It’s about time Robert Leeson’s charming stories for young readers were brought back into print. So what better way to do that than with fresh new artwork by Axel Scheffler, who did the pictures for Gruffalo? The result: smart, witty stories created by two stalwarts of young fiction, based on folk and fairy tales from around the world. Inspiring stuff to get you turning those (brilliantly illustrated) pages – a must if you’re powering up to read longer books on your own.

Witty folk tales with charming pictures by Axel Scheffler

By top author Robert Leeson, who wrote over 70 books

A great way for readers to gain stamina and confidence

Substantial 80-page books with several short stories each

Product Details

Format

Paperback

Date published

March 1st, 2018

Condition

New

In this pack

Idle Jack
Award-winning illustrator
Smart Girls
Award-winning illustrator
Smart Girls Forever
Why is the Cow on the Roof?
Award-winning illustrator

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.