Gerald Hembdon Seymour Rose (27 July 1935 – 5 May 2023) was a British illustrator of children's books. He won the 1960 Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by a British subject, for Old Winkle and the Seagulls, written by his wife Elizabeth (Liz) Rose and published by Faber and Faber.[1]
Gerald Rose was born in Hong Kong on 27 July 1935. His father was from England and his mother was from Borneo, adopted by a missionary and educated in Hong Kong.[2] During the Second World War, his father became a prisoner of war, and his sister and mother were interned at Stanley civilian detention camp.[3] After the war, he and his sister grew up in their father's home town of Lowestoft.[2] Rose attended the Lowestoft School of Art and the Royal Academy.[3] He married Elizabeth Pretty in 1955, after they met as art students. They had three children and were together until her death in 2020.[2]
Gerald and Elizabeth Rose began to produce children's books, with she writing and he illustrating. How St. Francis Tamed the Wolf was published by Faber in 1958. Gerald was a commended runner-up for the Greenaway Medal next year, when the librarians introduced the distinction, recognising Wuffles Goes to Town.[4][a]
In 1979 Gerald Rose won the Premio Critici in Erba in Italy for "Ahhh!" said Stork (Faber, 1977).
Rose lived in Hove, East Sussex, in his later years.[3][2] He died on 5 May 2023, at the age of 87.[2]
- How St. Francis tamed the wolf by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1958)
- Wuffles goes to town by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1959) —commended for the Greenaway Medal[4][a]
- Old Winkle and the seagulls by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1960) —Greenaway Medal winner[1]
- The emperor's oblong pancake by Peter Hughes (Abelard-Schuman, 1961)
- Story of the Pied Piper by Barbara Ireson (Faber, 1961)
- Charlie on the run by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1961)
- Punch and Judy carry on by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1962)
- The big river by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1962)
- Dan McDougall and the bulldozer by Lydia Pender (Abelard-Schuman, 1963)
- The gingerbread man by Barbara Ireson (Faber, 1963)
- St. George and the fiery dragon by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1963)
- Nessie the mannerless monster by Ted Hughes (Faber, 1964)
- The giant who drank from his shoe and other stores by Leónce Bourliaguet (Abelard-Schuman, 1965) ‡
- A sword to slice through mountains, and other stories by Leónce Bourliaguet (Abelard-Schuman, 1967) ‡
- ‡ The Giant and A Sword are fairy tales selected from Le Marchand de nuages (French language), translated by John Buchanan Brown[5]
- The hopping basket by Paul Jennings (Macdonald, 1965)
- The cat and the devil by James Joyce (Faber, 1965)
- Baron Brandy's boots by Peter Hughes (Abelard-Schuman, 1966)
- The sorcerer's apprentice by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1966)
- Alexander's flycycle by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1967)
- Jabberwocky, and other poems by Lewis Carroll (Faber, 1968); U.S. title, The Walrus and the Carpenter, and other poems (1969)
- The Dong with a luminous nose and other poems by Edward Lear (Faber,
- The great oak by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1970)
- Androcles and the lion by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1971)
- The Little Car by Leila Berg, Methuen, 1972)
- Albert and the green bottle by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1972)
- Ironhead (Faber, 1973)
- The bird who saved the jungle by Jeremy Kingston (Faber, 1973)
- Wolf! wolf! by Elizabeth Rose (Faber, 1974)
- Stories of Grandmother Oma by Ilse Kleberger (The Bodley Head, 1975)
- Trouble in the ark (Puffin Books/Kestrel Books, 1975)
- "Ahhh!" said Stork (Faber, 1977)
- Watch out! (Kestrel, 1978)
- The tiger-skin rug (Faber, 1979)
- P.B. takes a holiday (Bodley, 1980)
- Rabbit pie (Faber, 1980)
- How George lost his voice (Bodley, 1981)
- Professor Branestawm's pocket motor car by Norman Hunter (Bodley, 1981)
- Professor Branestawm and the wild letters by Norman Hunter (Bodley, 1981)
P.B. on Ice (Bodley 1982)
- Professor Branestawm's building bust-up by Norman Hunter (Bodley, 1982)
- Professor Branestawm's mouse war by Norman Hunter (Bodley, 1982)
- Professor Branestawm's crunch crockery by Norman Hunter (Bodley, 1983)
- Professor Branestawm's hair-raising idea by Norman Hunter (Bodley, 1983)
- The bag of wind (Bodley, 1983)
- Scruff (Bodley, 1984)
- Can hippo jump? (Instructa, 1984)
- The bird garden (Bodley, 1986)
- The lion and the mouse (Methuen, 1988), retold and illustrated by Rose
- Polly's jungle (Reinhardt Books, Viking, 1993)
- Horrible hair (Andersen Books, 2001)
- Millie's big surprise (Andersen, 2003)