Chris Riddell

Chris Riddell has taken the baton from Malorie Blackman as the new children's laureate. This gallery celebrates Chris Riddell's glorious illustrations and authorly achievements so far. We start with a kiss between the Queen and Sleeping Beauty from The Sleeper and The Spindle (with words by Neil Gaiman), an image that set the world on fire when the book was published in 2014. Chris has worked with Neil Gaiman on other projects, famously illustrating Gaiman's Carnegie winning The Graveyard Book, and his crazy dad tale Fortunately The Milk Illustration: Chris Riddell We won't give away his age, but Chris has been around for a rather long time. He won his first Kate Greenaway medal back in 2001 for his gorgeous illustrations in Pirate Diary, The Journal of Jake Carpenter, a Cabin Boy (with words by Richard Platt) Photograph: Walker Books Three years later Chris won his second Kate Greenaway medal for Jonathan Swift's Gulliver, published by Walker Books, in 2004. The judges at the time commented: “Gulliver is a tour de force. Chris Riddell has given us 144 pages of fantastic, faultless illustrations”. He's still waiting for his Greenawy hat trick (three wins in a row, but nobody's ever won that yet!) Illustration: Chris Riddell Photograph: Chris Riddell This sketch from Chris Riddell's notebook reveals the joys of working with Russell Brand to create The Trickster Tales, the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The book (published in 2014) resulted in a series of live shows with Russell Brand, including one at the Royal Albert Hall. The highlight for many was actually watching Chris masterfully live drawing the whole story - despite amusing distractions from Russell Brand! Photograph: Chris Riddell Illustration: Chris Riddell One thing we know about Chris Riddell is that he really, really loves books. This cartoon is one of his contributions to our 2015 World Book Day celebrations, why Chris can't live without books… Illustration: Chris Riddell Chris Riddell is also a lover of librarians, and they tend to love him too! This cartoon was shared in our love letters to libraries series, which recalls the time librarians gave a young Chris Riddell a book called The Hobbit, it made quite an impression Illustration: Chris Riddell Illustration: Chris Riddell Chris Riddell's Ada Goth is the only child of Lord Goth, seen here looking somewhat gloomy, but what lovely chairs! Photograph: Chris Riddell Photograph: Chris Riddell sometimes Chris manages to combine his adult cartoons (he's the Observer's cartoonist on the quiet and has been since 1995) which often comment on world politics and children's books ‴ as here in his contribution to a brilliant children's book in association with Amnesty International called Dreams of Freedom Illustration: Chris Riddell Chris reveals more of his strange and wonderful imagination in this crazy dreamland tale for younger readers, The Emperor of Absurdia Illustration: Chris Riddell And now onto the wonderous world of the Edge Chronicles co-created by Chris Riddell and Paul Stewart. There are 12 books so far – and the first was published in 1998. This image is of the banderbear is from The Edge Chronicles 4: Beyond the Deepwoods: First Book of Twig. Twig believes at heart he is a woodtroll, yet he strongly suspects there is something different about him, as he does not fit in with the rest of the woodtroll villagers Illustration: Chris Riddell This incredible scene is from The Edge Chronicles 10: The Immortals: The Book of Nate. Set years in the future, this book is ideal for new readers to discover the series before going back to read the “history” of Twig, Rook and Quint Illustration: Chris Riddell This image from the latest book, Edge Chronicles 12: Doombringer: Second Book of Cade. You can find out more about The Edge Chronicles, and how Chris and Paul work together on their Edge website Illustration: Chris Riddell Chris Riddell's children's books events are legendary. Here Chris introduces a young audience to Goth Girl and The Ghost of a Mouse at the Guardian's Big Draw event in 2014, run by The Guardian's Education Centre. Later participants got to pour over his sketchbooks ‴ and be in awe at just how MUCH Chris draws. He'd even drawn his journey to get to the event. So expect LOTS of drawing in this laureateship. He's already suggested that everyone should do a drawing a day Photograph: The Guardian We just couldn't resist sharing this one too. Alsatian indeed! Wonder what else we'll learn about Chris Riddell, and ourselves, in the next two years? We'll be reporting often, so watch this space! Illustration: Chris Riddell