Cowell, Cressida (1966-…), is an English author and illustrator of children’s books. She is best known for the book series “How to Train Your Dragon.” The series began with How to Train Your Dragon (2003). Cowell often illustrates her own books, using a whimsical (odd and humorous) style. In 2019, Cowell was named Children’s laureate of the United Kingdom. The title celebrates lifetime achievement and is normally awarded for a two-year term to an outstanding children’s author or illustrator. A third year was later added to Cowell’s term to enable her to carry out plans that had been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic (worldwide epidemic).
“How to Train Your Dragon” tells the story of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a fictional Viking boy, and his dragon , Toothless. Cowell writes as the translator of Hiccup’s memoirs. With each book, Hiccup grows closer to becoming the greatest Viking hero ever. The characters had also appeared in an earlier book, Hiccup: The Viking Who Was Seasick (2000).
Another fantasy series by Cowell, “The Wizards of Once,” tells the story of two children, one a wizard and the other a warrior. They are taught to hate each other their entire lives but end up being friends. The series began with The Wizards of Once (2017). Cowell is also known for the “Emily Brown” picture books, illustrated by the British artist Neal Layton. The first book, That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown, was published in 2006.
Cressida Hare was born on Apr. 15, 1966, in London , England. Her writing is partly inspired by her childhood experiences on a remote Scottish island owned by her family. There, her father made up stories about dragons that lived in the cliffside. Cowell earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Oxford University , a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from St. Martin’s University, and a master’s degree in narrative illustration from Brighton University. Cowell’s first published book was Little Bo Peep’s Library Book (1998), a project she created while in art school. She married the businessman Simon Cowell.
The studio DreamWorks Animation produced a series of movies based on “How To Train Your Dragon.” The first movie was released in 2010. DreamWorks also produced several television shows based on the movies, including “DreamWorks Dragons” (2012-2014) and “Dragons: Race to the Edge” (2015-2018).
