Cressida Cowell

Cressida Cowell is the creator of one of children's literature's most popular modern characters - Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, to give him his full title, is a rather weedy Viking who won the hearts of readers worldwide when he appeared in Cressida's first novel for eight to twelve year olds, How to Train Your Dragon. The unique blend of child centred humour and sublime prose made Hiccup an instant hit. First published in 2003, there are now eight novels in the series, with the latest, How to Break a Dragon's Heart published in September 2009. In the latest exciting chapter in the life of Hiccup, a mjor animated film of How to Train Your Dragon is currently in production with DreamWorks and is scheduled for release in March 2010.

 

Cressida grew up mostly in London, which remains forever her favourite place in the world. She lives in West London with her husband and their three children. She was educated at Marlborough College in Somerset where she became, and remains, great friends with top author/illustrator Lauren Child.

 

The Hiccup books are written and illustrated by Cressida. She also loves to write books for other people to illustrate, which is how the Emily Brown books, published by Orchard Books, were created. That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown, illustrated by Neal Layton, was winner of the Under 5 category of the Nestle Children's Book Prize in 2006, was selected as a Richard and Judy Children's Christmas Book Club read, and chosen for CITV's recent Bookaboo programme. This was followed by Emily Brown and the Thing, also highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers. A third title comes in October 2009 - Emily Brown and the Elephant Emergency.

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Featured Books, with extracts by Cressida Cowell

A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons
Cressida Cowell
Hiccup the Hero has many attributes, including being a Dragon Whisperer. It’s a skill he learnt the hard way as these exploits reveal! Here also is an introduction to the key characteristics of the dragons and a Dragonese dictionary to...
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/02/2010

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How To Speak Dragonese
Cressida Cowell
Hiccup the great Viking hero was not always such a star. He makes a mistake in his first Boarding an Enemy Ship Lesson by tackling a Roman Dragon Rustling ship with the fearsome Alvin the Treacherous on board. When Toothless,...
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/02/2010

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Hiccup: How to Train Your Dragon
Cressida Cowell
Jokes flow thick and fast from this most original and inventive Viking adventure, which launched the career of a Viking with a difference. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock grew up at a time of dragons but he was not always a hero....
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/02/2010

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Hiccup: How to Train Your Dragon (Film Tie-In edition)
Cressida Cowell
Jokes flow thick and fast from this most original and inventive Viking adventure, which launched the career of a Viking with a difference. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock grew up at a time of dragons but he was not always a hero....
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/02/2010

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How to be a Pirate
Cressida Cowell
Hiccup, the Viking hero in the world of entertaining and unusual adventures, is back for a new set of adventures on the Pirate Training Programme. Still being trained by Gobbler the Belch, Hiccup learns new skills to help as he...
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/02/2010

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How to Break a Dragon's Heart
Cressida Cowell
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock 111, master of all things Heroic, has a load of new challenges to complete…Now he must complete the Impossible Task, save Fishlegs from being fed to the Beast to and discover the secret of the Lost Throne....
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/02/2010

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How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse
Cressida Cowell
Hiccup the Hero is back with a new adventure. This time the Venomous Vorpent is his enemy and it has already struck Fishlegs with the deadly Vorpentitis. Hiccup must find a way of countering the creature’s deadly sting… Once again,...
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/02/2010

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How to Ride a Dragon's Storm
Cressida Cowell
Hiccup has a new set of challenges. This time he has to get back to Berk from America in record time, battle against the deadly Polarserpents and win the Inter-Tribal Friendly Swimming Race – which is not so friendly after...
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/02/2010

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How to Twist a Dragon's Tale
Cressida Cowell
The Isle of Berk is under threat. Hiccup’s latest challenge is to stop the volcano from exploding …To do so he must rescue the Fire Egg which has been stolen and return it to the Volcano and outwit the sword-claws...
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/02/2010

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How to Break a Dragon's Heart
Cressida Cowell
The hilarious world of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock 111, a Viking hero with a difference! Armed with his sword the ‘Endeavour’, Hiccup sets out to complete yet another impossible task. (This is his eighth quest and they’ve all been full of...
Format: Paperback - Released: 03/09/2009

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Emily Brown And The Thing
Cressida Cowell
Emily Brown and her old grey rabbit were an instant hit with children and parents everywhere when they burst onto the scene not long ago and won the 2006 Nestle prize. The book was called That Rabbit belongs to Emily...
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/09/2008

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A Hero's Guide To Deadly Dragons
Cressida Cowell
More hilarious fun as Hiccup the Viking continues his pirate training programme enduring the disgusting food, learning dragonese and now getting lost in the Library Labyrinth with the Driller Dragons and Madguts the Murderous on the Prowl. Following both words...
Format: Paperback - Released: 05/06/2008

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Emily Brown And The Thing
Cressida Cowell
Emily Brown and her old grey rabbit were an instant hit with children and parents everywhere when they burst onto the scene not long ago and won the 2006 Nestle prize.  The book was called That Rabbit belongs to...
Format: Hardback - Released: 18/10/2007

Price: £8.24- Saving £2.75 (25%)

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That Rabbit Belongs To Emily Brown
Cressida Cowell
Shortlisted for the Nestle Children's Award 2006 in the five and under category. Both author and illustrator are highly acclaimed in their own right and together in this absolutely exquisite picture they have surpassed even their own high expectations.  Wonderfully...
Format: Hardback - Released: 07/09/2006

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How To Be A Pirate
Cressida Cowell
This is side-splittingly funny, wonderfully written and sure to appeal to children from about 8 upwards.  It’s pirates with a big twist that includes a toothless dragon and a raft of peculiar people.  Enough said, it’s a laugh on every...
Format: Paperback - Released: 15/07/2004

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What Shall we do with the Boo-hoo Baby?
Cressida Cowell
An entertaining story which will strike a chord with all parents! How can the animals stop the Boo Hoo baby from crying? Feeding him helps, as does bathing him and playing with him but, in the end, bedtime is the...
Format: Board Book - Released: 22/03/2002

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