Photo of Axel Scheffler

Axel Scheffler

Axel Scheffler was born in 1957 in Hamburg, Germany. At school, although always good at art, he never really considered a career in illustration. But long before he began his professional life, he had won his first drawing prize for an international chocolate company – his prize was a cuddly lilac cow.

Axel went on from school to study History of Art at the University of Hamburg – but he didn’t like the course and decided to leave. Knowing that he wanted to live in another country and learn a second language, he moved to England to study illustration at the Bath Academy of Art.

After graduating with a first class degree, Axel moved to London where he began illustrating for a variety of English and German advertising companies, magazines and newspapers. He took his portfolio to a number of publishers and Faber commissioned him to illustrate The Piemakers by Helen Cresswell and The Bottle Rabbit by Bernard McCabe. In 1989, Walker asked Axel to illustrate a text by Jon Blake, You’re a Hero, Daley B.

A writer called Julia Donaldson was also writing songs for Playdays at this time and her song A Squash and a Squeeze was commissioned to be a picture book. Axel Scheffler was recommended as an illustrator for the text and an award-winning team was created.

Their next book, The Gruffalo, was published in March 1999 and has already become a modern classic, selling more than 2 million copies worldwide and translated into over 20 languages. Axel also continues to illustrate for other authors as well, including Ian Whybrow and David Henry Wilson.

Axel has achieved worldwide acclaim for his humorous illustrations, and his books have been translated into over 29 languages. He has enjoyed particular success in his award-winning picture book collaborations with Julia Donaldson, but is also the best-selling illustrator of novelty books such as The Bedtime Bear. In 2006 he was been called upon to design Gordon Brown’s annual Christmas card!

Still living in London, Axel makes frequent visits to continental Europe. His hobbies include walking, cooking and reading and beadwork.

Books by Axel Scheffler

  • A Squash and a Squeeze

    A Squash and a Squeeze

  • A Squash and a Squeeze

    A Squash and a Squeeze

  • A Squash and a Squeeze

    A Squash and a Squeeze

  • Axel Scheffler's On the Farm

    Axel Scheffler's On the Farm

  • Bella Beetroot - The Rebel Princess

    Bella Beetroot - The Rebel Princess

  • Charlie Cook's Favourite Book

    Charlie Cook's Favourite Book

  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears

    Goldilocks and the Three Bears

  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears

    Goldilocks and the Three Bears

  • Gruffalo Explorers: The Gruffalo - Autumn Nature Trail

    Gruffalo Explorers: The Gruffalo - Autumn Nature Trail

  • Gruffalo Explorers: The Gruffalo Spring Nature Trail

    Gruffalo Explorers: The Gruffalo Spring Nature Trail

  • Gruffalo, What Can You See? Buggy Book

    Gruffalo, What Can You See? Buggy Book

  • Happy Bunnies

    Happy Bunnies

  • Hello Gruffalo! Buggy Book

    Hello Gruffalo! Buggy Book

  • In the Jungle

    In the Jungle

  • Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler Reward Chart

    Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler Reward Chart

  • Kind

    Kind

  • Let's Find Smeds and Smoos

    Let's Find Smeds and Smoos

  • Let's Find Stick Man

    Let's Find Stick Man

  • Let's Find Superworm

    Let's Find Superworm

  • Let's Find Tabby McTat

    Let's Find Tabby McTat

  • Let's Find Tiddler (Felt flap Novelty CBB)

    Let's Find Tiddler (Felt flap Novelty CBB)

  • Let's Find Zog

    Let's Find Zog

  • Let's Read! Room on the Broom

    Let's Read! Room on the Broom

  • Let's Read! The Gruffalo

    Let's Read! The Gruffalo

  • Let's Read! The Snail and the Whale

    Let's Read! The Snail and the Whale

  • Monkey Puzzle

    Monkey Puzzle

  • Monkey Puzzle

    Monkey Puzzle

  • My First Gruffalo: Can You Count? Jigsaw Book

    My First Gruffalo: Can You Count? Jigsaw Book

  • My First Gruffalo: Can You See? Jigsaw Book

    My First Gruffalo: Can You See? Jigsaw Book

  • My First Gruffalo: Colours

    My First Gruffalo: Colours

  • My First Gruffalo: Little Library

    My First Gruffalo: Little Library

  • My First Gruffalo: Numbers

    My First Gruffalo: Numbers

  • Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

    Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

  • Pip and Posy: The Little Puddle

    Pip and Posy: The Little Puddle

  • Pip and Posy: The Scary Monster

    Pip and Posy: The Scary Monster

  • Pip and Posy: The Super Scooter

    Pip and Posy: The Super Scooter

  • Pip the Puppy

    Pip the Puppy

  • Roar with Zog

    Roar with Zog

  • Room on the Broom

    Room on the Broom

  • Room on the Broom

    Room on the Broom

  • Room on the Broom (Board Book)

    Room on the Broom (Board Book)

  • Room on the Broom: Book and CD

    Room on the Broom: Book and CD

  • Stick Man

    Stick Man

  • Stick Man

    Stick Man

  • Stick Man

    Stick Man

  • Stick Man

    Stick Man

  • Stick Man: A flip-the-flap book

    Stick Man: A flip-the-flap book

  • Stick Man (Board Book)

    Stick Man (Board Book)

  • Stick Man (Board Book)

    Stick Man (Board Book)

  • Stick Man (Board Book)

    Stick Man (Board Book)

  • Stick Man (Early Reader)

    Stick Man (Early Reader)

  • Stick Man’s First Words

    Stick Man’s First Words

  • Stick Man with FREE Mini Stick Man Activity and Puzzle Book

    Stick Man with FREE Mini Stick Man Activity and Puzzle Book

  • Stick Man with FREE Zog Mini Edition

    Stick Man with FREE Zog Mini Edition

  • Superworm

    Superworm

  • Superworm

    Superworm

  • Superworm

    Superworm

  • Superworm (Anniversary foiled edition)

    Superworm (Anniversary foiled edition)

  • Superworm (Board Book)

    Superworm (Board Book)

  • Superworm (Early Reader)

    Superworm (Early Reader)

  • Superworm Finger Puppet Book

    Superworm Finger Puppet Book

  • Superworm Gift Edition Board Book

    Superworm Gift Edition Board Book

  • Tabby McTat

    Tabby McTat

  • Tabby McTat

    Tabby McTat

  • Tabby McTat

    Tabby McTat

  • Tabby McTat

    Tabby McTat

  • Tabby McTat (Board Book)

    Tabby McTat (Board Book)

  • Tabby McTat (Board Book)

    Tabby McTat (Board Book)

  • Tabby McTat (Early Reader)

    Tabby McTat (Early Reader)

  • Tabby McTat Foiled Edition

    Tabby McTat Foiled Edition

  • Tales from Acorn Wood: Colours

    Tales from Acorn Wood: Colours

  • Tales from Acorn Wood: Counting

    Tales from Acorn Wood: Counting

  • Tales from Acorn Wood: Fox's Socks

    Tales from Acorn Wood: Fox's Socks

  • Tales from Acorn Wood: Fox’s Socks

    Tales from Acorn Wood: Fox’s Socks

  • Tales from Acorn Wood: Postman Bear

    Tales from Acorn Wood: Postman Bear

  • Tales from Acorn Wood: Postman Bear

    Tales from Acorn Wood: Postman Bear

  • Tales from Acorn Wood: Rabbit's Nap

    Tales from Acorn Wood: Rabbit's Nap

  • Tales from Acorn Wood: Rabbit's Nap

    Tales from Acorn Wood: Rabbit's Nap

  • The Baddies

    The Baddies

  • The Baddies

    The Baddies

  • The Christmas Bear

    The Christmas Bear

  • The Dog and the Chicken Thief

    The Dog and the Chicken Thief

  • The Gruffalo

    The Gruffalo

  • The Gruffalo

  • The Gruffalo Activity Book

    The Gruffalo Activity Book

  • The Gruffalo (Board Book)

    The Gruffalo (Board Book)

  • The Gruffalo (Board Book)

    The Gruffalo (Board Book)

  • The Gruffalo Book and CD

    The Gruffalo Book and CD

  • The Gruffalo's Child

    The Gruffalo's Child

  • The Gruffalo's Child

    The Gruffalo's Child

  • The Gruffalo's Child (Board Book)

    The Gruffalo's Child (Board Book)

  • The Gruffalo’s Child: Book and CD

    The Gruffalo’s Child: Book and CD

  • The Gruffalo's Child Magnet Book

    The Gruffalo's Child Magnet Book

  • The Gruffalo with FREE The Gruffalo's Child Mini Edition

    The Gruffalo with FREE The Gruffalo's Child Mini Edition

  • The Grunts All at Sea

    The Grunts All at Sea

  • The Grunts in Trouble

    The Grunts in Trouble

  • The Highway Rat

    The Highway Rat

  • The Highway Rat

    The Highway Rat

  • The Highway Rat

    The Highway Rat

  • The Highway Rat Activity Book

    The Highway Rat Activity Book

  • The Highway Rat (Board Book)

    The Highway Rat (Board Book)

  • The Highway Rat: Book and CD

    The Highway Rat: Book and CD

  • The Highway Rat Christmas

    The Highway Rat Christmas

  • The Highway Rat (Early Reader)

    The Highway Rat (Early Reader)

  • The Highway Rat (Hardback)

    The Highway Rat (Hardback)

  • The Highway Rat Sticker Activity Book

    The Highway Rat Sticker Activity Book

  • The Highway Rat with FREE The Highway Rat Mini Activity Book

    The Highway Rat with FREE The Highway Rat Mini Activity Book

  • The Pirate Blackbird

    The Pirate Blackbird

  • The Scarecrows' Wedding

    The Scarecrows' Wedding

  • The Scarecrows' Wedding

    The Scarecrows' Wedding

  • The Scarecrows' Wedding

    The Scarecrows' Wedding

  • The Scarecrows' Wedding 10th Anniversary Edition

    The Scarecrows' Wedding 10th Anniversary Edition

  • The Scarecrows' Wedding (Board Book)

    The Scarecrows' Wedding (Board Book)

  • The Scarecrows' Wedding (Early Reader)

    The Scarecrows' Wedding (Early Reader)

  • The Smartest Giant in Town

    The Smartest Giant in Town

  • The Smartest Giant in Town

    The Smartest Giant in Town

  • The Smartest Giant in Town (15th Anniversary Edition)

    The Smartest Giant in Town (15th Anniversary Edition)

  • The Smeds and the Smoos

    The Smeds and the Smoos

  • The Smeds and the Smoos

    The Smeds and the Smoos

  • The Smeds and the Smoos

    The Smeds and the Smoos

  • The Smeds and the Smoos Early Reader

    The Smeds and the Smoos Early Reader

  • The Snail and the Whale

    The Snail and the Whale

  • The Snail and the Whale

    The Snail and the Whale

  • The Stick Man Activity Book

    The Stick Man Activity Book

  • The Stick Man Sticker Activity Book

    The Stick Man Sticker Activity Book

  • The Superworm Sticker Activity Book

    The Superworm Sticker Activity Book

  • The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf

    The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf

  • The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf

    The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf

  • The Tiddler Activity Book

    The Tiddler Activity Book

  • The Tiddler Sticker Activity Book

    The Tiddler Sticker Activity Book

  • The Ugly Five

    The Ugly Five

  • The Ugly Five

    The Ugly Five

  • The Ugly Five (Board Book)

    The Ugly Five (Board Book)

  • The Ugly Five Early Reader

    The Ugly Five Early Reader

  • The Zog Activity Book

    The Zog Activity Book

  • The Zog Puppet Book

    The Zog Puppet Book

  • The Zog Sticker Activity Book

    The Zog Sticker Activity Book

  • Three Tales from Acorn Wood Box Set

    Three Tales from Acorn Wood Box Set

  • Tiddler

    Tiddler

  • Tiddler

    Tiddler

  • Tiddler

    Tiddler

  • Tiddler (Board Book)

    Tiddler (Board Book)

  • Tiddler (Board Book)

    Tiddler (Board Book)

  • Tiddler: Book and CD

    Tiddler: Book and CD

  • Tiddler (Early Reader)

    Tiddler (Early Reader)

  • Zog

    Zog

  • Zog

    Zog

  • Zog

    Zog

  • Zog

    Zog

  • Zog and the Flying Doctors

    Zog and the Flying Doctors

  • Zog and the Flying Doctors (Early Reader)

    Zog and the Flying Doctors (Early Reader)

  • Zog and the Flying Doctors Gift edition board book

    Zog and the Flying Doctors Gift edition board book

  • Zog and the Flying Doctors (Hardback)

    Zog and the Flying Doctors (Hardback)

  • Zog (Board Book)

    Zog (Board Book)

  • Zog (Board Book)

    Zog (Board Book)

  • Zog: Book and CD

    Zog: Book and CD

  • Zog (Early Reader)

    Zog (Early Reader)

  • Zog (Hardback)

    Zog (Hardback)

Awards

Axel has won many of the major book prizes, including the Smarties and Bluue Peter Awards for The Gruffalo, the Blue Peter and Sheffield Children’s Book Prizes for Room on the Broom, the British Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year for The Gruffalo’s Child and the Red House Award for Super Worm.