‘Michael Foreman has a flair for turning a book into a special occasion.’
Quentin Blake
‘One of the most gifted and versatile artists at work today.’
Publishers Weekly
Michael Foreman was born in Suffolk in 1938, and studied at Lowestoft School of Art, St Martin’s, London, and the Royal College of Art, where he won a scholarship to the USA in 1963. He has worked as an Art Director at Playboy and King magazines and still works as Art Editor of the literary journal Ambit. He has also made animated films in Scandinavia and for the BBC.
His first book, THE GENERAL , (a picture book published in 1961), dealt with disarmament and received rave reviews. Since then he has illustrated more than thirty of his own books and over a hundred by authors as varied as Shakespeare, J.M. Barrie, the Brothers Grimm and former Python, Terry Jones.
He has established a reputation as one of the world’s leading illustrators and has won numerous prizes including the Smarties Prize, the Kate Greenaway Medal (twice), the Francis Williams Prize (twice) and the Aigle d’Argent at the Festival International du Livre in France.
Michael has travelled widely - to Africa, Japan, the Arctic Circle, China and Malaysia, the Himalayas and Siberia, following in the footsteps of Marco Polo, sketching and collecting ideas for stories all the time. He travelled around New Zealand with Kiri Te Kanawa for their collaboration, Land of the Long White Cloud, a collection of Maori legends.
Michael is married and has three sons. He spends most of his time in London, but regularly visits St Ives, Cornwall, where he owns the painter Ben Nicholson’s old house.
Michael’s picture book for Andersen, PETER'S PLACE , deals with environmental issues and was shortlisted for the 1995 Smarties Prize. SEAL SURFER was shortlisted for the 1996 National Association for Special Educational Needs Award, and highly commended by the judges.
Michael's Links
Michael's Books
When Granny leaves her umbrella behind, Mum asks Milo to take it to her. Along the way, Milo encounters pirates, dinosaurs and aliens as he is swept into a rather unexpected and truly amazing adventure...
Jack's grandfather tells tales so tall that the other children say they must be made up. Jack thinks they are too, until the night Grandfather takes him on an incredible trip in his boat - and then Jack doesn't know what to believe...
0. Dinosaur Time - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781849390477) It all started with the new egg timer. It was round, looked like a spaceship and it was magnetic. Tom pressed the blue button and, with a Whizz! and a Bang! he was transported across a zillion days and a zillion nights, back into Dinosaur Time!
0. Superfrog - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781849392198) 0. Cat in the Manger - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842709665) A long time ago, in a faraway land, a cat lived in a barn. Of course, he had to share it with all the other animals: cows and goats, chickens and...mice! Then, one wintry night, the door flew open and in came a man and a woman on a donkey, to take shelter from the snow...
0. Snow Goalie - Paperback
£4.99 by Sophie Smiley
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781849390538) Charlie and her brothers are in the final of the local five-a-side tournament, and they need to practise hard. But when it snows heavily overnight, their plans soon change. Charlie's brother, Bobby, is marooned in the snow and she must attempt a daring adventure to rescue him. But with the team reunited once more, how will they manage to play on the frozen pitch, never mind win the game?
0. Wonder Goal! - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842709344) Like many children all over the world, a small boy dreams of winning the World Cup! But in the meantime, scoring the perfect, time-stopping goal would be just fine. And once you’ve done that, who knows what the future might hold?
0. Pup on the Pitch - Paperback
£4.99 by Sophie Smiley
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842708835) Bobby's football team mascot is a dog, and Bobby wants one too. He dreams of a cuddly puppy who will join him as a defender on the pitch. But when a dog arrives next door, his love of dogs turns to terror. Can he overcome his fear? Will he be able to help his sister, Charlie, in her cup final, and even take on the local bully?
A touching story about a little boy who lives on his own with his working mother. Whenever he is naughty, his mother threatens him with Mrs Cole, who appears to be a disreputable character living nearby in total squalor. He imagines children being starved, whipped and even stewed. Then one day he runs away from home and despite his fears, finds himself outside Mrs Cole's house. She invites him in and he discovers that Mrs Cole's noisy, chaotic kindly house is welcoming and warm and her house becomes somewhere to go when he is good. ' An intriguing mix of realism and fantasy is the key element in one of the most outstanding young children's picture books for some time. . . with exceptional illustrations by Michael Foreman' - Financial Times
0. Pirates Ahoy! - Paperback
£4.99 by Sophie Smiley
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842708828) ‘Why are pirates called pirates?’ ‘Because they aaAHRRR!’ Charlie's football-mad family swap goalposts for the seaside, and her brother's on a quest for a pirate adventure. It's all hands on deck as cannonballs fly and damsels in distress are rescued. But will Bobby ever find his hidden treasure? And will Charlie ever win him back to the football pitch?
0. Dad! I Can't Sleep - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842706992) Counting sheep doesn't send Little Panda to sleep so his dad suggests counting cows, or pigs, or elephants...Pull out the final page and see how many animals Little Panda counts, and whether he falls asleep!
0. Team Trouble - Paperback
£4.99 by Sophie Smiley
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842706848) Charlie has a football mad family - her mother gives a yellow card rather than a ticking off (because you can't argue with the ref. can you?). Usually the family make a great team, so when her thirteen-year-old brother Semi starts to get grumpy and choses not to join in, it is a great shock. Well, it's a great shock for Charlie and little brother Bobby. But her parents seem to know exactly what is going on. It takes a while for Charlie to realise that it's the onset of teenagerdom, and all to be expected - and even better, Semi will get over it!
0. Fox Tale - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842706107) A young fox cub is just emerging from the safety of the den. His father takes him and the other cubs to the railway station to meet a kind man, who feeds them. But one day a group of rowdy boys jostle the man, and he has to be taken to hospital. The cub is very wary of the boys, but he is also very hungry, so when one of the boys comes back bringing food, the cub risks eating it. It is the start of an unusual friendship!
0. Peter's Place - Paperback
£5.99 by Sally Grindley
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842700372) 0. Dinosaur Time - Hardback
£9.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842700648) It seems such an ordinary cooking timer when Mum puts it on the fridge, and tells Tom not to play with it – but pressing the buttons and twisting the knobs takes our hero back in time and dumps him straight into a dinosaur’s nest! The creature is NOT happy about her cracked eggs, and he finds himself being chased by a mob of monstrous prehistoric beasts! By fiddling with the controls, he succeeds in returning home, only he is not alone – one of the babies has come with him! And to get back, it must take the timer with it . . .
0. War And Peas - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842700839) King Lion is sad because it has not rained in his country for too long, and now not ony will nothing grow, but also the land is too hard to dig. He decides to ask his rich (fat) neighbour for help. But he is mistaken for a beggar and a robber, and is pursued home by Fat King and his army . . . and his supply trucks. The soldiers in their trucks are so heavy, that hey leave deep ruts in the land, and when it finally rains the land is well prepared for seeds.
It's War, but not as we know it - or should that be Peace? Or even peas?!!
0. Wonder Goal - Hardback
£9.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842700853) Like many children all over the world, a small boy dreams of winning the World Cup! But in the meantime, scoring the perfect, time-stopping goal would be just fine. And once you’ve done that, who knows what the future might hold?
Michael Foreman has triumphed with this perfect picture book for everyone who’s ever dreamed of realising their goals!
0. The Sand Horse - Paperback
£5.99 by Ann Turnbull
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842700990) One windy summer day, an artist makes a horse sculpture out of the sand on the beach at St Ives. It takes him the whole day, and all the beach people admire it. But when everyone goes in at the end of the day, the Sand Horse can hear the white horses in the surf calling to him: 'Come with us to Sennen, Land's End, and Longships Light!,' and he longs to join them.
This haunting story was Ann Turnbull's first for Andersen Press, beautifully interpreted by Greenaway Medal Winner Michael Foreman.
Charlie has a football mad family -her mother gives a yellow card rather than a ticking off (because you can't argue with the ref. can you?). Her brother Bobby has been chosen to present a bouquet to the Queen, and he is desperate to earn a football strip to wear for the occasion! He even tries busking - singing football anthems, naturally! Luckily in her letter-writing class at school, Charlie sends one off to Bobby's absolute hero, a great goalie (and as big as a mountain!): a much more successful approach.
Evie loves the garden, especially on Mondays when the old gardener comes. He shows her everything in the garden, introducing her to the robin, the newts, and the frogs . . .'Do you like making gardens?' She asks.'I don't make gardens, Eve,' he says, 'God does. I just help.'Then one Monday he doesn't come, and Mum says he won't be coming any more. He has gone to help God all the time. But Evie will never forget him and all the things he has taught her.
0. Cat on the Hill - Hardback
£10.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842702826) Summer in St. Ives is a good time for the stray cat. Visitors give him titbits to eat, and it is warm on his hill. Then, in autumn the tourists start to leave, and food is more difficult to come by. But winter is worse: it is a cold, lonely time - full of danger and constant hunger. Appetizing smells from the village drift up the hill, enticing him to risk the notice of the fierce village cats. And come Christmas, who will remember the cat on the hill? Fans of Saving Sinbad, also set in St. Ives, will recognise some of the characters in this moving and beautifully illustrated tale. It will surely join Michael Foreman's Cat in the Manger as a family favourite throughout the year - and especially, perhaps, at Christmas
0. Cat And Canary - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842702871) Cat's best friend is the canary in his apartment. Once their master has gone out, Cat lets Canary out of his cage, and they go up onto the roof together. Cat wishes he could fly, like all the birds around him, and when he finds a kite tangled in an aerial, it's too much of a temptation. But the kite carries him much too high, and much too far, and Canary needs to martial a crowd of feathered friends to tow the kite home. Cat isn't the least bit bothered: 'Tomorrow, we can go to the land beyond the river, and still be back for tea!'
0. One World - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842703342) A modern parable about a brother and sister who spend their day playing on the beach by a rock pool. They create their own tiny marine world in a bucket and, with its wildlife, shells, oil and even a tin can, it is a microcosm of the larger world outside. With a series of stunning watercolours, Michael Foreman makes clear his underlying concern about pollution within the environment, particularly on the seashore. The book's impact derives not only from Foreman's masterly skill as an artist, but also from the strength of his commitment to its theme.
0. Surprise! Surprise! - Paperback
£4.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842703793) Little Panda is frightened of the dark, so he has a moonlight lamp on at night. But the only thing he can afford to get for Mum's birthday is one very small plant, and it needs light. He has to put it in the attic, as it's the one place Mum won't look, and it's not light up there at all. So Little Panda lets the plant have his special lamp: it needs it more than he does. He finds that soon he gets used to the dark, and doesn't find it frightening any more. And when it's time to show Mum her present, the little plant has grown into an extravaganza of foliage seething with exotic birds!
0. Can't Catch Me! - Hardback
£10.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842703878) A little monkey doesn't want to go to bed. He dances through the jungle chanting 'Can't Catch Me!' So of course all the other animals try to do just that. You have never heard such a hallooing, and hollering,, not to mention wallumphing and grazumping! But the little monkey is much too quick for everyone - except his mum!
0. Man Of The Match - Paperback
£4.99 by Sophie Smiley
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842704202) This is the second story to feature Bobby, the Down's Syndrome football enthusiast, and his big sister Charlie. This time they are off to summer camp. Also with them is Paul, a boy who hides underneath a furry parka and will not speak. Bobby instantly decides that the two of them are best friends, and as he is potty about football, he tries to play it with him as much as possible. Charlie is being a responsible older sister and keeping a watch on Bobby, which is demanding enough, but she also has a challenge of her own. One of the planned camp activities is a relay race over water, and she is very scared of water. But thanks to the wonderful positivity that Bobby exudes all round him, Charlie beats her demons, Bobby plays football whether it's planned or not, and Paul? Well, Bobby gets him talking! He makes him Man of the Match!
0. Dolphin Boy - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Morpurgo
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842704486) Jim lives in a fishing village - but no-one goes fishing any more as all the fish have gone. One day, Jim spots a dolphin beached on the sand. He runs to get help, and everyone works together to return the dolphin to the water. Afterwards, the dolphin stays in the harbour, playing with the swimmers - and he even carries Jim on his back! Then the dolphin disappears, and everyone is so sorrowful they take out a boat to find him. Suddenly the sea is boiling with dolphins leaping out of the sea! They have come to stay - and the village comes to life with tourists, mended boats, and dolphins!
0. Cat on the Hill - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842704714) Summer in St. Ives is a good time for the stray cat. Visitors give him titbits to eat, and it is warm on his hill. Then, in autumn the tourists start to leave, and food is more difficult to come by. But winter is worse: it is a cold, lonely time - full of danger and constant hunger. Appetizing smells from the village drift up the hill, enticing him to risk the notice of the fierce village cats. And come Christmas, who will remember the cat on the hill?
Sure to be a family favourite throughout the year - and especially, perhaps, at Christmas
0. Can't Catch Me! - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842704745) A little monkey doesn't want to go to bed. He dances through the jungle chanting 'Can't Catch Me!' so of course all the other animals try to do just that. You have never heard such a hallooing, and hollering, not to mention wallumphing and grazumping! But the little monkey is much too quick for everyone - except his mum!
0. Norman's Ark - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842705582) Norman is good little boy who never tells a lie. Honest. It’s just that sometimes his parents don’t believe him. Like the time they were all staying at the safari park and came back one evening to discover that their room had been wrecked. Norman said it was the wild animals who had made all the mess.
But that couldn’t be right, or could it?
0. Fox Tale - Hardback
£10.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842705421) A young fox cub is just emerging from the safety of the den. His father takes him and the other cubs to the railway station to meet a kind man, who feeds them. But one day a group of rowdy boys jostle the man, and he has to be taken to hospital. The cub is very wary of the boys, but he is also very hungry, so when one of the boys comes back bringing food, the cub risks eating it. It is the start of an unusual friendship!
0. Seal Surfer - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842705780) A boy and his grandfather watch as a baby seal is born on the rocks near their home and from that day a special friendship is created between them. Despite his disability, the boy is a keen surfer, and he enjoys many afternoons surfing with the seals. One day, however, he gets into trouble in rough seas, and the young seal saves him. Their friendship brings happiness and meaning at the important stages of the boy’s life.
0. The Little Reindeer - Paperback
£5.99 by Michael Foreman
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842705827) The smallest reindeer is exploring Santa’s workshop when he accidentally falls into the giftwrapping machine, and finds himself being delivered as a present! The little boy who receives him is overjoyed and cares for him with devotion. One day he discovers that his reindeer is special - he can fly! When Christmas comes round again, the little reindeer disappears, but in his bed of straw the boy finds a thank you note...from Santa Claus.
The Little Reindeer is an original and enchanting story, full of warmth and illustrated in glowing watercolours. In this new Christmas story, Michael Foreman has returned to the exciting New York scenes of Cat and Canary.
A touching story about a little boy who lives on his own with his working mother. Whenever he is naughty, his mother threatens him with Mrs Cole, who appears to be a disreputable character living nearby in total squalor. He imagines children being starved, whipped and even stewed. Then one day he runs away from home and despite his fears, finds himself outside Mrs Cole's house. She invites him in and he discovers that Mrs Cole's noisy, chaotic kindly house is welcoming and warm and her house becomes somewhere to go when he is good. ' An intriguing mix of realism and fantasy is the key element in one of the most outstanding young children's picture books for some time. . . with exceptional illustrations by Michael Foreman' - Financial Times
Awards & Reviews
Out of Shadows
by Jason Wallace
'Excellent. [Out of Shadows is] the
Independent
Elmer's Special Day
by David McKee
Chris Brown, School Librarian
