Leonard Leslie Brooke
Witty children's book illustrator
Leonard Leslie Brooke was a British artist and writer. Brooke was born in Birkenhead, England, the second son of Leonard D. Brooke. He was educated at Birkenhead School and the Royal Academy Schools. While travelling in Italy, Brooke suffered a serious illness. He survived, but was left permanently deaf. Though he did some oil paintings, Brooke was best known as a book illustrator. WorldCat library records show that he illustrated several works by Mrs. Molesworth in the mid-1890s, perhaps from 1892; one was The Carved Lions (1895) in its first edition. His skillful and witty illustrations in Andrew Lang's Nursery Rhyme Book (1897) established his reputation as a leading children's book illustrator of pen-and-ink line drawings and watercolors. His acclaimed works include Johnny Crow's Garden (1903), "Ring O' Roses", "The Golden Goose Book", Johnny Crow's Party (1907), Johnny Crow's New Garden (1935), "The Nursery Rhyme Book", and "Oranges and Lemons" published by Frederick Warne & Co. Brooke married Sybil Diana Brooke, daughter of his cousin, Rev. Stopford Brooke. Brooke died at his home in Hampstead, age 77.
Artworks by this artist (66 total)
- The lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown
- And the pig
- A pig in the garden 1904
- Four pigs 1904
- The eldest son refuses the old grey man
- The pelican chorus & other nonsense verses Pl.3 1910
- The thirsty man empties caskets of wine
- Tom’s christening attended by the Fairy Queen and all her company of elves 1922
- Wee Willie Winkie 3
- Pig rolls down the hill in a barrel 1904
- The jumblies and other nonsense verses Pl.2 1910
- Jack fell down and broke his crown. 1922
- Three wise men of Gotham 3
- Pig builds his brick house 1904
- The wolf blows down the house of straw 1904
- The pelican chorus & other nonsense verses Pl.1 1910
- Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
- The jumblies and other nonsense verses Pl.5 1910
- The bears discover Goldilocks 1909
- The bears watch from the window 1909