Lisbeth Zwerger is an internationally acclaimed illustrator best known for creating captivating, lyrical, and whimsical pictures for classic tales. She was inspired by Arthur Rackham and other English artists of his era, but her work is distinct and immediately recognizable—always surprising, always engaging. And she often creates backgrounds that are open and almost dreamlike, so the eye focuses immediately on the intriguing characters and the significant objects in a scene. She has received Bologna International Children’s Book Fair honors for many books, including The Strange Child by E. T. Hoffman and Hansel and Gretel by The Brothers Grimm (both Simon & Schuster), The Swineherd by Hans Christian Anderson (Minedition), and The Deliverers of Their Country by E. Nesbit (NorthSouth Books). The New York Times has designated many of her titles Best Illustrated Books of the Year, including Little Red Cap by the Brothers Grimm (Minedition), The Gift of the Magi (Simon & Schuster), The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (North-South Books), and Noah’s Ark, retold by Heinz Janish (Minedition). In 1990 she received the bi-annual Hans Christian Andersen Medal in recognition of her lifetime contribution to children’s literature.
Lisbeth Zwerger