'Rabbit and Hedgehog are a winning pair.’ Daily Telegraph

Chris Riddell was born in South Africa in 1962. He studied at the Epsom School of Art and Design and then Brighton Polytechnic. He has always worked as a freelance illustrator.

He is married to illustrator Jo Burroughes and they have three children, William, Katy and Jack. They live in Brighton and Chris works in a converted coach house at the bottom of their garden.

His hobbies include collecting toy soldiers and sleeping. His favourite subjects for children’s stories are daydreams and trying to capture children’s peculiar logic.

Chris Riddell has worked as a political cartoonist for The Economist, The Independent, and The Independent on Sunday. He has also produced covers for The Literary Review.

Since 1995 Chris has been the political cartoonist of The Observer. He has written and illustrated a number of children’s books including:MR UNDERBED (Andersen Press) and BIRD'S NEW SHOES (Andersen Press)

He met the author Paul Stewart as their children go to the same school and they have collaborated on a series of bestselling picture books for Andersen Press. The series is based around the two characters Rabbit and Hedgehog.

Andersen Press will be reprinting MR UNDERBED in 2009 with new illustrations by Chris Riddell, so watch this space!