Valeri Gorbachev

As a child

I was born and brought up in the Ukraine, part of the former USSR

As an adult

Now I live in New York, USA.

As an artist

When I illustrate a book, the drawings and the text become one, and it's not really possible for me to separate the drawings from the text. I love to draw for children and to create books where I am both author and illustrator. I think writing and illustrating children's books is the best profession. I wake up at six a.m. and just start doing what I love – my children's art. I hope that American children love my books as much as Russian children do. My characters take on nuances of American culture, but the basic qualities of the characters show the similarities among people all over the world.

Things you didn't know about Valeri Gorbachev

1. As a child I wanted to be an artist
2. My favourite colour is green
3. I like to drink coffee during the day
4. I like to be on the seashore
5. I like to draw postcards for my friends
6. I love when I finish a book and it bring to a publishing house, and spread it over long tables in a conference room
7. I used to start working at six a.m.
8. I am an artist who creates books while walking through the city streets
9. I am proud that my books have been translated into German, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.
10. Illustrating is my dream come true.