The Picasso for preschoolers, the Shakespeare for small humans, Oliver Jeffers is one of the most famous child authors, illustrator of this decade. His outstanding talent has been recognized by several high-profile awards, including the Nestlé Children’s Book Prize Gold Award, CBI Book of the Year Awards and also No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Graduating from the University of Ulster in First Class Honours, Oliver Jeffers has dabbled in many mediums of art before embarking on the journey of writing children’s books. “I think I was always an artist,” he says. A master of duality, Oliver is amazing at making the reader combine illustrations and text. He notes that a few words can change how one perceives a drawing entirely. Many of his distinctive paintings have been exhibited all over the world. The prestigious Lazarides Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Brooklyn Museum and Spring Break Fair (Armory Week) in New York.

Here, have a look at 3 of Oliver Jeffer's most critically acclaimed titles.

The Day the Crayons Quit is arguably Oliver Jeffers's magnum opus. It went on to win a myriad of other awards and topped the New York Times bestselling lists. A short and cute story about crayons going rogue has become a staple in libraries all around the world. It pays homage to the days where we as kids will attribute feelings to their playthings, and one can never look at crayons the same way again.

Lost and Found has been made into an animated short film and a stage performance. This is a story about a boy travelling around the world with his penguin. A really poignant, sweet, and adorable story about a unique friendship lost and then found again. Why would anyone be that mean to not be friends with a penguin?

Oliver Jeffers is one of the few remaining bastions that upholds and believes in the important of books and how they enlarge a child's world. Joining the ranks of Roald Dahl, Dr Seuss and Charles Dickens, he sets a pavement for children all over the world to be exposed to world-class literature and to be instilled with values beyond the pages.