also continues to illustrate for other authors as well, including Ian Whybrow and David Henry Wilson.

Axel has achieved worldwide acclaim for his humorous illustrations, and his books have been translated into over 29 languages. He has enjoyed particular success in his award-winning picture book collaborations with Julia Donaldson, but is also the best-selling illustrator of novelty books such as The Bedtime Bear. In 2006 he was been called upon to design Gordon Brown’s annual Christmas card!

Still living in London, Axel makes frequent visits to continental Europe. His hobbies include walking, cooking and reading and beadwork.