Andrew Thomson – illustratör

His parents may have named him Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but to the rest of the world, he is known as Pele. The now-retired professional soccer forward stunned Brazil when he began playing for the Santos soccer club at age fifteen. He then went on to captivate the world when he joined his country’s national soccer team and helped them win three World Cup championships. Although he’s hailed as a national hero for his accomplishments in soccer, Pele has been an influential person both on and off the pitch. His work with organisations like UNICEF has helped improve conditions for children around the world. Young readers can learn more about the man who connected soccer with the phrase “The Beautiful Game.”

Named Temujin at birth by his nomadic family in early Mongolia, the great Genghis Khan used his skill and cunning to create the Mongol Empire and conquer almost the entire continent of Asia. As ruler of the largest empire in human history, he was as respected as he was feared. Learn more about the man and the legend in Who Was Genghis Khan?

Joan of Arc was born in a small French village during the worst period of the Hundred Years' War. For generations, France had been besieged by the British. At age 11, Joan began to see religious visions telling her to join forces with the King of France. By the time she was a teenager, she was leading troops into battle in the name of her country. Though she was captured and executed for her beliefs, Joan of Arc became a Catholic saint and has since captured the world's imagination.

When Alexander was a boy in ancient Macedon, he already had grand ambitions. He complained that his father, the great king of Macedon, wasn't leaving anything for him to conquer! This, of course, was not the case. King Alexander went on to control most of the known world of the time. His victories won him many supporters but they also earned him enemies. This easy to read biography offers a fascinating look at the life of Alexander and the world he lived in. A series of illustrated biographies for young readers featuring significant historical figures, including artists, scientists, and world leaders.

By age 16, Paul David Hewson was such a good singer that he had earned the nickname “Bono Vox,” a Latin phrase that translates to “good voice.” When he became the frontman of the newly formed rock band U2 in 1976, he adopted part of the nickname and “Bono” was introduced to the world. Today, U2 have sold over 157 million albums and won numerous awards, including 22 Grammys. In addition to having stellar vocals and a compelling stage presence, Bono is also recognized for his commitment to social justice. This book shares the story of this charitable rock star who has been named a “Person of the Year” by TIME magazine and who is recognised as a global icon of goodwill.

Malala Yousafzai was a girl who loved to learn but was told that girls would no longer be allowed to go to school. She wrote a blog that called attention to what was happening in her beautiful corner of Pakistan and realized that words can bring about change. She has continued to speak out for the right of all children to have an education. In 2014 she won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The dynamic story of the Williams sisters, both top-ranked professional tennis players.Venus and Serena Williams are two of the most successful professional American tennis players of all time. Coached at an early age by their parents, the sisters have both gone on to become Grand Slam title winners.  They have both achieved the World Number One ranking in both singles and doubles! Although completely professional and fiercely competitive, the sisters remain close. Who Are Venus and Serena Williams? follows the pair from their early days of training up through the ranks and to the Summer Olympic Games, where they have each won four gold medals—more than any other tennis players.This title in the New York Times best-selling series has eighty illustrations that help bring the exciting story of tennis champs Venus and Serena Williams to life.

Learn how this Emmy-winning host, producer, and television personality became the world's most famous drag queen.RuPaul Andre Charles always knew he was meant to be a performer. Even as a young child, he loved to dress up and imitate the glamorous women he saw on television. When he turned fifteen, he began studying theater in a performing arts school in Atlanta and never looked back. Ru developed his drag-queen personality and launched his career in the 1980s. He now hosts and judges the widely popular and long-running show RuPaul's Drag Race, which has raised the profile of the art of drag, and drag queens around the world.

The What Do We Know About? series explores the mysterious, the unknown, and the unexplained. Are the geometric field patterns fact, myth, or legend?

The What Do We Know About? series explores the mysterious, the unknown, and the unexplained. Is the Loch Ness Monster really lurking beneath Scottish waters, or is it just a myth? Find out all that there is to know about the most famous aquatic cryptid!

The What Do We Know About? series explores the mysterious, the unknown, and the unexplained. Will we ever learn the truth about what actually landed at Roswell?From the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series comes Where Is?, a series that tells the stories of world-famous landmarks and natural wonders and features a fold-out map!In 1947, an unusual object crashed in the New Mexico desert and was recovered by the Roswell Army Airfield officers. People everywhere began to speculate what the object could be. Could it possibly be a flying saucer? Would that be proof of aliens and life beyond Earth? Even decades later, some people still believe that the Roswell Incident is the most famous UFO sighting ever. Still, those who worked at the airfield insist it was just a weather balloon that had fallen from the sky. Was the Roswell Incident evidence of alien life, a government cover-up, or just a myth? Here are the facts about what we do know about Roswell.

Who HQ brings you the stories behind the most well-known characters of our time.Discover the haunting story of the Headless Horseman, his chilling adventures in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and his historical backstory in this addition to the What Is the Story Of? series.Washington Irving published The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1820, introducing the eerie Headless Horseman character to readers worldwide. Readers were both scared and intrigued by the horrific character, who is the ghost of a soldier who had been decapitated during the American Revolution. Now, the character is an American classic, featured in movies, television shows, cartoons, comic books, and even video games, thanks to his chilling story of a lone horseman seeking revenge. Perfect for Halloween, but an enduring year-round favorite, the Headless Horseman rides forward in this exciting new nonfiction title.

Learn about the life of one of today's most popular musicians in this Who HQ Now biography about Harry Styles and his exciting career from One Direction to his Grammy-winning solo performances.

Read about American snowboarder Shaun White and his epic career in this exciting addition to the Who Was? series.

Learn about the life and legacy of American skateboard legend Tony Hawk and what makes him one of the most celebrated skateboarders of all time!

Zombies - the undead - have long been a subject of fascination. But can the dead really be brought back to life?When explorer William Seabrook first recorded details of his travels in Haiti in 1929, he explained witnessing undead people working in the sugarcane fields there. He also wrote about Haitian stories that explained zombies as undead people who had been forced into labor.Since then, zombie lore has expanded and changed based on location and culture, and zombies have become a hot topic in Hollywood and popular media. They gained widespread Western interest when the movie Night of the Living Dead premiered in 1968. In this book, readers will learn about the folklore of zombies and all manner of the living dead, including how zombies continue to strike fear into the hearts of countless people.

Today, Vera Wang is one of the most famous fashion designers in the world. But did you know that she didn't start designing until she was thirty-eight years old? Before she got her start in fashion, Vera was first a little girl who dreamed of being an Olympic ice skater. Then, she was an editor for Vogue magazine where she worked for seventeen years. It wasn't until the age of forty that Vera began designing her own line of wedding gowns. Now, she is a beloved designer who dresses some of the most famous people in the world for their weddings and red carpet appearances. Learn her story in this perfect nonfiction book for young readers interested in fashion.