With all those books under his belt and all those incredible drawings down on paper it’s about time we learnt a bit more about Axel Scheffler! So jump on into these facts and see if you knew them all! There’s more to Axel than nice pictures, so let’s find out some more!

1. Axel Scheffler was born in Germany!

Even though he is most famous for his work on British children’s books, Axel was born in Hamburg, Germany. He moved to the UK when he was 25 to study, and soon after decided that he wanted to be an illustrator!

2. He always wanted to be an artist!

Ever since he was a small child, Axel Scheffler liked art and loved to draw. After studying it he managed to find a job drawing and the rest is history! Axel Scheffler shows us that if you stick at something, there is always a chance you can make your dreams come true!

3. Studying helped him perfect his work!

When Axel came to the UK, he studied hard for three years, practising constantly! This gave him loads of experience and skills which later in life would turn him into one of the world’s best loved illustrators! So if you want to do something, don’t give up, and keep at it!

4. The first book he illustrated was about a Pie Maker!

In 1988 he got his first big job illustrating children’s books when he worked on The Piemakers by Helen Cresswell! The story follows the Roller family when they get the biggest job of their life, making a giant pie for the Royal Family! If that sounds fun to you, why not give it a read?!

5. Axel’s desk is really messy!

With all the ideas in his head, it is difficult to keep everything neat and tidy! But who would want that?! Axel says that his desk, whatever size, has always been too small! There are so many beautiful colours, paints and pencil types that they take up a lot of space! Sometimes being tidy isn’t the only thing that matters! 

6. Axel Scheffler drawings bring tonnes of character to stories!

Of course he is most famous for his beautiful illustrations, and in 1992 he worked on his first ever picture book about a rabbit with author Jon Blake called ‘You’re a Hero!’! His style of drawing was a lot simpler then and he spent less time on the details, but that didn’t change how adorable and charming the characters in the book were!

7. Axel’s first book with Julia Donaldson was about a house full of animals!

In 1992 Axel Scheffler had his first job with Julia Donaldson on a book called A Squash and a Squeeze! This hilarious and heartwarming book is all about a family as they try to fit as many animals as they can into their tiny house. Axel’s drawings really bring it to life and are full of character!

8. Axel Scheffler isn’t always scientific!

All of Axel’s drawings have the same kind of eyes, little white circles with a single dot. In Superworm, even the butterflies have these eyes, but in real life, butterflies have what we call ‘compound eyes’. It’s like a human eye, but with thousands of little lenses over them that allow them to see!

9. The Gruffalo was originally too scary!

Almost everyone knows the Gruffalo, it’s a wonderful story that is loved by millions of people. But when Axel Scheffler was doing the first sketches, the Gruffalo was a bit too scary, and the publishers thought that children might not like it. The big tusks and claws were a bit of a problem, so instead they made the Gruffalo a bit rounder and more cuddly!

10. Axel Scheffler once made a Christmas card for a Prime Minister!

In 2006 Axel Scheffler had a big job to design the official Christmas Card of the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown! It showed a load of people having a great time around a Christmas tree and he even snuck in a little political joke about a red briefcase, why not look it up for yourself and see if you get it!

11. Fast forward a few years and Axel Scheffler got another big job!

This time it was working for the Royal Mail! Because of his amazing drawing style, he got a job creating new Christmas stamps! Hundreds of thousands of these stamps were sent all over the world and stamp collectors love them, who wouldn’t?!

12. Axel Scheffler is proud to be European!

When the UK voted to leave the EU, Axel made a sad drawing of Britannia cutting a rope that connects Britain to Europe. Since Britain left the EU it has become harder and harder for Europeans like Axel to live and work in Britain, and also difficult for British people to do the same in Europe!

13. The Gruffalo is also an opera!

An opera is like a play, but with lots more singing, and in 2019 it was first performed in Berlin, with humans in amazing costumes playing all the characters! This was the first time the Gruffalo made it onto the stage! Is that a show you’d like to see, or do you prefer the books?

14. Axel Scheffler has drawn over 120 books!

That’s a lot of books! It’s so many that Axel isn’t even sure if there might be more! He’s had an amazing career full of wonderful drawings so who knows what the future might hold, maybe he’ll get over 200 by the time he’s done! We sure hope so!

15. Axel works in his attic!

For an artist like Axel, it’s not all about offices in tall skyscrapers, coffee shops or even taking the train into work! Axel is lucky enough to work from home and his studio is tucked away in his attic! How great does that sound!?