Ungerer, Tomi
Ungerer, Tomi (pseudonym of Jean Thomas, 1931– ),Alsatian French illustrator, author‐illustrator, political cartoonist, and commercial artist. Born in Strasbourg, Ungerer emigrated to the United States in 1957, moved to Canada 20 years later, and eventually settled in Ireland with his wife and three children. His children's books—over 80—have been written and published in several languages. Since the 1970s, they have been labelled ‘controversial’ and ‘subversive’ for the biting satire, earthy sexuality, or streak of sadism that lurks beneath the seemingly innocuous surface of a colourful illustration or a simple story. In his picture book Moon Man (1967), for example, the Moon Man lands on earth, innocently hoping to socialize; instead, he is mobbed by scientists, television crews, thrill‐seekers, and policemen, and dragged off to gaol as a dangerous ‘invader’. Fortunately, as he wanes, he grows thin enough to slip between the...
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