Ted Dewan

Ted Dewan is an American-born British writer and illustrator of children's books who resides in England. He is best known as the creator of the award-winning book series, Bing, now adapted into an animated television series broadcast across the world.

Life

Dewan was born in Boston and raised in Lexington, Massachusetts, the first son of physicist Dr Edmond M Dewan and scholar/attorney Karen Dean-Smith. He grew up with his brother, musician and artist Brian Dewan[1] and both brothers had musical and artistic aspirations from a young age. He studied engineering and electronic music at Brown University, Rhode Island where he studied with his mentor, author/illustrator David Macaulay, before working for five years as a Physics teacher at Milton Academy.[2] As well as his science-teaching duties at Milton Academy, Dewan directed various musical shows including a touring satirical student pop band that launched the musical career of jazz singer Titi Ngwenya.[2]

He relocated to London where he began to make a living as a full-time illustrator and cartoonist, drawing for British newspapers including The Times (and Times Educational Supplement), The Guardian, The Independent and The Daily Telegraph.[2] In his spare time, he performed a solo accordion act on London's comedy circuit, to mixed and "misunderstood" reviews at such ferocious venues as The Comedy Store and the Hackney Empire. Within a few years of moving to London, he met Helen Cooper, another children's illustrator and writer. They have one daughter.

Dewan and Cooper moved from London to Oxford, where they live "a short bike ride" away from one of his publishers, David Fickling Books, with whom Dewan works closely.[2] He received a gift from Oxford-based author Philip Pullman:

"... [Pullman's] shed in 2002, with the covenant agreed that only creative work in it, and that the shed was to be passed on to another artist, writer, or musician when the time came."[2]

Books

Dewan began his book-illustrating career with science-writer Steve Parker on a number of highly praised and award-winning children's non-fiction books. Dewan's pen and ink and watercolor artwork complimented "Parker's examination of the morphology of the world's largest mammals" (and also Inside dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures). For Inside the Whale and Other Animals he won the 1992 Mother Goose Award[3] from Books for Children as "the most exciting newcomer to British children's book illustration". Concurrently he illustrated a couple of adult non-fiction tomes by Dr. Robert Ornstein.[4][5]

Dewan next turned his hand to writing as well as illustrating, producing in 1994 a baseball version of The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Scholastic), which Books for Keeps' Pam Harwood praised both for Dewan's "'cool' language" and "bright, lively pictures."[6] A number of other solo writing/illustrating projects have followed since, in particular the Bing Bunny series, which has been adapted into a TV series.

The first of three Crispin picture books won the Blue Peter Award, and was a commended runner-up for the 2000 Kate Greenaway Medal[7] from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by a British subject.[lower-alpha 1] Cooper had won the 1996 and 1998 Medals.[7]

More recently still, his illustration work has featured in books related to the BBC comedy panel game television quiz show QI (Quite Interesting), created and produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panelist Alan Davies. In particular, he contributed "400 diagrams and cartoons" to The Book of Animal Ignorance, and various illustrations to The QI "E" Annual (or The QI Annual 2007), both published by Faber and Faber in 2007.[8]

His latest picture book with Orchard Books is about a courageous teddy bear charged with warming the heart of a troublesome boy. One True Bear (2009) was noted for its daring inclusion of actual young boys' drawings, including the "violent" ones not normally reproduced, especially in young children's literature.

Television

In 2014 a television series called Bing based on his books began broadcast on CBeebies, produced by Acamar Films and animated by Brown Bag Films. He co-developed the series, co-wrote the pilot, and wrote or contributed to most of the scripts, while working with the animators on set and character design. The series has since become one of the most viewed programmes for children across the whole BBC, winning a BAFTA nomination and an International Emmy Award. The series features the voice talent of Oscar-winning actor, Mark Rylance.[9]

Dewan is currently developing another television animation project for children and has acted as consultant on other television projects.

3D artwork and machines

Dewan began his commissioned three-dimensional artwork, including 2004's Cyclemas Tree, a 20-foot 1.5 tonne illuminated Christmas Tree made of derelict bicycles and scaffolding. In 2007, he was appointed lead artist for Oxford's Millennial celebration's extravaganza, Luminox, which featured his 70-foot bamboo spire pendulum sculpture with a flaming pendulum bob. The sculpture formed the centrepiece of a large-scale fire installation by the renowned French group Carabosse.[2] He is the creator of the Storyloom at Oxford's Story Museum, which remains from the 2012 steampunk exhibition, The Fabulous Account of Rochester's Extraordinary Storyloom[10].

His most recent commission was a sculpture and photography/design featured on the cover of Philip Selway's (Radiohead) second solo album, The Weatherhouse.

Awards and honors

Winner

1992, Mother Goose Award, best new illustrator, for Inside the Whale and Other Animals, written by Steve Parker

2002, Blue Peter Book Award

Best Book to Read Aloud, the picture book Crispin, the Pig Who Had It All

2015, BAFTA nomination, "Bing"

2016, International Emmy Award, "Bing"

2016, Writers' Guild of Great Britain, team scriptwriter "Bing"

Runners-up, shortlists

1992, shortlisted for the TES information book award for his illustration of Inside the Whale & Other Animals, written by Steve Parker.[11]

1997, shortlisted for Kurt Maschler Award, integrated writing and illustration, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and named one of the Young Book Trust 100 Best Books[12]

2002, commended runner-up for the Kate Greenaway Medal, Crispin the Pig Who Had It All[7][lower-alpha 1]

2004, named one of the Publisher's Weekly Books of the Year, the Bing Bunny series of books for toddlers

Works

As writer and illustrator

The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Music of Magic and Electricity (Corgi Audio Tape, 1997)

Bing Bunny

As illustrator

Children's non-fiction

Children's fiction

Adult non-fiction

Notes

  1. 1 2 Since 1995 there are usually eight books on the Greenaway shortlist. According to CCSU, some runners-up through 2002 were Commended (from 1959) or Highly Commended (from 1974). There were 99 commendations of both kinds in 44 years including Anthony Browne's high commendation and Dewan's commendation for 2000.

References

  1. ↑ "Cyclemas Artist: Ted Dewan". WormWorks.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ted Dewan". Images of Delight: Original artwork from children's book illustrators. Archived 30 October 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  3. ↑ "Mother Goose Award". The Children's Literature Web Guide. 1994–2001 [this page 1996]. David K. Brown. Doucette Library of Teaching Resources. University of Calgary. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "Helen Cooper: Biography". Wormworks. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  5. ↑ Ted Dewan bibliography. WormWorks. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  6. ↑ "Ted Dewan". Gale Biographies of Children's Authors. Reprint at Answers.com. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 "Kate Greenaway Medal". 2007(?). Curriculum Lab. Elihu Burritt Library. Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  8. ↑ Animal Ignorance. The QI Shop. Retrieved 5 February 2008. Archived 21 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Maggie, Brown (2017-05-27). "Mark Rylance voices CBeebies cartoon Bing". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  10. ↑ Sylvia, Vetta (2012-08-15). "The Storyloom/Tea With Alice: The Story Museum". The Oxford Times. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  11. ↑ Faber and Faber's new books catalogue, July - December 2007, page 18. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  12. ↑ The Sorcerer's Apprentice WormWorks. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
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