Axel Scheffler

As a child

As an adult

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Axel Scheffler won his first drawing prize at the age of eight – his prize was a cuddly lilac cow. In 1982, he came to England and studied at the Bath Academy of Art. He now lives in London.

As an artist

Axel Scheffler is an illustrator of worldwide acclaim, most well-known for his picture book partnership with Julia Donaldson. He illustrated The Gruffalo, which won the Smarties Gold Award for Picture Books in 1999 and was the Best Book to Read Aloud at the first Blue Peter Awards in November 2000. He also illustrated The Gruffalo's Child, which was the WHSmith Children's Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2005.

Things you didn't know about Axel Scheffler