A brilliantly observed board book about the dramas of pre-school life
Axel was born in Hamburg, Germany. At school he was good at art,
but didn't think of a career in illustration until he won a cuddly
purple cow in a drawing competition. He moved to England in 1982 to
learn English and study illustration at the Bath Academy of Art and
then set up home in London. Axel illustrated a number of books for
various publishers, and in 1993 Kate Wilson suggested him as the
illustrator for Julia Donaldson's first picture book text, A Squash
and a Squeeze. This was the start of a hugely successful
partnership: their bestselling modern classic, The Gruffalo, has
sold over three-and-a-half million copies worldwide, and the TV
animation was broadcast on Christmas day 2009.
Axel has illustrated a number of other highly successful books,
including Muddle Farm, and his books have been translated into 42
languages. Axel lives in London with his partner and young
daughter.
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