Toon Tellegen
Antonius Otto Hermannus (Toon) Tellegen (born 18 November 1941) is a Dutch writer, poet, and physician, known for children's books, especially those featuring anthropomorphised animals, particularly those about an ant and a squirrel. His writings are also enjoyed by adults, due to the amusing, bizarre situations that Tellegen creates, as well as their dealings with philosophical subjects. For his lasting contribution as a children's writer, Tellegen was a finalist for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2006.
Toon Tellegen

axesjazzpower · 141012 Axes concert: Toon Tellegen Wisselend Toonkwintet · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Toon Tellegen
- Birth Name
- Antonius Otto Hermannus Tellegen
- Occupation
- Poet, writer
- Full name
- Antonius Otto Hermannus Tellegen.
- Born
- 1941. · Brielle.
- Nationality
- Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- Fields
- children's.
- Education
- Utrecht University.
- Honours
- Staatsprijs voor kinder- en jeugdliteratuur, ANV-Visser Neerlandia prize for drama, Gouden Uil Jeugdliteratuur, Constantijn Huygens Prize, Jan Campert Prize for poetry and Theo Thijsen Award.
- Languages
- Dutch.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Antonius Otto Hermannus (Toon) Tellegen (born 18 November 1941) is a Dutch writer, poet, and physician, known for children's books, especially those featuring anthropomorphised animals, particularly those about an ant and a squirrel. His writings are also enjoyed by adults, due to the amusing, bizarre situations that Tellegen creates, as well as their dealings with philosophical subjects. For his lasting contribution as a children's writer, Tellegen was a finalist for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2006.
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Note VALÉORINE
Toon Tellegen (born 1941) is a Dutch actor, children's writer and physician, among other activities. The actor was born Antonius Otto Hermannus Tellegen in Brielle.
Toon Tellegen studied at Utrecht University. The actor worked in Amsterdam and Utrecht.
Genres include children's and children's literature. Languages used include Dutch. Toon Tellegen received ANV-Visser Neerlandia prize for drama, Constantijn Huygens Prize and Golden Owl, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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Authority files
wikidata · Q719671 · wikipedia · Toon Tellegen
In this article
Biography
Biography
Toon Tellegen studied at Utrecht University. The recorded working language is Dutch. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are children's. Places of work recorded in the authority are Utrecht and Amsterdam. Distinctions recorded are Staatsprijs voor kinder- en jeugdliteratuur, ANV-Visser Neerlandia prize for drama, Gouden Uil Jeugdliteratuur and Constantijn Huygens Prize.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Toon Tellegen • Birth Name — Antonius Otto Hermannus Tellegen • Occupation — Poet, writer
Biography
Biography
Tellegen was born in Brielle. He studied medicine at the University of Utrecht, and worked as a general practitioner in Amsterdam. After writing for many years mainly for adults, Tellegen switched to children's stories. His first children's book, written in 1984, was Er ging geen dag voorbij: negenenveertig verhalen over de eekhoorn en de andere dieren (English: Not A Day Went By: forty-nine tales of the squirrel and other animals). In these stories, the ant and the squirrel often play the lead role, and many of his stories touch on philosophical concepts. Tellegen still writes today.
Other prose
Other prose
• 1989 – Langzaam, zo snel als zij konden (Slowly, as Fast as They Could) • 1994 – Twee oude vrouwtjes (Two Old Ladies) (illustrations by André Sollie) • 1998 – Dora. Een liefdesgeschiedenis. (Dora: A Love Story) • 2000 – De trein naar Pavlovsk en Oostvoorne (The Train To Pavlovsk and Oostvoorne) • 2000 – Enkele onwaarschijnlijke aantekeningen van Dante Alighieri bij het schrijven van zijn goddelijke komedie (Some unlikely notes of Dante Alighieri while writing his Divine Comedy) • 2002 – Brieven aan Doornroosje (Letters to Sleeping Beauty) • 2008 – Een nieuwe tijd (A New Age) – Grafisch Nederland 2008, novelette • 2014 – Het verlangen van de egel (The Desire of the Hedgehog)
Poetry
Poetry
• 1980 – De zin van een liguster • 1981 – De aanzet tot een web • 1982 – Beroemde scherven • 1984 – De andere ridders • 1985 – Ik en ik • 1987 – Mijn winter • 1989 – In N. en andere gedichten • 1991 – Een langzame val • 1992 – Een dansschool • 1994 – Tijger onder de slakken • 1998 – Gewone gedichten • 1996 – Als we vlammen waren • 1997 – Over liefde en over niets anders • 1999 – Er ligt een appel op een schaal. Anthology • 2000 – Gedichten 1977-1999. Collected poems. • 2000 – Kruis en munt • 2001 – De een en de ander • 2001 – Een man en een engel. Uitg. Landgraaf, Herik; circulation of 399 copies. • 2002 – Alleen liefde • 2002 – Wie A zegt. Gedichten • 2004 – Minuscule oorlogen (niet met het blote oog zichtbaar) • 2004 – Daar zijn woorden voor. Anthology. Edition by Rainbow pockets. • 2005 –...m n o p q... • 2006 – Raafvogels; English: Raptors (Manchester: Carcanet Press, 2011) • 2008 – Hemels en vergeefs
Drama
Drama
• 1966 – Jimmy Walker. Debut. • 1980 – Wespen • 2007 – Leven met een onbekende. • 2009 - Twee oude vrouwtjes.
Identity
Identity
Toon Tellegen is recorded as having received Staatsprijs voor kinder- en jeugdliteratuur, ANV-Visser Neerlandia prize for drama and Gouden Uil Jeugdliteratuur. Recorded at birth as Antonius Otto Hermannus Tellegen.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1998
Toon Tellegen - Mijn Avonturen Door V. Swchwrm (1998) is digitised and catalogued by Open Library.
1998
Toon Tellegen - Mijn Avonturen Door V. Swchwrm digitised by Open Library.
Children's books
Children's books
• 1984 - Er ging geen dag voorbij. Negenenveertig verhalen over de eekhoorn en de andere dieren (Not A Day Goes By: forty-nine tales of the squirrel and other animals)' • 1985 – "Ik ga op reis" zei de eekhoorn ("I'm Going on a Trip" said the squirrel). Uitgave Amstelveen, Zondagsdrukkers; op 45 exx. • 1987 – Toen niemand iets te doen had (When nobody had any anything to do) • 1990 – Het feest op de maan (The Party on the Moon) • 1991 – Misschien waren zij nergens (Maybe they were nowhere) • 1991 – Juffrouw Kachel (Ms. Heater) • 1993 – Bijna iedereen kon omvallen (Almost Everyone Could Fall Over) • 1993 – Jannes • 1994 – Mijn vader (My Dad) • 1995 – De verjaardag van de eekhoorn (The Squirrel's Birthday) • 1995 – Misschien wisten zij alles. 214 verhalen over de eekhoorn en de andere dieren (Maybe they knew everything: 214 tales of the squirrel and other animals) (includes a CD where Tellegen reads a number of stories) • 1996 – Brieven aan niemand anders (Letters to No-one Else) • 1996 – De ontdekking van de honing (The Honey Discovery) • 1996 – De verschrompeling van de olifant (The Shrinking of the Elephant) • 1996 – Teunis (Evening) • 1997 – Dokter Deter (Doctor Soap) • 1998 – Mijn avonturen door V. Swchwrm (My Adventures Through V. Swchwrm) (first published as kinderboekenweekgeschenk) • 1998 – De verjaardag van alle anderen (Everyone Elses Birthday) • 1999 – De genezing van de krekel (The Healing of the Cricket) • 2000 – Ze sliepen nog (They're Still Sleeping) • 2001 – Taartenboek (Cakebook) • 2002 – Is er dan niemand boos? (Is Nobody Mad?) • 2004 – Plotseling ging de olifant aan (Suddenly The Elephant Turned On) • 2006 – De eenzaamheid van de egel (The Loneliness of the Hedgehog) • 2007 – Post voor iedereen (Mail for Everyone) (illustrations by Mance Post) • 2007 – Dierenverhalen van Toon Tellegen & het wisselend toonkwintet (Animal Tales by Toon Tellegen & the Variable Tone Quintet) (Audio CD) • 2007 – Ik zal je nooit vergeten (I'll Never Forget You) • 2008 – Morgen was het feest (Tomorrow Was the Festival). With illustrations by Ingrid Godon. • 2009 – Het vertrek van de mier (The Ant's Departure) • 2009 – Iedereen was er (Everyone Was There) • 2009 - Maar niet uit het hart. Dierenverhalen over afscheid. (But Not From The Heart: Animal Tales about Farewells) • 2009 - Met hart en ziel. Dierenverhalen voor elk feest. (With Heart and Soul: Animal Stories for Every Festival) • 2009 - Een hart onder de riem. Dierenverhalen vol troost. (Heartening Animal Stories) • 2009 - Na aan het hart. Dierenverhalen vol vriendschap. (Close to the Heart: Animal Stories Full of Friendship) • 2009 - Beterschap. Dierenverhalen over ziekte en gezondheid. (Get well: Animal Stories of Sickness and Health) • 2009 - Welterusten. Dierenverhalen over slaap en sluimer. (Good night: Animal Stories of Sleep and Slumber) • 2009 - Goede reis. Dierenverhalen over vertrek en aankomst. (Safe Journey: Animal Stories of Departure and Arrival) • 2009 - Houd moed. Dierenverhalen over verdriet en eenzaamheid. (Keep Courage: Animal Stories of Sorrow and Loneliness) • Boxer Books collections Boxer Books Ltd of London has published in Britain, and distributed in America, several collections of Tellegen's animal stories illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg and translated by Martin Cleaver. For the first, Cleaver won the biennial Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation in 2011. • Letters to Anyone and Everyone (2009) – Marsh Award, • The Squirrel's Birthday and Other Parties (2009), • Far Away Across the Sea (2010), • A Great and Complicated Adventure (2013), Books in English • 2014 – The Day No One Was Angry (Gecko Press), • 2021 – No One Is Angry Today (Gecko Press),
Digitised editions and texts
Primary material
Digitised editions and texts
Toon Tellegen - Mijn Avonturen Door V
Recognition and collections
Where the work is held
Recognition and collections
Toon Tellegen received Staatsprijs voor kinder- en jeugdliteratuur, ANV-Visser Neerlandia prize for drama, Gouden Uil Jeugdliteratuur, Constantijn Huygens Prize, Jan Campert Prize for poetry and Theo Thijsen Award.
Holdings and surviving copies
Where the work is held
Holdings and surviving copies
Toon Tellegen - Mijn Avonturen Door V.
Prizes
• 1969 - ANV-Visser Neerlandia-prijs for Als moeder ergens ziek van wordt (When Mother Gets Sick of Something) • 1988 - Gouden Griffel for Toen niemand iets te doen had (When nobody had anything to do) • 1990 - Zilveren Griffel for Langzaam, zo snel zij konden (Slowly, as fast as they could) • 1992 - Woutertje Pieterse Prijs for Juffrouw Kachel (Ms. Heater) • 1993 - Jan Campertprijs for Een dansschool (A Dance School) • 1994 - Woutertje Pieterse Prijs for Bijna iedereen kon omvallen (Almost Everyone Could Fall Over) • 1994 - Gouden Griffel for Bijna iedereen kon omvallen (Almost Everyone Could Fall Over) • 1994 - Zilveren Griffel for Jannes • 1997 - Theo Thijssen-prijs for his complete works • 1997 - Zilveren Griffel for Teunis • 1999 - Zilveren Griffel for De verjaardag van alle anderen (Everyone Else's Birthday) • 2000 - Gouden Uil for De Genezing van de Krekel (The Healing of the Cricket) • 2006 - Finalist, Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writers • 2007 - Constantijn Huygensprijs for his complete works • 2011 - Popescu Prize for Raptors
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
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."2006". Hans Christian Andersen Awards. International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). With contemporary material including the 27 March 2006 press release. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
- 2.woutertjepieterseprijs.nl. Woutertje Pieterse Prijs 1992.
- 3.woutertjepieterseprijs.nl. Woutertje Pieterse Prijs 1994.
- 4.The Day No One Was Angry Children's Book Gecko Press. geckopress.com.
- 5.Het verlangen van de egel, Toon Tellegen | 9789021456157 | Boeken | bol.com. www.bol.com.
- 6."Raptors". Library of Congress Catalog Record. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q719671: Toon TellegenWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
People, houses and institutions
Knowledge graph
People, houses and institutions
Teachers, collaborators, publishers and institutions recorded against this person, each on a stated basis.
Studied at
1- Utrecht UniversityOrganisation
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
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 16 August 2026.
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