Tomi Ungerer

Jean-Thomas or "Tomi" Ungerer was born in Strasbourg in 1931. In his youth, he was a rebel and later became a fervent opponent of the Vietnam War in the United States. His first children's book, "The Mellops Go Flying," was published in America in 1957. Simultaneously, he began working as a political and erotic illustrator for publications such as the "New York Times" and magazines like "Esquire," "Life," "Harper's Bazaar," "The Village Voice," among others. In 1998, he was honored with the international Hans Christian Andersen Award for his lifetime achievement in children's book illustration. He was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and a committed humanitarian. He passed away on February 9, 2019.