Helen Oxenbury author page

Helen Oxenbury biography

Helen Oxenbury is a British illustrator and writer, recognised for her contributions to children’s literature. She trained at the Central School of Art and Design in London. Oxenbury began her career in theatre design before moving into book illustration in the 1960s.

Her first picture book, The Quangle Wangle’s Hat by Edward Lear, was published in 1969. She is known for illustrating We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, published in 1989, which won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. Oxenbury has also illustrated Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell, which received the British Smarties Book Prize in 1991.

Oxenbury’s own books include Tom and Pippo and There’s Going to Be a Baby, written by John Burningham. She has illustrated classic texts such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, for which she won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1999. Oxenbury has received the Kate Greenaway Medal twice, first in 1969 for The Quangle Wangle’s Hat and The Dragon of an Ordinary Family, and again in 1999 for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Her illustrations are noted for their depiction of young children and animals. In 2008, Oxenbury was a finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration. She has also received the Kurt Maschler Award for So Much by Trish Cooke in 1994. In 2015, she was awarded the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award alongside John Burningham.

Helen Oxenbury’s work has been translated into multiple languages and continues to be published internationally.