René Guillot


René Paul Guillot was a French writer of children's books who lived, worked and travelled in French West Africa.
For his lasting contribution as a children's writer Guillot received the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1964. The award conferred by the International Board on Books for Young People is the highest recognition available to a writer or illustrator of children's books.

Biography

Guillot was born at his parents' home in Courcoury in the Charente-Maritime department. After studying science, he moved to Senegal to work as a teacher, spending over 20 years in Africa. Most of the material for his many books comes from this time.
His books include Kpo the Leopard, The King of Cats, Sirga: Queen of the African Bush, and Oworo.
Kpo the Leopard was published in 1955 and was also included in The Hamish Hamilton Book of Wise Animals, edited by Eilis Dillon, illustrated by Bernard Brett, together with pieces featuring "fabulous animals" such as Edgar Allan Poe's Raven, E. Nesbit's Psammead, T. S. Eliot's Mr. Mistoffelees, and Rollicum Bitem the Fox from The Midnight Folk by John Masefield.
The 397th White Elephant was named to the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award list in 1958.
Two films, have been made from Guillot's children's books:
L'Enfant Lion in 1993, based on Guillot's Sirga the Lioness, and Le Maître des éléphants in 1995.
A live-action version of Little Dog Lost, featuring a Welsh Corgi, was made for the Disneyland show and was broadcast in 1963.
There was also a movie, Fort de la solitude, directed by Robert Vernay, based on one of René Guillot's adult novels.
René Guillot died in Paris in 1969.

Selected works

Kpo the Leopard
Illustrated by Joan Kiddell-Monroe, translated by Gwen Marsh
The 397th White Elephant
Illustrated by Christian Heinrich
The Wild White Stallion
Illustrated by Jean Reschofsky
Grishka And The Bear
Translated by Gwen Marsh. Illustrated by Joan Kiddell-Monroe
Master of the Elephants
Translated by Barbara Seccombe
Riders Of The Wind
Illustrated by Richard Kennedy
The Wind of Chance
Translated by Norman Dale
Little Dog Lost
Translated by Joan Selby-Lowndes, illustrated by Wallace Tripp
Balloon Journey
Illustrated by David Knight
The Castle of the Crested Bird
Illustrated by Paul Durmand.
Fodai and the Leopard-Men
Illustrated by Michel Jouin
Tales of Magic
Illustrated by Paul Durmand
Pascal and the Lioness

Translated and Adapted by Christina Holyoak
Illustrated by Barry Wilkinson