Michael Foreman (illustrator)


Michael Foreman is a British author and illustrator, one of the best-known and most prolific creators of children's books. He won the 1982 and 1989 Kate Greenaway Medals for British children's book illustration and he was a runner-up five times.
For his contribution as a children's illustrator he was UK nominee in 1988 and again in 2010 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest recognition available to creators of children's books.

Life

Foreman was born and grew up in Pakefield, near Lowestoft, Suffolk, where his mother kept the village shop. His father died a month before he was born. When he was three, the family home was hit by a German bomb, but he survived along with his mother and two older brothers. He studied at Lowestoft School of Art, and later in London at the Royal College of Art, where he won a scholarship to the United States.
Foreman was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to literature.

Approach to illustration

Foreman learned to respond instantly to text as an art student. Having drawn for the newspapers and for the police, drawing female suspects when Identikit only catered for men, he gained valuable drawing experience. A travel scholarship took him all around the world, drawing landscapes, architecture and wildlife. Although many of his books feature luminous watercolours, it is the drawing that he sees as vital: "It's all in the drawing and illustration. It's a question of creating another world, believable in its own right. I think I was very lucky to have started art school so young when they actually taught Art. It was a rigorous training – not just painting and drawing from life – but hours of anatomy and perspective.... it really taught you to understand what you were looking at." His aim in illustration is to make the worlds created believable, real: "I keep trying to make things more real, not in a literal photographic sense, but in an emotional sense, telling a story by capturing the essence of the situation, giving it some meaning."

Selected works

1960s

  • 1961 Comic Alphabets: Their origin, development, nature Routledge & Kegan Paul, by Eric Partridge
  • 1961 The General Routledge & Kegan Paul, by Jane Charters
  • 1961 The King Who Lived on Jelly Routledge & Kegan Paul
  • 1962 Poems by Children 1950–61 Routledge & Kegan Paul
  • 1966 Huit Enfants et un Bebe Abelard-Schuman
  • 1966 Making Music Longman
  • 1966 The Bad Food Guide Routledge & Kegan Paul
  • 1967 I'm for You, and You're for Me Abelard-Schuman
  • 1967 The Perfect Present Hamish Hamilton
  • 1967 The Two Giants Brockhampton Press
  • 1968 Let's Fight! and Other Russian Fables Pantheon
  • 1968 The Great Sleigh Robbery Hamish Hamilton
  • 1969 Essex Poems, 1963–67 Routledge & Kegan Paul

1970s

  • 1970 Adam's Balm Bowmar
  • 1970 Horatio Hamish Hamilton
  • 1970 The Birthday Unicorn Gollancz
  • 1971 James and the Giant Peach Penguin
  • 1971 Moose Hamish Hamilton
  • 1971 The Living Arts of Nigeria Studio Vista
  • 1972 Dinosaurs and all that rubbish Hamish Hamilton, adapted into an online series and musical theatre production by Roustabout Theatre in 2021
  • 1973 Alexander in the Land of Mog Brockhampton Press
  • 1973 Mr Noah and the Second Flood Gollancz
  • 1973 The Living Treasures of Japan Wildwood House
  • 1973 The Pushcart War Hamish Hamilton
  • 1974 Hamish Hamilton
  • 1975 Private Zoo Collinsn
  • 1975 Rainbow Rider Collins
  • 1976 Hans Andersen: His Classic Fairy Tales Gollancz
  • 1976 Monkey and the Three Wizards Collins
  • 1976 The Stone Book Collins
  • 1977 Granny Reardun Collins
  • 1977 Panda's Puzzle Hamish Hamilton
  • 1977 Teeny-Tiny and the Witch-Woman Andersen Press
  • 1977 Tom Fobble's Day Collins
  • 1978 Borrowed Feathers and Other Fables Hamish Hamilton
  • 1978 Mickey's Kitchen Contest Andersen Press
  • 1978 Popular Folk Tales Gollancz, newly translated from Brothers Grimm by Brian Alderson —a Greenaway runner up,
  • 1978 The Aimer Gate Collins
  • 1978 The Princess and the Golden Mane Collins,
  • 1978 The Selfish Giant Kaye & Ward
  • 1979 Alan The Three Golden Heads of the Well Collins
  • 1979 How to Catch a Ghost Holt
  • 1979 The Golden Brothers Collins
  • 1979 Winter's Tales Benn

1980s

  • 1980 After Many a Summer Folio Society
  • 1980 Alan Garner's Fairytales of Gold Collins
  • 1980 City of Gold and Other Stories from the Old Testament Gollancz, retold by Peter Dickinson, who won the Carnegie Medal —a Greenaway runner up,
  • 1980 The Faithful Bull Hamish Hamilton
  • 1980 The Pig Plantagenet Hutchinson
  • 1980 The Tiger Who Lost his Stripes Andersen Press
  • 1981 Fairy Tales Pavilion, by Terry Jones
  • 1981 Over the Bridge Viking Kestrel
  • 1981 Panda and the Old Lion Hamish Hamilton
  • 1981 The Nightingale and the Rose Kaye & Ward
  • 1981 Trick a Tracker Gollancz
  • 1982 Land of Dreams Andersen Press
  • 1982 Long Neck and Thunder Foot Viking Kestrel, by Helen Piers —joint winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal for British children's book illustration
  • 1982 Sleeping Beauty and other favourite fairy tales Gollancz, selected and translated from Perrault and Le Prince de Beaumont by Angela Carter —joint winner of the Greenaway Medal and winner of the Kurt Maschler Award for integration of writing and illustration in a British children's book
  • 1982 The Crab That Played with the Sea Macmillan
  • 1982 The Magic Mouse and the Millionaire Hamish Hamilton
  • 1983 A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas Gollancz
  • 1983 Poems for 7-Year-Olds and Under Viking Kestrel
  • 1983 The Brontosaurus Birthday Cake Methuen
  • 1983 The Saga of Erik the Viking Pavilion, by Terry Jones —a Greenaway runner up
  • 1983 Treasure Island Puffin
  • 1984 A Cat and Mouse Love Story Heinemann Quixote
  • 1984 Cat and Canary Andersen Press
  • 1984 Panda and the Bunyips Hamish Hamilton
  • 1984 Poems for 9-year-olds Viking Kestrel
  • 1984 Poems for Over 10-year-olds Viking Kestrel
  • 1985 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Allen & Unwin, by Roald Dahl
  • 1985 I'll Take You to Mrs Cole Andersen Press
  • 1985 Nicobobinus Pavilion
  • 1985 Poetic Gems Folio Society
  • 1985 Seasons of Splendour: Tales, myths, and legends of India Pavilion, Madhur Jaffrey —a Greenaway runner up,
  • 1986 Ben's Box: A Pop-up Fantasy Hodder & Stoughton
  • 1986 Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator Allen & Unwin
  • 1986 Early in the Morning: A Collection of New Poems Viking
  • 1986 Letters from Hollywood Harrap
  • 1986 Panda and the Bushfire Hamish Hamilton
  • 1986 Tales for the Telling Pavilion
  • 1987 Ben's Baby Andersen Press
  • 1987 Brontosaurus Superstar Magnet
  • 1987 du Maurier's Classics of the Macabre Gollancz
  • 1987 Fun Gollancz
  • 1987 Adventures of Charlie and Mr Willy Wonka Unwin Hyman
  • 1987 The Jungle Book Puffin
  • 1988 Edmond Went Far Away Walker Macmillan
  • 1988 The Angel and the Wild Animal Andersen Press
  • 1988 The Curse of the Vampire's Socks Pavilion
  • 1988 The Magic Ointment Macmillan
  • 1988 The Night Before Christmas Viking
  • 1988 Peter Pan and Wendy Pavilion
  • 1988 Worms Wiggle Carnival
  • 1989 Land of the Long White Cloud Pavilion
  • 1989 Once Upon a Planet Puffin
  • 1989 The Sand Horse Andersen Press
  • 1989 War Boy: a country childhood Pavilion —memoir, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, —also entitled ''War Boy: a wartime childhood''

1990s

  • 1990 Michael Foreman Beetles
  • 1990 Michael Foreman's Mother Goose Walker
  • 1990 Michael Foreman's World of Fairy Tales Pavilion
  • 1990 One World Andersen Press
  • 1990 The Brothers Grimm: Popular Folk Tales Gollancz
  • 1991 Busy! Busy! Busy! Andersen Press
  • 1991 Michael Foreman's Nursery Rhymes Walker
  • 1991 The Boy Who Sailed with Columbus Pavilion
  • 1991 The Puffin Book of Twentieth-Century Stories Viking
  • 1991 The Puffin Book of Twentieth-Century Verse Viking
  • 1991 The Young Man of Cury and Other Poems Macmillan
  • 1992 Fantastic Stories Pavilion
  • 1992 Jack's Fantastic Voyage Andersen Press
  • 1992 Spider the Horrible Cat Pavilion
  • 1992 The Arabian Nights Gollancz
  • 1992 The Echoing Green Viking
  • 1992 Wyvern Winter Andersen Prensiess
  • 1993 A Fish of the World Pavilion
  • 1993 Funnybunch: A New Puffin Book of Funny Verse Viking
  • 1993 Grandfather's Pencil Andersen Press
  • 1993 The Beast with a Thousand Teeth Pavilion
  • 1993 The Long Weekend Andersen Press
  • 1993 There's a Bear in the Bath Pavilion
  • 1993 War Game Pavilion —a Greenaway runner up,
  • 1993 Wyvern Spring Andersen Press
  • 1994 Arthur, High King of Britain Pavilion/The National Trust
  • 1994 Dad! I Can't Sleep Andersen Press
  • 1994 Sarah and the Sandhorse Andersen Press
  • 1994 The Fly-by-Night Pavilion
  • 1994 The Sea Tiger Pavilion
  • 1994 Wyvern Fall Andersen Press
  • 1994 Wyvern Summer Andersen Press
  • 1995 After the War was Over Pavilion
  • 1995 Peter's Place Andersen Press
  • 1995 Shakespeare Stories II Gollancz
  • 1995 Surprise! Surprise! Andersen Press
  • 1995 The Little Prince Pavilion
  • 1996 A Child's Garden of Verses Gollancz
  • 1996 Peter Pan and Wendy Pavilion
  • 1996 Robin of Sherwood Pavilion
  • 1996 Seal Surfer Andersen Press
  • 1996 The Little Reindeer Andersen Press
  • 1996 The Songs My Paddle Sings Pavilion
  • 1996 There's a Bear in the Classroom Pavilion
  • 1997 Creation: Stories from Around the World Walker
  • 1997 Farm Boy Pavilion
  • 1997 Look! Look! Andersen Press
  • 1997 The Knight and the Squire Pavilion
  • 1997 The Little Ships Pavilion
  • 1998 Chicken Licken Andersen Press
  • 1998 Cockadoodle-doo Mr Sultana! Scholastic
  • 1998 Jack's Big Race Andersen Press
  • 1998 Joan of Arc Pavilion
  • 1999 Kensuke's Kingdom Heinemann
  • 1999 Michael Foreman's Christmas Treasury Pavilion
  • 1999 The Little Red Hen Andersen Press
  • 1999 The Merrymaid of Zennor Orchard
  • 1999 The Rainbow Bear Doubleday
  • 1999 The Shining Princess and Other Japanese Legends Andersen Press
  • 1999 The Story of Millennia the Angel Orchard
  • 1999 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Pavilion

2000s

  • 2000 Billy the Kid Pavilion
  • 2000 Cat in the Manger Andersen Press
  • 2000 Memories of Childhood Pavilion
  • 2000 Rock-a-doodle-doo! Andersen Press
  • 2000 The Lady and the Squire Pavilion
  • 2000 Why Bear has a Stumpy Tail Walker
  • 2001 Out of the Ashes Macmillan
  • 2001 Saving Sinbad Andersen Press
  • 2001 The Wind in the Willows Pavilion
  • 2001 Tom and the Pterosaur Walker
  • 2001 Toro! Toro! Collins
  • 2002 Bedtime Stories Chrysalis
  • 2002 Cool! Collins
  • 2002 Dinosaur Time Andersen Press
  • 2002 Evie and the Man who Helped God Andersen Press
  • 2002 Michael Foreman's Playtime Rhymes Walker
  • 2002 The Last Wolf Doubleday
  • 2002 The Sleeping Sword Egmont
  • 2002 Wonder Goal Andersen Press
  • 2003 Bobby, Charlton and the Mountain Andersen Press
  • 2003 Cat on the Hill Andersen Press
  • 2003 Hello World Walker
  • 2004 Dolphin Boy Andersen Press
  • 2004 Gentle Giant Collins
  • 2004 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Walker
  • 2004 Alice's adventures in Wonderland Sterling
  • 2004 One world Anderson Press
  • 2004 Christmas crimes Folio Society
  • 2005 Classic fairy tales Sterling
  • 2005 The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips Harper Collins
  • 2005 Can't Catch Me!, author/illustrator, Andersen Press
  • 2006 Beowulf, illustrator, Candlewick
  • 2006 Fox Tale, author/illustrator, Andersen Press
  • 2006 Mia's Story, author/illustrator, Walker
  • 2006 Norman's Ark, author/illustrator, Andersen Press
  • 2007 Michael Foreman's Classic Fairy Tales, adapter/illustrator, Pavilion
  • 2007 Say Hello, illustrator, Walker
  • 2007 Soggy the Bear, illustrator, Mabecron Books
  • 2007 Soggy to the Rescue, illustrator, Mabecron Books
  • 2007 Team Trouble, illustrator, Andersen Press
  • 2007 The Mozart Question, illustrator, Walker
  • 2007 White Owl, Barn Owl, illustrator, Candlewick
  • 2008 Kaspar, illustrator, HarperCollins
  • 2008 Soggy and the Mermaid, illustrator, Mabecron Books
  • 2008 The Lion Who Ate Everything, illustrator, Walker
  • 2008 The Little Dinosaur, author/illustrator, Walker
  • 2009 A Child's Garden: A Story of Hope, author/illustrator, Walker
  • 2009 Pirates Ahoy!, illustrator, Andersen Press
  • 2009 The Littlest Dinosaur's Big Adventure, author/illustrator, Walker
  • 2010 Why the Animals Came to Town, author/illustrator, Walker
  • 2011 Little Manfred illustrator
  • 2012 A Medal for Leroy illustrator
  • 2015 The Tortoise and the Soldier, author/illustrator, Henry Holt
  • 2021 Noa and the Little Elephant, author/illustrator, HarperCollins Children's Books in association with Tusk Trust

Awards