Martin Waddell

Martin Waddell is a prolific children's author from Belfast, Northern Ireland, born in 1941, best known for his picture books featuring anthropomorphic animals, particularly the Little Bear series illustrated by Barbara Firth. He has written over 200 stories for children across seven decades and received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2004, the highest international award for children's literature. He also writes under the pen name Catherine Sefton for more serious works aimed at older children.