Top 10 Facts about Max Velthuijs

Max Velthuijs. Photo by Bert Verhoeff / Anefo. Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Facts about Max Velthuijs

Max Velthuijs, one of the most famous children’s illustrators of all time, was born in the Hague, Netherlands in 1923 and died in 2005.

Max loved to draw and make up his own stories while still young. He grew up to become a painter, an illustrator and a writer of great international acclaim.

Max became a famous illustrator for children in the Netherlands after finishing his studies in graphic design and painting.

The top 10 facts about Max Velthuijs include the following.

1. Max Loved to Draw and Make Up His Own Stories at A Young Age

The Hague. Photo by Elekes Andor. Wikimedia Commons

Max was born on 22^nd May 1923 in The Hague, Netherlands and went on to become one of the most acclaimed illustrators for children in the Netherlands. He received many awards due to his exemplary work.

Max’s talent in painting, writing and illustration for children began while he was still young. It is said that he loved drawing and making up his own stories while he was still young in age.

2. Max Forged Stamps in Identity Papers of People in Hiding During Second World War

Nazi Army Helmet. Photo by Wolfmann. Wikimedia Commons

Max assisted Jan Gregoor in forging stamps in identity papers of people in hiding during the second world war. He therefore played a role in Dutch resistance against German Nazi forces.

Max started making political prints and designing posters, advertisements, book covers and all other printed matter after the war ended.

He later disclosed that realized he wanted to illustrate books throughout his career.

Jan Gregoor went on to become a Dutch painter and an educator of art whose works were exhibited throughout the Netherlands in art galleries and museums.

3. Max Was Awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2004

Hans Christian Andersen Medal. Photo by kembalikan. Wikimedia Commons

For his lasting contribution to children’s literature in 2004 he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal.

Awarded by International Board on Books for Young People, the medal is the highest recognition available to a writer or illustrator of children’s books like Max Velthuijs was and is awarded biennially

Max observed that drawing a” frog in love” or a “frightened frog” was the most difficult and not drawing the frog itself.

He told all those present that he was overcome with joy and a sense of accomplishment when parents express how much they loved Frog and his friends.

Max was credited with fables of human nobility rather than Aesop’s “foolishness, vanity, and meanness” by jury president Jeffrey Garrett.  

4. Max’s First Children’s Book Commission as An Illustrator Was Relatively Late in His Career

NordSüd Logo. Photo by NordSüd Verlag. Wikimedia Commons

The 10th edition of Versjes die wij nooit vergeten or “Rhymes we will never forget” in English was, his first children’s book commission as an illustrator in 1962. As productive commercial artist this was relatively late in his career.

The book which had several previous illustrators was a famous book of rhymes for young children. 

The second work which established his name internationally was his illustration of A is eenaapje or “A is for Monkey” in English which was commissioned two years later.

Many of Max’s books were co-published by NordSüd after A is eenaapje or “A is for Monkey” in English. This was after the German-language edition was published by NordSüd Verlag of Zürich i.e. NorthSouth Books in English.

5. Max Is Known Best for The Frog Picture Books

Dutch Wikipedia has listed a total of 21 titles of Frog picture books for which Max is best known for.

The first book in the picture book series which gained recognition internationally was published by Andersen Press in 1989 called Frog in Love.

NordSüd had rejected the Frog in Love in 1988, but Klaus Flugge picked it up at a book fair, considered it extraordinary, and took it on and had the book published at Andersen Press in England.

Max’s book Frog in Love was adopted as a children’s playbook by David Farmer and was performed at Norwich Playhouse by the Tiebreak Theatre.

Included in the British National Curriculum was also another of Max’s frog picture books called Frog is a Hero.

6. Max Was A Teacher at The Royal Academy of Art in The Hague For Many Years

Max worked as a teacher at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague for 23 years as from October 1, 1964 to September 1, 1987.

He made new prints for an old ABC book: A is eenmonkey in 1964 while still teaching as he continued to draw and paint while still a teacher.

He came into contact with the Swiss publishing house Nord-Süd Verlag during the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1965.

The meeting offered him an opportunity to illustrate several stories including Der Wolf und das Zicklein and Der armeHolzacker und die Taube for the publishing house.

7. Max Won The ‘Golden Apple’ Of the BienaleIlustracif Bratislava And The ‘Prix de Treize’

Max’s first own stories titled Der Junge und der Fisch, appeared in 1969 and marked his breakthrough internationally.

The title pages of these books which he personally wrote and illustrated show not only his professional skills as a graphic designer, but also his skills with the pen and Indian ink, with which he created his ‘written’ texts.

He won the ‘Golden Apple’ of the BienaleIlustracif Bratislava and in France the ‘Prix de Treize’ in 1971 immediately after the book Der Junge und der Fish was published in five different languages.

8. Max Velthuijs Was Awarded a GoudenPenseel in 1976

In 1971 he wrote Der Maler und der Vogel which publishing house Dr. W. Junk published in 1972. The press received the book well after it was published.

Later Max followed this book with two other which enabled him to establish a good name in the country.

In 1976 max was awarded a GoudenPenseel for writing and illustrating the two books namely The good monster and The good monster and the robbers.

The contact between humans and animals plays important roles in all these books and later animals with human traits form the characters in his books.

His books The Duck and the Fox, The Bear and the Pig and The Elephant and the Crocodile and in the books about Frog feature animal characters with human traits.

9. Max’s Books Conveyed Messages as The General, Universal Truth

In the Frog books, there is no sense of status as everyone is equal among all the characters which include Frog and his friends Duck, Hare, Pig, later also Rat and Beer.

Frog and his friends know how to enjoy life and each animal character has their own character and skill despite the somewhat heavy themes in each book such as sadness, fear, flooding and death.

Max depicted the animal character worlds as being harmonious than our world and the animal character were happy with little possessions.

Max’s books always carry a message which he conveys as a universal, general truth to all who read his books which appeals not only to children but also to grownups.

10. Max Received A Royal Decoration and A School was Named After Him

Max received a royal decoration in 2004 during the same year he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Prize.

He died at the age of 81 years in The Hague on January 25^th 2005. The Public Primary School ‘Het Kompas’ in The Hague was renamed ‘Public Primary School Max Velthuijs’ later in 2005 in his memory and honour.