Michael Foreman Quotes

United Kingdom, Author
March 21, 1938

Michael Foreman is a British author and illustrator, one of the best-known and most prolific creators of children's books. He won the 1982 and 1989 Kate Greenaway Medals for British children's book illustration and he was a commended runner up five times, a distinction dropped after 2002.

Also known as Illustrator

When coming in to land at Santiago, Chile, I saw the area between the city and the Andes mountains was smoking with rubbish dumps. While exploring the dumps, I made friends with people living and working there and saw how they survived through recycling the rubbish.

Michael Foreman
Things have to be believable, not in a literal, photographic sense, but in an emotional sense - capturing the essence of the situation.

Michael Foreman

My book 'Ali Pasha' tells the true story of a young sailor Henry Friston, who, in the hell-fire of battle, forms an unusual friendship.

Michael Foreman
- Book
- Story
- Friendship
The seed of an idea laying dormant in an old sketchbook is fed the missing ingredient from a new experience. Trying to share some of these experiences, some of the wonders, is one of the reasons why I do books.

Michael Foreman
- Idea
- Books
- Experiences
When I started writing and illustrating, I knew little of classic children's literature. My stories came from real life, from my concerns about what was happening in the world.

Michael Foreman
I didn't read children's books when I was a child. The only books in our house were ration books.

Michael Foreman
- House
- Books
- Children's
From an early age, I had always loved drawing. Laying on the floor, in front of the fire, drawing from my imagination, marching soldiers, dive bombers, spaceships and monsters. Now, suddenly, I was drawing from real life!

Michael Foreman
- Real
- Imagination
- Drawing
Drawing was the only thing I was any good at in school, but I never dreamt I would, or even could, spend my life doing it.

Michael Foreman
- Life
- Good
- Drawing

For me, travelling and drawing the world, experiencing as much as possible first hand, has been very important. Making notes, drawing and writing on the move, became second nature.

Michael Foreman
- Important
- Writing
- Nature
Drawing teaches you to look at things properly and to understand form and structure.

Michael Foreman