Anthony Browne
Anthony Browne
Anthony Edward Tudor Browne is a British writer and illustrator of children's books, primarily picture books, with nearly forty titles to his name. For his lasting contribution as a children's illustrator he won the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2000, the highest recognition available to creators of children's books. From 2009 to 2011 he was Children's Laureate...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionChildren's Author
Date of Birth11 September 1946
computers develop images impressed late love paint paper
I'm impressed by the way some illustrators develop their images on computers, but it's too late for me to start, and I'm still in love with paper and paint and pencils.
larger
I use a little brush only for really small details. Over the years, I've started to use a much larger brush.
draw
Everyone can draw when they're five. Most of us lose the ability.
accepting begin continue illustrate job laureate main picture time
One of my main decisions when accepting the job of Children's Laureate was that I must continue working on picture books. If I don't write and illustrate for some time, then I begin to question who I am.
dad physical
M dad was a boxer, so he had this fierce, physical presence.
apply hidden reasons
I see 'Hansel and Gretel' as a breakthrough book for me, and one of the reasons is because I started to apply meaning to the hidden details.
five people six
Most people lose their natural creativity at about five or six - but not me.
afterwards bit stories
Stories come to me and I don't know where they come from, but afterwards I can look back and say, 'Oh yes, that's got a little bit of me, or a little bit of my own son in it'. That's where ideas come from.
books excites gap picture pictures slightly
What excites me about picture books is the gap between pictures and words. Sometimes the pictures can tell a slightly different story or tell more about the story, about how someone is thinking or feeling.
balanced emotional life worrying
Worrying can be a kind of caring, and as such is a healthy part of a balanced emotional life.
age close faster grew older stronger
I grew up with an older brother who was always stronger and faster and better than me at everything, but I was close enough in age to try and compete, so we had a competitive childhood.
children pages seen tend turn
As adults, we've seen so much before that we often turn the pages of a picture book without really looking. Young children tend to look more carefully.
best books choose felt force picture time understood
Force me to choose my best book, and I always come back to 'Gorilla.' It was the first time I felt I understood what picture books could do.
age children incredibly life paintings picture share stays
The illustrations in picture books are the first paintings most children see, and because of that, they are incredibly important. What we see and share at that age stays with us for life.