Brian Selznick

Caldecott Honour–winning illustrator and New York Times bestselling author Brian Selznick graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with the intention of becoming a set designer for the theatre. However, after spending three years selling books and designing window displays for a children’s bookstore in Manhattan, he was inspired to create children’s books of his own. His books have received many awards and distinctions, including a Caldecott Honour for The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins and a Robert F. Sibert Honour for When Marian Sang.

Brian travels extensively to research his books. He spent six months in Washington, D.C., for Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, he travelled to England for The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, and he visited Walt Whitman’s childhood home in West Hills, New York, for Walt Whitman: Words for America. Brian visited the city of Paris three times to research The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Brian’s most recent book is Wonderstruck.

Brian lives in Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California.

Brian on creating his groundbreaking book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret which combines elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film: "Several years ago, I read a review of a book called Edison's Eve: A Magical History of the Quest for Mechanical Life by Gaby Wood. The review mentioned the true story of a collection of elaborate mechanical windup figures (known as automata), which had once been owned and loved by a great French film director named George Méliès. These amazing machines were eventually donated by Méliès to a museum in Paris, but the collection was neglected in a damp attic and eventually had to be thrown away. I imagined a boy finding these broken, rusted machines, and thus Hugo and his story were born."

---

Featured Books, with extracts by Brian Selznick

The Hugo Movie Companion
Brian Selznick
Award-winning Brian Selznick goes behind the scenes to tell the story of the making of the blockbuster film of his best-selling The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The book was inspired by film which makes it especially fitting to see how...
Featured in: 9+ readers
Format: Hardback - Released: 03/11/2011
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy

Wonderstruck
Brian Selznick
Beautifully produced, this is a fabulous addition to the best-selling The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Like its predecessor it is told equally through illustrations and words; Ben’s story is in words and the story from a previous time is...
Featured in: 11+ readers | 9+ readers | Books of the Month
Format: Hardback - Released: 14/09/2011
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy

Invention Of Hugo Cabret
Brian Selznick
Tender, magical, utterly original, this is a stunning tour de force from an innovative and daring storyteller and artist.  A book to treasure, to dip in and out of forever whether you’re 9 or 109.  The Invention of Hugo Cabret...
Featured in: 11+ readers | 9+ readers
Format: Hardback - Released: 01/10/2007
Info   Extract   Wishlist   Compare Price   Buy