QUENTIN BLAKE



English author and illustrator (1932)

Biography:


Quentin Blake was born in Sidcup, Kent, in 1932. He studied English at Cambridge University and Fine Arts at Chelsea Art School. He has been a teacher and has collaborated with many magazines. Quentin Blake has become one of the best-known author and illustrator for children's books. He has mainly illustrated Roald Dahl's and John Yeoman's books and has released some films for children on BBC television. He has been the manager of Illustration departement in Royal College of Art in London.


Quentin Blake, author of illustrated works:



Danse, danse !, Gallimard, 1984. Gertrude, a sailor's widow, wants to drown herself. But she finds a dancing frog, which becomes well-known and Gertrude lives as its manager.
Margot et Zoé, Hatier, 1988.
Les cacatoès, Gallimard, 1994.
Le bateau vert, Gallimard, 1998.
Zangazou, Gallimard, 1999. Life is disconcerting for the parents of a baby who every day becomes either a thief-vulture, a demolishing elepahnt or an angry dragon.
Armeline et la grosse vague, Gallimard, Folio benjamin, 1999. Armeline and her dog go to the beach evry day. They love big waves, but they seem to never come. Holydays, the sea, deserted island and humour.
Mimi Artichaut, Gallimard, 1999.
Armeline Fourchedrue, Gallimard, 2000.



Works illustrated by Quentin Blake:


Roald Dahl, L'Enorme crocodile, Gallimard, 1978, rééd. 1993.
John Yeoman, Le petit cheval de cirque, Dupuis, 1978.
John Yeoman, La révolte des lavandières, Gallimard, 1980.
Charles Perrault, Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, Gallimard, 1982.
Michael Rosen, Tu ne m'auras pas, André Deutsch, 1982.
Joan Aiken, Arabelle en croisière, Nathan, 1983, col. Arc-en-poche, n°150.
Roald Dahl, Les deux gredins, Gallimard, 1983.
John Yeoman, La Farandole de Firmin, Père Castor-Flammarion, 1984.
Helen Young, Plus de gym pour Danny, Castor Poche-Flammarion, 1984.
Roald Dahl, La Potion magique de Georges Bouillon, 1988.
John Yeoman, Un ours en hiver, Hatier, 1988.
John Yeoman, Le pique-nique de l'ours, Hatier, 1988.
John Yeoman, A la six-quatre-deux, Gallimard, 1989.
Roald Dahl, Un amour de tortue, Gallimard, 1990, coll. Folio Cadet, n°232. A gentlemen blindly loves his neighbour, but she gives all her love to Alfred, her turtle.
Roald Dahl, Le Bon Gros Géant, Gallimard, 1990.
Hilaire Belloc, Philibert, Gallimard, 1991.
Roald Dahl, Le Rétrovicaire de Nibbleswicke, Gallimard, 1992.
John Yeoman, Le chat ne sachant pas chasse, Gallimard, 1992.
Jacqueline Balcells, Un pirate dans la ville, Bayard, 1993.
John Yeoman, Les Poules, Gallimard, 1993.
Margaret Mahy, Le grand charivari, Gallimard, 1994.
Joan Aiken, Le bois des ombres, Gallimard, 1995.
Roald Dahl, Matilda, Gallimard, 1996.
Joan Aiken, Le corbeau d'Arabelle, Pocket, 1997.
Marie Nimier, Une mémoire d'éléphant, Gallimard, 1998.
John Yeoman, Allez les oiseaux, Gallimard, 1998.
John Yeoman, La maison que Jack a bâtie, Gallimard, 1998.
Roald Dahl, Fantastique Maître Renard, Gallimard, 1998.
John Yeoman, Monsieur Fernand et Mademoiselle Estelle, Gallimard, 1999.
John Yeoman, L'alligator et le chacal et autres contes du monde entier, Gallimard, 1999.
Roald Dahl, Matilda, Gallimard, 1999.
John Yeoman, Allez les oiseaux, Gallimard, 1999
John Yeoman, Le coyotte et les corbeaux et autres contes d'animaux, Gallimard, 2000.



Critical analysis on Quentin Blake:


Quentin Blake, "Wild Washerwomen, Hired Sportsmen, and Enormous Crocodiles.", Horn Book 57, octobre 1981, pp.505-513.
Elaine Moss, "Quentin Blake.", Signal 16, janvier 1975, pp.33-39.


Award at the Internation Fair of Bologne, 1995.

Quentin Blake's name as illustrator will always be related to Roald Dahl. He illustrated many other English writers, but it is mainly in Dahl's "extravagant" tales that you can fully apreciate the complicity between writer and illustrator and how both were meant to conquer children's heart, never minding their nationality.

Janine Despinette