Tomi Ungerer (1931-2019) is a legend in the world of children’s books. Born in Strasbourg in 1931, Tomi landed in New York in 1956 with $60 in his pocket and with a suitcase full of drawings. Overnight he became a star as a caricaturist, illustrator, and children’s book author. He published more than 140 books for children and for adults in his prolific life. Tomi is a winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest achievable international award for children’s literature, and was named Ambassador for Childhood and Education by the Council of Europe in 2003. The Musée Tomi Ungerer, a museum devoted exclusively to his work, opened in 2007 in Strasbourg, France. Tomi died in 2019 but up until his death he continued to create new art every day, and write stories in three languages – English, French, and German!

'It's marvellous and it's cuckoo and it's that kind of veracity that's always made for good children's literature.' – Maurice Sendak on Tomi Ungerer's work'Tomi Ungerer has been proving the pen is mightier than the sword for six decades – [a] style marked by great originality of illustrative technique, and a use of language that refused to patronise his young readers.' – Dazed & Confused

Tomi Ungerer (1931-2019) is a legend in the world of children’s books. Born in Strasbourg in 1931, Tomi landed in New York in 1956 with $60 in his pocket and with a suitcase full of drawings. Overnight he became a star as a caricaturist, illustrator, and children’s book author. He published more than 140 books for children and for adults in his prolific life. Tomi is a winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest achievable international award for children’s literature, and was named Ambassador for Childhood and Education by the Council of Europe in 2003. The Musée Tomi Ungerer, a museum devoted exclusively to his work, opened in 2007 in Strasbourg, France. Tomi died in 2019 but up until his death he continued to create new art every day, and write stories in three languages – English, French, and German!

'It's marvellous and it's cuckoo and it's that kind of veracity that's always made for good children's literature.' – Maurice Sendak on Tomi Ungerer's work'Tomi Ungerer has been proving the pen is mightier than the sword for six decades – [a] style marked by great originality of illustrative technique, and a use of language that refused to patronise his young readers.' – Dazed & Confused