Axel Scheffler

Axel Scheffler (born 1957 in Hamburg) is a German illustrator. He initially studied art history in Hamburg and then graphic design at the Bath Academy of Art in England. He became internationally known especially for his collaborations with author Julia Donaldson. Their picture book The Gruffalo (1999) became a worldwide classic. Scheffler has illustrated more than one hundred picture books and created, among others, the Pip and Posy series and characters such as The Giant Rick, Freddy the Frog, and the Smeds and the Smoos.