Guido Van Genechten (1957–) Biography

Born 1957, in Mol, Belgium. Education: Attended Academy of Graphic Arts (Mol, Belgium).

Addresses

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Clavis Uitgeverij BVBA, Vooruitzichtstraat 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium.

Career

Author and illustrator.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Kom maar binnen, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 1999.

Mijn papa, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 1999.

Het grote billen-boek, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2000.

Blackie, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2001.

Het grote slap-boek, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2001.

Ono eet, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2001.

Ono kleedt zich aan, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2001.

Ono speelt, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2001.

Rikki, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2001.

Rikki durft, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2001.

Flop-Ear, Barron's Educational Series (Hauppauge, NY), 2001.

Potty Time, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2001.

Bij opa en oma, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2002.

Hoe Tito zinj neus kwijtspeeide, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2002.

Piep, zei Bruno, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2002.

Rikki en Anni, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2002.

Rikki: knuffel en mini-boekje, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2002.

Het grote knuffel-boek, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2003, translated as The Cuddle Book, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2005.

Omdat ik zoveel van je hou, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2003, translated as Because I Love You So Much, Tiger Tales (Wilton, CT), 2004.

Rikki durft, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2003.

Rikki en zijn vriendjes, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2003.

Het geheim van IJsje, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2004, translated as Snowy's Special Secret, Tiger Tales (Wilton, CT), 2005.

Het grote billen-boek, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2004.

Jonnie, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2004.

Klein wit visje, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2004.

Klein wit visje is zo blij, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2004.

Klein wit visje telt tot elf, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2004.

Nieuwe laarzen, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2004.

Rikki wile en kerstboom, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2004.

Familie Vanderknor, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2004, translated as The Von Hamm Family: Alex and the Tart, Tiger Tales (Wilton, CT), 2005.

Klein wit visje wordt groot, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2005.

Kleine Kangoeroe, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2005, translated as Kangaroo Christine, Tiger Tales (Wilton, CT), 2006.

Lieve mama, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2005.

Tito tovenaar, Clavis (Hasselt, Belgium), 2005.

OTHER

Kermis, het spiegelpaleis van het volk: tentoonstelling, Centrum voor Kunst en Cultuur, St.-Pietersabjij, Gent, 28 februari-13 april 1986 (catalog), Kritak (Louvain, Belgium), 1986.

Sidelights

Popular with young children in his native Belgium, author and illustrator Guido van Genechten engages toddlers with his many book series featuring boldly drawn characters that range from smiling children to wide-eyed zebras to cuddly, flop-eared rabbits. In van Genechten's books, animals often take the place of human children, with humorous results; in Potty Time, for example, a lanky young giraffe, a roly-poly polar bear, and a young boy each take turns testing out a bright red potty chair. Turning the pages of The Cuddle Book young children discover that animals and humans are also very different, and that animals express feeling in a variety of ways. While pigs rub noses to show affection, monkeys hug gently and turtles slowly, elephants hug with their trunks, and cats grapple playfully. Van Genechten "embraces just the right amount of sentiment" in his text and illustrations, noted a Kirkus Reviews critic, while Ilene Cooper wrote in Booklist that The Cuddle Book is a good story-hour choice, as well as excellent for sharing "one on one, where after the reading, cuddling can ensue."