Chris Riddell

Chris Riddell (born 13 April 1962) is a South African-born English illustrator and occasional writer of children's books and a political cartoonist for the Observer. He has won three Kate Greenaway Medalsthe British librarians' annual award for the best-illustrated children's book,

Life Chris Riddell was born in 1962 in Cape Town, South Africa, where his father was a "liberal Anglican vicar" Daughter Katy Riddell is also a children's book illustrator, including of Pongwiffy by Kaye Umansky.

His brother Rick Riddell, a secondary teacher at the Alice Smith School, died in February 2012.

Career The Edge Chronicles Some of Riddell's most celebrated work are The Edge Chronicles (1998), a children's book series co-written with Paul Stewart and illustrated by Riddell. Set in the fictional world known as "The Edge", the books have been praised for Riddell's beautifully detailed line drawings and the unique nature of their collaborative writing process.

Other works For his illustrations, Riddell was a commended runner-up for the 1994 Kate Greenaway Medal (Something Else by Kathryn Cave) and highly commended for 1999 (Castle Diary by Richard Platt).

Selected works

As author and illustrator

Ben and the Bear (1986) Mr Underbed (1986) Bird's New Shoes (1987) The Fibbs (1987) The Trouble With Elephants (1988) The Wish Factory (1988) When the Walrus Comes (1989) The Bear Dance (1990) The Wonderful World of Zoom (1995) Puzzle Boy (1996) My Busy Book (1998) Tribal Politics (1999) The Da Vinci Cod (2005) The Emperor of Absurdia (2006) Wendel's Workshop (2007) Chris Riddell's Doodle-a-Day (2015) 100 Hugs (2017) Travels with My Sketchbook (2017) Once Upon A Wild Wood (2018) Timorous Beasts (2021) A Mermaid's Diary (2025) The World of Mr. Munroe (2025) A Mermaid's Rescue (2026) A Mermaid's Treasure Hunt (2027) Humphrey: Humphrey the Hippo (1986) Humphrey of the Rovers (1986) Humphrey Goes to the Ball (1986) Humphrey's New Trousers (1986) Platypus: Platypus (2001) Platypus and the Lucky Day (2002) Platypus and the Birthday Party (2003) Ottoline: Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (2007) Ottoline Goes to School (2008) Ottoline at Sea (2010) Ottoline and the Purple Fox (2016) Alienography: Alienography or How to spot an alien and what to do about it (2010) Alienography – Tips for Tiny Tyrants (2012) Goth Girl: Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse (2013) Goth Girl and the Fete Worse than Death (2014) Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright (2015) Goth Girl and the Pirate Queen (2015 World Book Day edition) Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony (2017) The Sleep Of Reason: The Sleep Of Reason Volume I (2019) The Sleep Of Reason Volume II (2020) The Sleep Of Reason Volume III (2021) The Cloud Horse Chronicles: Guardians of Magic (2019) Tiggy Thistle and the Lost Guardians (2022) Five Years... A Sketchbook of Political Drawings: Five Years... A Sketchbook of Political Drawings - Volume I 2020 (2021) Five Years... A Sketchbook of Political Drawings - Volume II 2021 (2022) Five Years... A Sketchbook of Political Drawings - Volume III 2022 (2023) Five Years... A Sketchbook of Political Drawings - Volume IV 2023 (2024) Five Years... A Sketchbook of Political Drawings - Volume V 2024 (2025)

As illustrator Riddell has collaborated with Paul Stewart on dozens of books, including the Edge Chronicles series. He has also illustrated several books written by each of five other authors.

written by other authors

The Mystery of Silver Mountain (1984) Beware, Princess! (1986) Love Forty (1986) Dreamboat Brontosaurus (1987) Gruesome Giants (1987) The Magician's Cat (1987) Beyond the Rolling River (1988) Dracula's Daughter (1988) Moon Whales (1988) Peter Pan (1988), an edition of the 1911 J. M. Barrie classic Treasure Island (1988), an edition of the 1883 R. L. Stevenson classic The Pirates of Pudding Beach (1989) Manifold Manor (1989) You're Thinking About Doughnuts (1989) Ffangs the Vampire Bat and the Kiss of Truth (1990) The Prism Tree (1990) Lizzie Dripping and the Witch (1991) Patrick in Person (1991) Best Enemies (1992) The Thing in the Sink (1992) An Armful of Bears (1993) A Trunkful of Elephants (1994) Rent-a-Friend (1994) Say Hello to the Buffalo (1994) The Iron Wolf (1995) Angus Rides the Goods Train (1996) Brilliant Minds (1996) Buddhism for Sheep (1996) Feng Shui for Cats (1997) Feng Shui for Dogs (1997) The Castle of Inside Out (1997) The Swan's Stories (1997) The Tall Story (1997) Until I Met Dudley (1997) Buddhism for Bears (1998) Buster's Diaries (1998) Management for Martians (1998) Stories for Me! (1998) Castle Diary (1999), by Richard Platt The Tao for Babies (2000) Pirate Diary (2001), by Richard Platt The Rabbits' Rebellion (2001) Three Scary Stories (2001) Hairy Bill (2002) Un Italiano in America (2003) Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver" (2004), Gullivers Travels (1726) adapted by Martin Jenkins Politics Cutting Through the Crap (2006) Don Quixote (2010), Don Quixote (1605) adapted by Martin Jenkins Just So Stories (2013), an edition of the 1902 Rudyard Kipling classic The Pied Piper of Hamelin (2014), by Russell Brand The Box of Demons (2015), by Daniel Whelan Things You Find in a Poet's Beard (2015), by A. F. Harrold Island (2015), by Nicky Singer My Little Book of Big Freedoms (2015) The Hunting of the Snark (2016), an illustrated edition of The Hunting of the Snark (1876) by Lewis Carroll The Castle of Inside Out (2016), by David Henry Wilson The Lie Tree (2016), by Frances Hardinge I Killed Father Christmas (2017), by Anthony McGowan How To Stop Time (2017), by Matt Haig A Kid in My Class (2018), by Rachel Rooney Poems to Live Your Life By (2018) The Tales of Beedle The Bard (2018), by J.K. Rowling Poems to Fall in Love With (2019) The Greenhill Dictionary of Military Quotations (2020), edited by Peter G. Tsouras Poems to Save the World With (2020) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (2020), an illustrated edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll DOCTOR WHO: Adventures in Lockdown (2020), by Chris Chibnall, Paul Cornell, Russell T Davies, Neil Gaiman, Mark Gatiss, Pete McTighe, Steven Moffat, Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2021), by Douglas Adams Indigo Takes Flight (2021), by Krista M. Lambert Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (2021), an illustrated edition of Through the Looking-Glass (1871) by Lewis Carroll Booklet for the vinyl releases of Punisher (album) by Phoebe Bridgers Arthur: The Always King (2021), by Kevin Crossley-Holland The Big Amazing Poetry Book (2022) We Wish You A Merry Christmas and other festive poems (2022) A Passing On of Shells: 50 Fifty-Word Poems (2023), by Simon Lamb The Little Prince (2023), an illustrated edition of The Little Prince (1943) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (2023), by Douglas Adams Gods and Monsters - Mythological Poems (2023), by Ana Sampson Mothtown (2023), by Caroline Hardaker Heroes and Villains: Poems About Legends (2024), by Ana Sampson King Alfred and the Ice Coffin (2024), by Kevin Crossley-Holland Fresh (2026), by Rhiannon Oliver I Will Haunt This (2026), by Viviane Schwarz

written by Paul Stewart The Edge Chronicles: Beyond the Deepwoods (1998) Stormchaser (1999) Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (2000) Cloud Wolf (2001) - Side story The Curse of the Gloamglozer (2001) The Last of the Sky Pirates (2002) Vox (2003) Freeglader (2004) The Edge Chronicles Maps (2004) The Winter Knights (2005) The Stone Pilot (2006) - Side story Clash of the Sky Galleons (2006) The Lost Barkscrolls (2006) The Immortals (2009) The Nameless One (2014) Doombringer (2015) The Descenders (2019) Rabbit and Hedgehog Stories: A Little Bit of Winter (1998) The Birthday Presents (1999) Rabbit's Wish (2001) What Do You Remember? (2002) The Blobheads: Invasion of the Blobs (February 2000) Talking Toasters (February 2000) School Stinks (March 2000) Beware of the Babysitter (April 2000) Garglejuice (May 2000) Silly Billy (June 2000) Naughty Gnomes (July 2000) Purple Alert! (August 2000) Muddle Earth: Book 1: Muddle Earth (2003) Muddle Earth Book/Section 1: Engelbert the Enormous Muddle Earth Book/Section 2: Here be Dragons Muddle Earth Book/Section 3: Doctor Cuddles of Giggle Glade Book 2: Muddle Earth Too (2011) Muddle Earth Too Book/Section 1: Down with Stinkyhogs Muddle Earth Too Book/Section 2: Pesticide the Flower Fairy Muddle Earth Too Book/Section 3: Trouble with Big Sisters Free Lance: Free Lance and the Lake of Skulls (2003) Free Lance and the Field of Blood (2004) Free Lance and the Dragon's Hoard (2005) Far-Flung Adventures: Fergus Crane (2004) Corby Flood (2005) Hugo Pepper (2006) Barnaby Grimes: Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Nightwolf (2007) Barnaby Grimes: Return of the Emerald Skull (2008) Barnaby Grimes: Legion of the Dead (2008) Barnaby Grimes: Phantom of Blood Alley (2009) Wyrmeweald Trilogy: Wyrmeweald Book 1: Returner's Wealth (2010) Wyrmeweald Book 2: Bloodhoney (2012) Wyrmeweald Book 3: The Bone Trail (2013) Scavenger Series: Scavenger: Zoid (2014) Scavenger: Chaos Zone (2015) Scavenger: Mind Warp (2016)

written by Andrew William Gibson Ellis and the Hummick (1989) The Abradizil (1990) Jemima, Grandma and the Great Lost Zone (1991) The Rollickers and Other Stories (1992) The Amazing Witherspoon's Amazing Circus Crew (1993) Chegwith Skillet Escapes (1995)

written by Kathryn Cave Henry Hobbs, Alien (1990) Out for the Count (1991) Andrew Takes the Plunge (1994) Something Else (1994) - UNESCO prize, 1997 Jumble (1995) The Emperor's Gruckle Hound (1996) Horatio Happened (1998) William and the Wolves (1999) Septimus Similon, Practising Wizard (2000) Henry Hobbs, Space Voyager (2001) Henry Hobbs and the Lost Planet (2002)

written by Philip Ridley Kasper in the Glitter (1994) Meteorite Spoon (1994) Dakota of the White Flats (1995) Mercedes Ice (1995) Dreamboat Zing (1996) Scribbleboy (1997) ZinderZunder (1998)

written by Brian Patten Beowulf and the Monster (1999) Juggling With Gerbils (2000) The Story Giant (2002) Gargling With Jelly (2003) Thawing Frozen Frogs (2003) The Utter Nutters (2007)

written by Neil Gaiman The Graveyard Book (2008) The Sleeper and the Spindle (2013) - Kate Greenaway Medal winner, 2016 Fortunately, the Milk... (2013) Coraline (2013) Odd and the Frost Giants (2016) Neverwhere (2017) Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change The World (2018) Pirate Stew (2020) What You Need to Be Warm (2023)

written by Michael Rosen A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young (2015) Many Different Kinds of Love (2021) Michael Rosen's Pocket Shakespeare (2025)

written by Francesca Gibbons A Clock of Stars: A Clock of Stars: The Shadow Moth (2020) A Clock of Stars: Beyond the Mountains (2021) A Clock of Stars: The Greatest Kingdom (2022)

Awards and recognitions Some of these awards and related honours may have recognised the writers of books Riddell illustrated. The three Greenaway Medals, two commendations, and three shortlists recognised Riddell as illustrator.

Awards 1997 Something Else, written by Kathryn Cave, won the UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance. Later in a TV in 13.9.2001. (ages 3-6). 2001 Pirate Diary, written by Richard Platt, won the Kate Greenaway Medal. 2013 Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse won the Costa Book Awards (Children's category). 2016 The Sleeper and the Spindle, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Riddell, won the Kate Greenaway Medal. This made him become the first ever triple winner of the award. 2019 Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to illustration and charity. 2026 Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL). Runners-up, etc. 1994 Something Else by Cave was commended for the Greenaway Medal. 2010 The Graveyard Book, written by Neil Gaiman, made the Greenaway shortlist in its Children's Edition illustrated by Riddell.