You don't have to notice the references to Magritte, Rousseau or Van Gogh to realise that Anthony Brown is a genius. It shines out from every page.
Anthony Browne is one of the world's most celebrated creators of picture books, with classics such as "Voices in the Park", "Willy the Wimp", and "Gorilla" to his name. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice, the Kurt Maschler 'Emil' Award three times, and in 2000 became the first British illustrator to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
The fact that children love the art of Anthony Browne is proof that childhood is far more sensitive, discerning, visually acute and emotionally rich than adults often imagine. Look at a bookshop rack of children's picture books and nine out of 10 have a similar look: bright, crude illustrations, as if kids wanted to see bland, adult versions of children's art, all beaming orange farmyard animals.