Étienne Delessert
Étienne Delessert (4 January 1941 in Lausanne – 21 April 2024 in Lakeville) was a Swiss self-taught graphic artist and illustrator. He is largely known for his animated series Yok-Yok and his collaboration with Eugène Ionesco, on Stories "1" and "2", as well as his work with child psychologist Jean Piaget. His work focused on expanding the child's mind through the use of strange stories often designed to make children ask questions.
Also recorded as Etienne Delessert
Étienne Delessert
Rama · Photograph by Rama, Wikimedia Commons, Cc-by-sa-2.0-fr · CC BY-SA 2.0 fr
- Name
- Étienne Delessert
- Born
- 4 January 1941
- Birthplace
- Lausanne, Switzerland
- Died
- 21 April 2024
- Awards
- Society of Illustrators
- Nationality
- United States · Switzerland
- Occupation
- writer · illustrator · graphic designer · painter · artist
- Fields
- illustration · literary activity · children's and young adult literature · graphics
- Honours
- Swiss Grand Award for Design
- Languages
- French
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Étienne Delessert. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q3592133
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
The documentary record
Statements marked “Documentary record” are set in the article beside the passage they confirm. Each is read from the authority records of the institutions named here; select “Prove” to see the record it was read from, where in that record, and when.
Institutions cited
Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Complete reading chain (JSON)In this article
Biography
Biography
He considered himself first and foremost a story teller. His creative process involved mostly digital media in combination with hand sketching. For his lasting contribution as a children's illustrator, Delessert was a finalist for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in both 2006 and 2010. Delessert died from cancer on 21 April 2024, at the age of 83.
Documentary record
Étienne Delessert died on 21 April 2024 in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States.
Étienne Delessert at the Salon du Livre 2011 in Geneva
Rama · Photograph by Rama, Wikimedia Commons, Cc-by-sa-2.0-fr
Étienne Delessert at the Salon du Livre 2011 in Geneva
Rama · Photograph by Rama, Wikimedia Commons, Cc-by-sa-2.0-fr
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Étienne Delessert • Born — 4 January 1941 • Birthplace — Lausanne, Switzerland • Died — 21 April 2024 • Notable Works — Yok-Yok Stories 1,2,3,4 • Awards — Society of Illustrators
Documentary record
Étienne Delessert appears in the authority records of the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek as an artist, picture-book author and illustrator (4 January 1941 – 21 April 2024). Étienne Delessert was born on 4 January 1941; the birthplace is Lausanne, Switzerland, according to the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Career
Career
Delessert had children's book published and translated in over 14 different languages. He also had illustrations published in TIME magazine. Delessert animated segments for Sesame Street, like one about a woman's face morphing. Additionally, in 1973 Delessert illustrated a children's book based on the lyrics to "Being Green", a popular song written by Joe Raposo, originally performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. Although released as a Sesame Street book, the large hardcover book does not feature Kermit the Frog or other characters from the series. Rather, the song's lyrics are enacted by an undefined, dinosaur-like being. The illustrations also do not feature any other traditional Sesame Street characters and are of a psychedelic nature. The book has been out of print since 1973. He also created the animated series Yok Yok for Swiss television.
Documentary record
Places of activity recorded by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek: Lakeville, Connecticut. and Lausanne.
Identity
Identity
What the record establishes about Étienne Delessert. Étienne Delessert is recorded with the occupation children's writer. Étienne Delessert is recorded with the occupation graphic designer. Étienne Delessert is recorded as a citizen of United States. Étienne Delessert is recorded as a citizen of Switzerland. Étienne Delessert is recorded as writer, illustrator, graphic designer, painter and artist.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1941
Étienne Delessert was born on 4 January 1941.
2024
Étienne Delessert died on 21 April 2024.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Lausanne.
Birth place
Lakeville.
Death place
Published Works
• How the Mouse Was Hit on the Head by a Stone and So Discovered the World, 1971 with Jean Piaget • Ogden Nash's Zoo, 1987 with Ogden Nash • Food, 1989 with Ogden Nash • Silly Stories 1, 2, 3, 4 with Eugene Ionesco • and Jean Piaget (How The Mouse...), to his more recent award-winning A Long Long Song; Ashes, Ashes; Dance!; The Seven Dwarfs; Who Killed Cock Robin?; Humpty Dumpty; Big and Bad • The Seven Dwarfs, 2002 • Moon Theater, 2009 • Night Circus, 2015
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Étienne Delessert (illustrator), revision 1342889993 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast » Blog Archive » Many Questions Over Breakfastwith Etienne Delessert (Why Stop at Six?).
- 2.Lanes, Selma G. Once upon a time, three famous men came into the nursery. The New York Times. 1971-11-07. 0362-4331.
- 3."2006". Hans Christian Andersen Awards. International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). With contemporary material including the 27 March 2006 press release. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- 4."2010". Hans Christian Andersen Awards. IBBY. With contemporary material including the 2010 shortlist press release. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
- 5.Le père de Yok-Yok a perdu son combat contre le cancer. 24 heures. 2024-04-22.
- 6.CDT. Morto l'artista vodese Etienne Delessert. 22 April 2024.
- 7.Etienne Delessert. National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature.
- 8.The Book Cover Review. bookcoverreview.co.uk.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
General reference
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Career and activity. Étienne Delessert worked in illustration, literary activity, children's and young adult literature and graphics. He worked at Lausanne.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Paintings
19,456 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Étienne AubryArtist
- Étienne BuffetArtist
- Étienne CarjatArtist
- Étienne ColaudArtist
- Étienne DumonstierArtist
- Étienne JeauratArtist
- Étienne Léopold TrouvelotArtist
- Étienne ParrocelArtist
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Étienne Delessert?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.