Anthony Browne
Anthony Browne grew up in Yorkshire, and wanted to be a journalist, a cartoonist, or a boxer. He is now the award-winning author/illustrator of over 30 books, and was Children’s Laureate for 2009-2011.
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Anthony Browne
- He was once asked to present a programme on children’s books, in a cage with some gorillas – but one gorilla bit him badly on the leg. It didn’t put him off them, but, he says “you wouldn’t catch me going into a cage with one again!”
- He thinks the character, Willy, is based on his own childhood.
- When he was a boy, he wanted a real trumpet for his birthday, but he got a toy plastic one instead. He says his book, Gorilla, was partly based on that experience.
- His book The Tunnel was inspired by a very frightening tunnel he and his brother used to go down when they were boys.
- When he was a medical artist, he would often eat his lunch in the mortuary!
