Children's book author and illustrator Janosch dies at the age of 95

Inventor of the Tiger Duck Children's book author and illustrator Janosch died As of: November 4th, 2026 • 10:57 a.m

Lovingly illustrated stories with heart - that is the trademark of Janosch's children's books. Now Horst Eckert - as the illustrator and writer's real name is - has died in Tenerife at the age of 95.

The writer and illustrator Janosch is dead. He died on Tuesday at the age of 95 in Tenerife, as his Tübingen publisher Bernhard Feil announced.

Since the 1970s, the artist has delighted children all over the world with lovingly illustrated books such as “Oh, how beautiful is Panama.” His works have been translated into numerous languages ​​and sold millions of copies.

The inventor of the tiger duck influenced generations of children. Janosch describes his own childhood as “hell”. more

Janosch became a brand - especially thanks to his characters tiger, bear and tiger duck. They have been successfully marketed under license and adorn cups, bicycles, pacifiers and much more.

After the brilliant success of his books, Janosch retreated to the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife in the 1980s.

Janosch created children's stories such as "Oh, how beautiful is Panama" and "Mail for the Tiger" as well as the well-known character of the Tiger Duck.

The artist was born Horst Eckert in 1931 and spent much of his childhood in Upper Silesia in what is now Poland, characterized by poverty, violence and his father's alcohol addiction. His children's stories are like an antithesis to this difficult time, which he himself tried to suppress with alcohol for a long time: they are funny, anarchically cheeky and often a little wistful. His characters defend themselves against oppression and injustice - courageously, mischievously and with a lot of heart.

“With Janosch, they become heroes that no one else pays attention to,” wrote Zeit editor Tillmann Prufer in the afterword to the book “Mr. Wondrak saves the world, yay!”. It brings together Janosch's columns in Zeit magazine, in which his alter ego Wondrak has commented on current events since 2013.

In his works for adults, Janosch gives insights into his harsh childhood, for example in the novel "Cholonek or the Good Lord Made of Clay". “The first years of my life were the total destruction of myself,” he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Janosch also wrote plays and illustrated, among other things, the spicy stories of the French nobleman Marquis de Sade.

This topic in the program: tagesschau24 | News | November 4, 2026 | 11:00 a.m