Helen Oxenbury - Illustrator
Helen Oxenbury is among the most popular and critically-acclaimed illustrators of all time. Her many award-winning books for children include We’re Going On a Bear Hunt, written by Michael Rosen, Farmer Duck, written by Martin Waddell and There’s Going to Be a Baby, written by John Burningham; as well as her classic board books for babies. Helen has won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal twice – in 1969, for The Quangle Wangle’s Hat and The Dragon of an Ordinary Family and in 1999, for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She lives in London. Read Helen Oxenbury on winning the Kate Greenaway Medal twice here.
As a child
Growing up in Ipswich, England, Helen Oxenbury loved nothing more than drawing. As a teenager, she entered art school and basked in the pleasure of drawing, and nothing but drawing, all day. During vacations she helped out at the Ipswich Repertory Theatre workshop, mixing paints for set designers. It was there that she decided her future lay in theatre design. While studying costume design, however, Helen was told by a teacher, “This is hopeless, you know. You ought to go and do illustrations – you’re much more interested in the character, and we don’t know who’s going to play the part!”
As an adult
Sets and scenery, not books, remained Helen’s preoccupation for her early adult life as she embarked on careers in theatre, film, and TV. After marrying John Burningham, another of the world’s most eminent children’s book illustrators, and giving birth to their first child, at last she turned to illustrating children’s books. “When I had babies,” Helen says, “I wanted to be home with them and look for something to do there.” Helen and her husband make their home in London, where the she works in a nearby studio. She is also an avid tennis player.
As an artist
Today, Helen is among the most popular and critically acclaimed illustrators of her time. Her numerous books for children include the Kate Greenaway Medal-winning Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; Smarties Book Prize-winning Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell; We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen; Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, written by Mem Fox, as well as her classic board books for babies. And what does she love most about her work? Thinking up new ideas? Seeing the finished book? Not at all. For Helen, “The best part is when I think I know what I’m doing and I’ve completed a few drawings. In fact, when I get about a third of the way through, and I feel I’m on my way, then I’m happy. It’s like reading a good book – you don’t want it to end.”
Sharing this book with babies and the very young is a joyful experience for parent and child, guaranteed to bring laughter into every day. Little babies love looking at picture of other very young children and here a group of toddlers sprawl and tumble across the pages. Each illustration is full of its own delights and they build to a wonderful ending that will have children giggling with anticipation. One of the best books for babies ever created. You might also like All Fall Down - another First Book for Babies, illustrated and written by Helen Oxenbury.
Sharing books with your baby is one of the most joyful bits of early parenthood, especially when the books are as beautiful and as full of love and laughter as this classic by Helen Oxenbury. Even very little babies will be fascinated by the illustrations, and they’ll be captivated by the events described too. There may be only four spreads, but the action still builds cleverly to a wonderful climax, sure to have babies giggling aloud or joining in. Gorgeous in every way, this is a perfect first book. ~ Andrea Reece You might also like Tickle, Tickle - another First Book for Babies, illustrated and written by Helen Oxenbury.
January 2018 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month January 2018 A wonderful celebration of all kinds of babies! Helen Oxenbury’s gorgeous babies, sometimes smiling, sometimes playing, sometimes snuggled up asleep and sometimes with a streaming cold, all have one thing in common. They each have ten little fingers and ten little toes. Counting them out in Mem Fox’s bouncy rhyming text while a baby enjoys the pictures will be a joy for adult and child alike. ~ Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for January 2018 Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by by Mem Fox Words and Your Heart by Kate Jane Neal Emmeline and the Plucky Pup by Megan Rix Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy The Girl Who Saw Lions by Berlie Doherty The Poesy Ring by Bob Graham
This classic picture book is such a triumph of words and illustration, as satisfying to look at as it is to read aloud, that it hardly needs an extra gimmick, but snow globes are irresistible and there’s something particularly pleasing about shaking the snowflakes around in this special gift edition, especially when reading about the swirling, whirling snowstorm, “Hoooo woooo! “Hoooo woooo!” It will be fun to share this with children and it’s a book that everyone should own. ~ Andrea Reece *** Last Christmas Channel 4 showed an animated TV adaptation of We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Find out more here! Michael Rosen said: “I am absolutely delighted that Channel 4 has commissioned this animation. Lupus have a great record in this field and I am very excited to be part of the project. Helen Oxenbury's wonderful art work provides a powerful family saga, full of imagined or real trials and these pictures will give a basis for a moving Christmas drama.” Helen Oxenbury said: "I'm so looking forward to seeing the book brought to life in this way. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring We're Going on a Bear Hunt to even more children and I'm thrilled to be part of it." Jay Hunt, Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer, said: “Going on a Bear Hunt is a magical book that will be brought alive for a whole new audience by Lupus Films. I can’t wait.”
One of our Books of the Year 2016 There’s a dreamlike quality to this beautiful picture book. Two young children, painted by Helen Oxenbury with typical sensitivity, leave the safety of their garden to explore the forest when they hear a mysterious noise coming from the trees. Taking it in turns to reassure and encourage one another, they finally discover the source of the noise is Wolf Mummy singing her babies to sleep, a vision both wild and tranquil. The children return home and they too snuggle down to sleep lulled by her lullaby. Their cosy cottage, with its bright red quilt and lamp, is a distinct contrast to the green hues of the little wolves’ home, but the forest no longer seems a frightening place. Atmospheric, magical, this fairytale story will enchant readers. ~ Andrea Reece Meet the Illustrator – In conversation with Helen Oxenbury Shelley Fallows also had the opportunity to meet with Illustrator Helen Oxenbury to find out a little more about this award winning illustrator, mother and grandmother. Click here to read more.
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | April 2017 MEGA Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month April 2017 | Julia Donaldson and Helen Oxenbury bring the very best of their award-winning The Gruffalo and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt respectively to this glorious new picture book which will remind readers of both. When Rabbit hears a loud voice coming from right inside his burrow he is terrified. What terrible kind of creature could the Giant Jumperee who is hiding in there possibly be? Rabbit’s friends Cat, Bear and Elephant all come to help but are they brave enough or clever enough to discover just who the Giant Jumperee is? ~ Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for April 2017 The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury Grandapa Green by Lane Smith I'm Going to Eat This Ant by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros Lots: The Diversity of Life on Earth by Nicola Davies Mrs Mole, I'm Home! by Jarvis Silver by Walter de la Mare
One of our Books of the Year 2016 There’s a dreamlike quality to this beautiful picture book. Two young children, painted by Helen Oxenbury with typical sensitivity, leave the safety of their garden to explore the forest when they hear a mysterious noise coming from the trees. Taking it in turns to reassure and encourage one another, they finally discover the source of the noise is Wolf Mummy singing her babies to sleep, a vision both wild and tranquil. The children return home and they too snuggle down to sleep lulled by her lullaby. Their cosy cottage, with its bright red quilt and lamp, is a distinct contrast to the green hues of the little wolves’ home, but the forest no longer seems a frightening place. Atmospheric, magical, this fairytale story will enchant readers. ~ Andrea Reece Meet the Illustrator – In conversation with Helen Oxenbury Shelley Fallows also had the opportunity to meet with Illustrator Helen Oxenbury to find out a little more about this award winning illustrator, mother and grandmother. Click here to read more.
A signed, limited edition of the classic chant-aloud by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. The perfect gift for brave hunters and bear-lovers everywhere! Fantastic, cumulative adventure as a family cheerfully sets out on a brave hunt to find the bear - and this new edition has interactive sound! It could be frightening but they’re not scared. They’re full of confidence in what they are doing. Caves, mud, rivers, forest … whatever obstacles the family encounters, they resolutely overcome them happily repeating the chorus:“We can’t go over it”, “We can’t go under it”, “Oh no! We’ve got to go through it”.But when they find the bear its’ a lot more scary than they had thought and they hurtle home repeating all the noises as they go. ~ Julia Eccleshare *** The animation created by Walker Productions and Lupus Films aired at Christmas 2016 on Channel 4 was viewed by over 6 million people, and is now available on DVD from Universal. Michael Rosen says: “I am absolutely delighted that Channel 4 has commissioned this animation. Lupus have a great record in this field and I am very excited to be part of the project. Helen Oxenbury's wonderful art work provides a powerful family saga, full of imagined or real trials and these pictures will give a basis for a moving Christmas drama.” Helen Oxenbury says: "I'm so looking forward to seeing the book brought to life in this way. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring We're Going on a Bear Hunt to even more children and I'm thrilled to be part of it." Jay Hunt, Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer, says: “Going on a Bear Hunt is a magical book that will be brought alive for a whole new audience by Lupus Films. I can’t wait.”
A timeless classic with stunning illustrations Farmer Duck tells the story of a hard-working Duck who is saved from his life of drudgery when the animals on the farm revolt against their lazy farmer, tip him out of bed and send him packing. Now all the animals own the farm and do the work. Martin Waddell’s simple text captures the unjustness of the situation without labouring the point while Helen Oxenbury’s illustrations bring the farm dynamic vividly to life. This handsome paperback book edition celebrating the book's 25th anniversary makes it perfect for young readers. ~ Julia Eccleshare
Julia Eccleshare's Pick of the Month July 2016 A timeless classic with stunning illustrations Farmer Duck tells the story of a hard-working Duck who is saved from his life of drudgery when the animals on the farm revolt against their lazy farmer, tip him out of bed and send him packing. Now all the animals own the farm and do the work. Martin Waddell’s simple text captures the unjustness of the situation without labouring the point while Helen Oxenbury’s illustrations bring the farm dynamic vividly to life. This handsome board book edition celebrating the book's 25th anniversary makes it perfect for young readers. ~ Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for July 2016 Melric and the Crown by David McKee The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Chris Riddell Up, Up and Away by Tom McLaughlin Strange Star by Emma Carroll Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell Such Stuff: A Story-Maker's Inspiration by Michael Morpurgo
Join in the bear hunt with this fabulous activity book, based on the classic picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Little ones will be absorbed for hours with this fun book filled with engaging activities. *** This Christmas Channel 4 will show an animated TV adaptation of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, to be broadcast on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Michael Rosen says: “I am absolutely delighted that Channel 4 has commissioned this animation. Lupus have a great record in this field and I am very excited to be part of the project. Helen Oxenbury's wonderful art work provides a powerful family saga, full of imagined or real trials and these pictures will give a basis for a moving Christmas drama.” Helen Oxenbury says: "I'm so looking forward to seeing the book brought to life in this way. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring We're Going on a Bear Hunt to even more children and I'm thrilled to be part of it." Jay Hunt, Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer, says: “Going on a Bear Hunt is a magical book that will be brought alive for a whole new audience by Lupus Films. I can’t wait.”
You’re never too young for the brilliance of a book such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Walker Books have taken Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s classic picture book and condensed it into a chunky board book. The illustrations sparkle in miniature and there are lots of opportunities for joining in – splish splash through the river, squelch squerch through the oozy mud, hoo woo through the whirling snowstorm. A handy strap and clip enable you to attach this sturdy little book to a buggy or carrier and take it out on bear hunts of your own! ~ Andrea Reece You might also like We're Going on a Bear Hunt Colouring Book and We're Going on a Bear Hunt Sticker Activitiy Book!
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2016. Oxenbury’s distinctive style is at the fore in Captain Jack and the Pirates, merging soft blacks and whites with muted colours.
Colour in the bear hunt with this wonderful colouring activity book, based on the classic picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Helen Oxenbury's beautiful illustrations are as enchanting here as in the beloved original, and Michael Rosen's brilliantly rhythmic words provide the inspiration for every exciting activity. You might also like We're Going on a Bear Hunt Sticker Activitiy Book!
Join in the bear hunt with this fabulous sticker activity book, based on the classic picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Little ones will be absorbed for hours with this sticker book filled with engaging activities. You might also like We're Going on a Bear Hunt Colouring Book!
This much-loved picture book puts a comic and clever twist on the familiar fairytale. Three polite young wolves set off to make their way in the world and build themselves a charming little house in the country. But their rural idyll is interrupted by the arrival of the big bad pig. When they won’t let him in, and huffing and puffing doesn’t work, he takes up a sledgehammer and knocks the house down. No matter how much bigger the wolves make their houses, he still manages to destroy them. So the wolves try a different tack, and build a house of flowers. Sniffing the fragrant scent, the pig’s heart becomes tender, and he changes his ways. The last page sees all four of them enjoying china tea and strawberries together, set to live happily ever after. The twist will delight children, and the message is particularly timely: higher walls and barbed wire will never offer solutions, talking together probably will. Helen Oxenbury’s illustrations are masterful, the wolves dance across the pages, as they move from bright, happy countryside to drab concrete bunker, and back again. ~ Andrea Reece
Winner of the 1999 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal A wonderful 150th-anniversary edition of Lewis Carroll's timeless classic, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury in this beautiful award-winning interpretation. Full of the most wondrous wit and humour, wonderful magic and believable nonsense, this particular edition has the most stunning illustrations that complement the imaginative story that’s anything but dull. The story is timeless and can be read at so many different levels. It’s a book that can be read by people of all ages; for children it’s a wonderful underworld fantasy that will develop a passion for reading imaginative writing and for everyone else there’s innuendo, puzzling situations that require deciphering, political machinations and bucket loads of surrealism. Plenty of food for thought and a real antidote to the modern world. From Philip Pullman: "Indispensable. The great classic beginning of English children's literature."
One of our Books of the Year 2014 Fantastic, cumulative adventure as a family cheerfully sets out on a brave hunt to find the bear - and this new edition has interactive sound! It could be frightening but they’re not scared. They’re full of confidence in what they are doing. Caves, mud, rivers, forest … whatever obstacles the family encounters, they resolutely overcome them happily repeating the chorus:“We can’t go over it”, “We can’t go under it”, “Oh no! We’ve got to go through it”.But when they find the bear its’ a lot more scary than they had thought and they hurtle home repeating all the noises as they go. ~ Julia Eccleshare There is a new website celebrating 25 years Bear Hunting - visit www.jointhebearhunt.com for everything a bear hunter could need including activities, videos, competitions and tour dates. The book has sold in nearly 30 countries and in over 20 languages.
This is the 25th anniversary edition of this bestselling title which well-deserves its classic status. It has become the staple of pre-school life across the globe. Told in a simple rhythmic text that's full of action and it is matched by Helen Oxenbury’s wonderful illustrations which perfectly capture the fun and the wide range of emotions of the family day out that the story encompasses. This attractive new edition includes a beautiful dust jacket. There is a new website celebrating 25 years Bear Hunting - visit www.jointhebearhunt.com for everything a bear hunter could need including activities, videos, competitions and tour dates. You'll also find details of the Walker Books and Read for the RNIB Day in July 14 when there will be a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ record attempt for the world’s largest reading lesson. Want to be involved then go to www.jointhebearhunt.com. The book has sold in nearly 30 countries and in over 20 languages.
This is the 25th anniversary board book edition of this bestselling title which well-deserves its classic status. It has become the staple of pre-school life across the globe. Told in a simple rhythmic text that's full of action and it is matched by Helen Oxenbury’s wonderful illustrations which perfectly capture the fun and the wide range of emotions of the family day out that the story encompasses. There is a new website celebrating 25 years Bear Hunting - visit www.jointhebearhunt.com for everything a bear hunter could need including activities, videos, competitions and tour dates. The book has sold in nearly 30 countries and in over 20 languages.
A perfect introduction to the wonderful world of rhymes and stories and the delight they bring. Helen Oxenbury’s gentle but witty illustrations make the perfect match for simple traditional rhymes before moving on to longer traditional tales such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff and Goldilocks.
Packed full of love, this is an irresistible story of a little boy’s first experience of caring for someone smaller and more frightened than himself. When Henry brings his new puppy Charley home, his parents make it clear that Charley must sleep in the kitchen. Tenderly, Henry tucks him up, snuggles him down and makes sure that he is happy in his new bed. But, when Henry hears crying in the night, he knows he has to do all he can to reassure and comfort Charley – whatever his parents say!
Packed full of love, this is an irresistible story of a little boy’s first experience of caring for someone smaller and more frightened than himself. When Henry brings his new puppy Charley home, his parents make it clear that Charley must sleep in the kitchen. Tenderly, Henry tucks him up, snuggles him down and makes sure that he is happy in his new bed. But, when Henry hears crying in the night, he knows he has to do all he can to reassure and comfort Charley – whatever his parents say! With warmth, humour, and endearing simplicity, Amy Hest tells a tale familiar to everyone who has loved a puppy, while Helen Oxenbury renders each tender gesture and charming detail in a beauty of a book. This will be a book for every child to love, read over and over, and keep as their very own. Lyrical, deceptively simple and, like all Amy Hest's stories, filled with warmth and emotion.
Award-winning illustrators and husband and wife team John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury have teamed up for the very first time to create this stunning and touching story about the excitement and anxiety surrounding the arrival of a new baby in the family. Funny, kind and thoughtful about the many different ways an older sibling might see the arrival of the baby, this book will delight the whole family at any time.
Award-winning husband and wife John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury have teamed up in this wonderful picture book which delicately captures the complex and sometimes overpowering feelings of an older sibling waiting for the arrival of a new baby. John Burningham’s delicately written story takes the form of a beautiful dialogue in which the optimistic possibilities of what the baby might and might not do are juxtaposed with some of the fears and negative feelings that the thought of it creates. Helen Oxenbury’s illustrations match both the delicacy and the humour of the text perfectly and, by the end, both words and pictures welcome the baby with hope.
Abundantly illustrated with warmth and humour by Helen Oxenbury, the memorable cast of characters are to be found in all their glory here in this edition, from Alice herself to the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat. Her illustrations complement quite beautifully Carroll's story of logic and lunacy that has delighted young and old alike since its first publication back in 1865. It is part of the Walker Illustrated Classics, a new series which brings together some of the best-loved stories ever told, illustrated by some of today's finest artists. These exquisitely designed books, with their magnificent words and glorious pictures, are a pleasure to read - and re-read. The classics have never looked so good. To see more Illustrated Classics click here to go to the Classics section, then click the Illustrated tab.
Mum and the baby are at home, doing nothing spectacular, when the doorbell rings. It's Aunt Biba, and she wants to play with the baby so much. Then Uncle Didi comes, followed by practically the whole family, and they all want to hug and play with baby.
Winner of the 1999 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Full of the most wondrous wit and humour, wonderful magic and believable nonsense, this particular edition has the most stunning illustrations that complement the imaginative story that’s anything but dull. The story is timeless and can be read at so many different levels. It’s a book that can be read by people of all ages; for children it’s a wonderful underworld fantasy that will develop a passion for reading imaginative writing and for everyone else there’s innuendo, puzzling situations that require deciphering, political machinations and bucket loads of surrealism. Plenty of food for thought and a real antidote to the modern world. From Philip Pullman: "Indispensable. The great classic beginning of English children's literature."
Fantastic, cumulative adventure as a family cheerfully sets out on a brave hunt to find the bear. It could be frightening but they’re not scared. They’re full of confidence in what they are doing. Caves, mud, rivers, forest … whatever obstacles the family encounters, they resolutely overcome them happily repeating the chorus:“We can’t go over it”, “We can’t go under it”, “Oh no! We’ve got to go through it”.But when they find the bear its’ a lot more scary than they had thought and they hurtle home repeating all the noises as they go. ~ Julia Eccleshare Perfect for Reluctant Readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
A fascinating, beautiful and definitive account of the life of esteemed artist Helen Oxenbury. Filled with insights that span Helen Oxenbury's life, from her early childhood through a unique career in children's books that began in 1964 and is still going strong today, here is an exquisitely designed and thoroughly entertaining celebration of one of the finest English illustrators of our time. Written by acclaimed author Leonard S. Marcus, Helen Oxenbury: A Life in Illustration is a keepsake that is sure to engage and delight everyone from scholars to art aficionados to the many children and adults who have grown up with Helen Oxenbury's enchanting books.
Join in all the fun of the bear hunt with this magical changing picture edition of the much-loved family classic. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For over twenty-five years, readers have been swishy swashing and splash sploshing through this award-winning favourite. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest! Now you can join in the fun with this interactive changing picture book.
Unfold all the fun of the bear hunt in this delightful pocket-sized pop-up of the award-winning picture book classic. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For a quarter of a century, readers have been swishy-swashying and splash-sploshing through this award-winning favourite. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!
Piece together Lewis Carroll's classic story in this delightful jigsaw edition illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll's classic story of logic and lunacy, has delighted young and old alike for 150 years. Gorgeously illustrated, this award-winning rendition is full of warmth and humour and is available for the first time in an interactive puzzle piece edition. This is Alice as a child of today - casually dressed, personable, spirited. In Helen Oxenbury's hands, the topsy-turvy world of Wonderland is a wondrous place indeed!
The award-winning classic brought to life as a pop-up adventure. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For a quarter of a century, readers have been swishy-swashying and splash-sploshing through this award-winning favourite and now it can be read in three glorious dimensions in this incredible pop-up edition featuring seven full-page pop-ups. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest! The award-winning classic brought to life as a pop-up adventure.
Piece together the fun of the bear hunt in this delightful jigsaw version of the classic picture book. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For more than twenty years, readers have been swishy swashing and splash sploshing through this award-winning favourite. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest! Now you can join in the fun with this interactive jigsaw book.
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