 One of Britain's top illustrators has attacked publishers for 'taking the pictures out of children's books' and blasted the decision not to illustrate the Harry Potter novels.
Chris Riddle told a meeting of teachers at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk that he "found it amazing" that the Harry Potter books had not been illustrated.
"Illustrations play an important role in children's literature," said Riddle.
“Children respond to pictures from the year dot. It is a shame they are disappearing from fiction – I find it amazing that Harry Potter isn’t illustrated."
Chris’s visit to Edge Hill coincides with the end of Literature Matters – a year-long initiative aimed at encouraging university’s trainees to read children’s books.
 Riddle has illustrated several picture books including Something Else by Kathryn Cave which was shortlisted for the Smarties Prize and which won the Unesco Award. The Swan's Stories by Brian Alderson was shortlisted for the 1997 Kurt Maschler Award and Castle Diary was shortlisted for the 1999 Kate Greenaway Medal. Pirate Diary won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2002 and Jonathan Swift's Gulliver won the 2004 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.
In addition to his children's book work, Chris is a renowned political cartoonist whose work appears regularly in The Observer, The Literary Review and The New Statesman. One of his claims to fame is that he was the first cartoonist to depict William Hague in shorts — an illustration that Hague subsequently bought.
Val chamberlain, primary English co-ordinator, at Edge Hill said: “It’s essential that teachers have a grasp of what they are asking their pupils to read and such contact with authors and illustrators is invaluable.”
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