Background

Anthony Browne was born on September 11, 1946, in Sheffield, United Kingdom to the family of Jack Browne and Doris May. His parents ran a pub near Bradford, Yorkshire, and Browne and his older brother Michael grew up there. In childhood, Anthony Browne enjoyed art and used to draw with his father. He also did rugby and cricket.

When Browne reached the age of seven, the family moved away from a pub environment, and his father pursued a career as a sales representative. They moved only a few miles from the pub but resided in what Browne calls "a proper house."

Education

Anthony Browne went to Whitcliffe Mount Grammar School in Cleckheaton. He studied graphic design at Leeds College of Art (now Leeds Arts University), where he graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in 1967.

Career

After two years as a medical artist, Browne felt that he needed to stretch his imagination, so he began creating a collection of greeting cards while working in an ad agency. He sent his cards to Gordon Fraser, a large greeting card company in London, and shortly thereafter began a long career there as a card artist. Through his company's founder, Browne was introduced to the world of children's books. Hamish Hamilton published Browne's first book, Through the Magic Mirror, in 1976. A picture book in which young Toby - bored in the house - enters a fantastic world through a looking glass before returning home, Through the Magic Mirror, is noted for introducing the stylistic touches that would later become the hallmarks of Browne's work. His next work, A Walk in the Park, was published in 1977 in England and appeared in the United States as Voices in the Park in 1998, featuring different illustrations.

In 1981, Browne published his retelling of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, a work that is often considered a creative breakthrough as well as one of the artist's most controversial titles. Rather than presenting the tale as a period piece, Browne sets his illustrations in the present day and uses them to reflect the subconscious of young children.

Two years after the publication of Hansel and Gretel, Browne created Gorilla. In this work, small Hannah longs both for a gorilla and for the attention of her father. After she dreams that her stuffed toy is transformed into a huge ape that dons her father's hat and coat and takes her to the zoo and to the movies, her real father actually takes her to the zoo.

In 1983 Browne won his first Greenaway Medal as well as Germany's Kurt Maschler Award for Gorilla, which also won the Silver Pencil Award from the Netherlands in 1989. The author has noted that Gorilla had its origin in a greeting card that he did for Gordon Fraser; the card depicted a big male gorilla holding a teddy bear.

Following the success of Gorilla, Browne continued his fascination with simian characters with his series about Willy, a chimp who lives in a world dominated by gorillas.

In 1986, Browne also wrote and illustrated Piggybook, a picture book that is often considered among his best works. Piggybook features Mrs. Piggott, a harried wife and mother in a male-dominated family who is tired of doing all of the housework in addition to her other job. Her husband and sons, sloppy and demanding, infuriate Mrs. Piggott to the point that she shouts "You are pigs!" before storming out of the house. In her absence, the men become pink pigs. Before Mrs. Piggott returns and order is restored, they discover the joys of a clean home. Challenging male chauvinism and sexual stereotyping, Piggybook is acknowledged for its humorous but pointed examination of male and female roles.

Browne published his illustrated version of Lewis Carroll's book in 1988, and his pictures are noted for their imagination, detail, and humor as well as for reflecting the surreal quality of the text. However, as with Hansel and Gretel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland received a mixed critical reception.

Browne won his second Greenaway Medal for Zoo, a picture book in which the doltish behavior of a family of zoo visitors is juxtaposed against the dignity of the caged animals. At the end of the family's visit - in which boorish dad and his impatient sons behave insensitively - the mother, who alone feels some sympathy for the animals, says, "I don't think the zoo's really for animals. I think it's for people." Browne's illustrations reflect this sentiment - paintings on opposite pages balance the family's actions with the zoo's animals and settings. Other visitors to the zoo are pictured sporting flippers and tails beneath their clothes.

Among the most personal of Browne's works is his illustrated retelling of the classic 1930s film King Kong. Browne bases many of his illustrations on the movie while adding several twists of his own. For example, the female lead bears a striking resemblance to Marilyn Monroe. His dramatic, dreamlike illustrations have been noted for their new mastery of crowd scenes and group movement, while his text - considered both a love story and a tragedy by critics - was described by a reviewer in Publishers Weekly as "appropriately cinematic."

My Dad, the book that was inspired by Browne's affection for his late father, and the author/illustrator felt the urge to create it after finding his father's old bathrobe on a hanger in the closet. With gentle pictures done in a bathrobe laid motif, My Dad celebrates one youngster's fearless, loving, and sometimes silly father, who can send the Big Bad Wolf packing with a simple gesture and who sings tenor with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.

Browne offers a tribute to another important family member in My Mom. At the start of the book, the pleasant but overworked mom is nice but nondescript. As the book progresses, the unnamed child narrator praises mother's skills as a cook, gardener, juggler, and more. The narrator's mother is the strongest woman in the world, demonstrated by her ability to lug heavy grocery bags into the house. In other illustrations, the mother is seen in a professional office setting, playing music, relaxing, and looking as glamorous as a movie star.

In 2001-2002 Browne took a job as writer and illustrator at Tate Britain, working with children using art as a stimulus to inspire visual literacy and creative writing activities. It was during this time that Browne conceived and produced The Shape Game (Doubleday, 2003).

On 9 June 2009, he was appointed the sixth Children's Laureate (2009-2011), selected by a panel that former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion chaired.

Achievements

• Anthony Browne is an English author, illustrator, and reteller who is acclaimed as a gifted artist and incisive social critic whose works have helped to define the modern picture book. Browne has been called "one of the most original and accomplished of our picture book artists" by Chris Powling in Books for Keeps and "one of the most highly original creators of picture books to arrive on the scene in recent years" by Amy J. Meeker in Children's Books and Their Creators. He is celebrated for creating unconventional, often provocative works that challenge and delight both young readers and adults.
  
  Anthony Browne has published 50 books, and amongst the awards that his books have won are the Kate Greenaway medal twice, and the Kurt Maschler ‘Emil” three times. In 2000 Browne was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, an international award given to an illustrator for their body of work. He was the first British illustrator to receive the award. His books are translated into 26 languages and his illustrations have been exhibited in many countries - United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, France, Korea, Italy, Germany, Holland, Japan, and Taiwan.

Works

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  • The Topiary Garden

    (Aspiring artist Liz loves the topiary garden of Carlton H...)

    1993
  • Voices in the Park

    (Different characters tell the same story from their own p...)

    1998
  • Trail of Stones

    (As they enter the dark wood, familiar fairy tale characte...)

    1990
  • The Shape Game

    (Art makes a difference! The same family that had such an ...)

    2003
  • Willy and Hugh

    (What happens when Willy, the mild-mannered chimp, runs in...)

    1991
  • I Like Books

    (In "I Like Books", Anthony Browne portrays many different...)

    1988
  • Gorilla

    (Anthony Browne’s incomparable artwork illuminates the dee...)

    1983
  • Things I Like

    (Browne brings a fresh perspective and his own witty visua...)

    1989
  • The Daydreamer

    (The trouble with being a daydreamer who doesn’t say much,...)

    1994
  • One Gorilla: A Counting Book

    (Primo primate artist Anthony Browne is at the top of his ...)

    2012
  • The Little Bear Book

    (A little white bear and his magic pencil make wonderful t...)

    1988
  • Willy's Pictures

    (Hugely entertaining and informative - this is a unique ar...)

    2000
  • Zoo

    (Dad, mum and two brothers spend a day at the zoo, looking...)

    1992
  • My Dad

    (In an endearing homage to dads everywhere, a boy describe...)

    2000
  • Willy the Dreamer

    (This is a stunning Willy book with spectacular, surreal p...)

    1997
  • Frida and Bear Play the Shape Game!

    (The inimitable Anthony Brown and co-creator Hanne Barthol...)

    2015
  • Me and You

    (A small bear goes for a stroll in the park with his paren...)

    2011
  • What If... ?

    (Young worriers will relate to - and be comforted by - thi...)

    2013
  • How Do You Feel?

    (What better feeling than opening a book from Anthony Brow...)

    2011
  • Willy the Champ

    (Anthony Browne’s ever-popular Willy the chimp is back - i...)

    1985
  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

    (A little girl falls down a rabbit hole and discovers a wo...)

    1988
  • Playing the Shape Game

    (A fascinating insight into the life and work of Anthony B...)

    2011
  • Willy and the Cloud

    (A stunning and perceptive story about worry and anxiety, ...)

    2016
  • Willy's Stories

    (Anthony Browne offers a glimpse at ten classic tales with...)

    2014
  • Look What I've Got!

    (A new edition of the master illustrator's story of a show...)

    1980
  • Willy the Wimp

    (Willy the Wimp Willy wouldn't hurt a fly - he even apolog...)

    1984
  • Kirsty Knows Best

    (A child's daydreams turn her ordinary life into a much mo...)

    1987
  • Hide and Seek

    (A game of hide-and-seek in the forest might lead to unexp...)

    2017
  • Little Beauty

    (Once there was a very special gorilla who had almost ever...)

    2008
  • Bear Hunt

    (This story is all about a very clever white bear and his ...)

    1979
  • The Visitors Who Came to Stay

    (Katy lives alone with her dad by the sea and she likes it...)

    1984
  • Willy the Wizard

    (Willy the chimp loves football and dreams of being a star...)

    1995
  • My Brother

    (The boy in this book has a big brother who is good at eve...)

    2007
  • My Mom

    (We first meet Mom over a cup of coffee, clad in a floral ...)

    2005
  • Into the Forest

    (One night a boy is woken by a terrible sound. A storm is ...)

    2004
  • King Kong

    (It was Beauty that killed the Beast. King Kong is a giant...)

    1994
  • Silly Billy

    (Billy is a bit of a worrier. He worries about hats and sh...)

    2006
  • Through the Magic Mirror

    (Toby is fed up. Fed up with books, fed up with toys, fed ...)

    1976
  • Piggybook

    (Mr. Piggott and his sons are a male chauvinist lot who, o...)

    1986
  • A Walk in the Park 1977
  • Bear Goes to Town 1982
  • A Bear-y Tale 1989
  • The Tunnel 1989
  • Changes 1990
  • The big baby: A little joke 1993
  • Play the Shape Game 2011
  • Hansel and Gretel 1981
  • Knock Knock Who's There? 1985
  • The Night Shimmy 1991

Views

Browne uses spare texts and symbolic pictures filled with surrealistic details and humorous visual puns to address serious themes about personal relationships, social conventions, human behavior, and the thin line between perception and reality. His artistic style is a highly individualistic, intensely personal approach that combines fantastic and representational imagery in a precise, meticulous technique. It is noted for its bold, rich colors; use of animals to represent humans, especially gorillas and chimpanzees; and references to popular culture, to literary characters, to his own work, and to artists such as Salvador Dali, Leonardo da Vinci, and Edvard Munch. Browne presents a unique mixture of fantasy and reality in his humorous illustrations, which often address more serious themes about personal relationships and social customs.

As a writer, Browne often uses the formats of the folk-tale, fairy tale, and cautionary tale as the framework for stories that depict humans and anthropomorphic animals who use their imaginations and interior strength to affect their personal situations. Browne's characters face loneliness, neglect, boredom, jealousy, ridicule, and social differences with spirit and resourcefulness, and the author presents his readers with subtle messages about being true to oneself and reaching out to others. Praised for his sensitivity to the needs and concerns of children, Browne has also developed a reputation as a sharp social observer. Several of his books skewer contemporary adult behavior - especially that of males - by showing how foolishness, cruelty, and self-absorption bring out the baseness of our animal natures.

As an artist, Browne uses color and pattern to define the symbolism of his pictures, detailed, hyper-realistic paintings set against white backgrounds. His art is often credited with helping readers to view the world in a new way. In his depiction of the inner nature of things, Browne includes some details that are considered disturbing, a factor for which he has been criticized. In addition, his books are sometimes considered too clever and sophisticated for children. However, most reviewers view Browne as a writer and artist of great talent and singular vision whose works contain emotional depth and foster powerful responses.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• "Browne uses the juxtaposition of the improbable in his pictures to jolt the reader into wide-eyed attention. Most of his books are visually hilarious but their underlying messages about values and personal relationships are serious." - Elaine Moss, Picture Books for Young People

Interests

• reading, music, theater, films

• Artists

  Salvador Dali, Leonardo da Vinci, Edvard Munch

• Sport & Clubs

  rugby, cricket, tennis, squash, swimming

Connections

In 1980, Browne married violin teacher Jane Franklin. The couple has two children, Joseph and Ellen.

Father:

Jack Browne

Mother:

Doris May

Brother:

Michael Browne

Wife:

Jane Franklin

Son:

Joseph Browne

Daughter:

Ellen Browne

employer:

Gordon Fraser

References

• Children's Books and Their Creators The book features seventy-five autobiographical vignettes by such authors as Eric Carle, Beverly Cleary, Lois Lowry, and Maurice Sendak, a reference offers more than eight hundred short articles covering every aspect of children's books, their themes, and their creators.
  1995
• Twentieth-Century Children's Writers
  1989
• Written for Children Written for Children traces the development of children's literature from its origins through the beginnings of the multimedia revolution.
  1996
• Contemporary Authors New Revision Series Vol. 176 Contemporary Authors New Revision Series brings researchers the most recent data on the worlds most-popular authors.
  2008