A Life Woven
with Stories
Marie Wabbes was born in 1934 in the heart of Brussels. From her earliest days, she had been drawn to art and storytelling. She honed her craft at the prestigious La Cambre art school in Brussels, studying illustration and engraving. By age 19, she had already launched her career as an illustrator: from 1953 to 1968, she filled the youth pages of the Belgian daily Le Soir under the pen name Florence. She spun pen‑and‑ink sketches of everyday life in that bustling newsroom, dreaming of richer tales beyond the newsprint.
A Creative Partnership and Family Life
In 1960, Marie married the renowned Belgian designer Jules Wabbes. Together, they made a village hall their home in Walloon Brabant in 1965, where she still lives today. This home became their haven of creativity, raising four children amidst a blend of modernist design and artistic exploration. Their home was a symphony of art, design, and the joyful chaos of family life.
From Journalism to Children’s Books
By the mid-1960s, Marie turned fully to children’s literature. Her very first picture book – Olivier la Page – was published in 1965, marking the start of a prolific new chapter. Over the next decades, she would write and illustrate over two hundred books for young readers. Early on, she created charming series like La Vache Caroline (The Cow Caroline) and a seasonal Petit Jean saga, bringing whimsical characters to life with soft watercolours and gentle humour. These stories – about curious cows, little rabbits, and friendly animals – charmed Belgian, French and international children, helping her books appear in multiple languages. She even collaborated beyond paper: in the 1960s, she designed colourful fabric patterns for Brussels’ famed Dujardin textile house, “spinning threads into symphonies” of storybook imagery.
Solo Endeavour and Literary Blossoming
Following Jules’ passing in 1974, Marie embraced the challenges of single motherhood. During this period, she channelled her creativity into writing children’s books. Her collaboration with Walker Books led to the beloved “Little Rabbit” series, including titles like Good Night, Little Rabbit, and Little Rabbit’s Garden. These resonated with young readers and established her as a cherished author and illustrator.
Adventures in Africa
In the late 1980s and 90s, Marie Wabbes embarked on journeys that would define much of her legacy. She saw life through a global lens, and Marie became passionate about promoting reading in Africa. She observed that African children needed books “that reflected their own experiences”. In Kinshasa (then Zaire), she organised workshops for local writers and artists, determined to create books that resonated with Congolese classrooms. When local illustrators were scarce, Marie drew the world herself, “weaving words and images that celebrated Africa’s essence”. The first Kinshasa workshop produced a celebrated series of twelve albums in French, Swahili and Lingala (“Un, deux, trois, j’ai lu,” 1989). This success even helped found Zaire’s first Association of Children’s Book Illustrators.
Books That Belong
In 1993, Marie remarried, this time to a diplomat. Marie continued to immerse herself in Africa’s vibrant landscapes and communities by accompanying her husband on his postings. Her passion for children’s literature and education found a new purpose here.
She carried this mission elsewhere. In 1992 and 1995, she led creation seminars in Bamako, Mali. In 1994, she organised workshops for aspiring writers and illustrators, guiding them to create stories that resonated with their experiences and cultures. In Yaoundé in 1994–95, she supervised a six-month training course for Cameroonian artists. Under her guidance, the course gave birth to AILE-Cameroun (the local Authors & Illustrators Association) and launched Éditions Akoma Mba, Cameroon’s first children’s publishing house.
In short, Marie worked to turn young African dreamers into published authors and illustrators. She often quoted the idea that an African child’s book should arise from “the lived experience” of its readers, and she lived that belief in every class and campus she visited.
A Bridge Between Cultures
These years in Africa were simultaneously creative and humanitarian. Marie’s goal was always to empower local educators and students. She provided textbooks and storybooks tailored to each country’s languages and cultures. Thanks to her workshops, many original African stories finally saw print—books crafted by Africans for Africans, directly responding to her conviction that “the pages needed to echo [young Africans’] teaching styles and connect with young hearts”. Today, her influence is honoured across Africa: for example, the Yaoundé children’s book fair (SALIJEY) created a Prix Marie Wabbes in her name, celebrating her decades of advocacy and learning.
Celebrating Childhood
Back in Belgium, Marie Wabbes poured her vision into community and art. She founded and presided over Belgium’s Children’s Book Critics Prize (begun in 1988) and launched the French-speaking Belgian section of IBBY (the International Board on Books for Young People). Through these roles, she championed children’s literacy and quality storytelling. She also became famous for her portraits of beloved teddy bears. As her museum notes fondly, Marie painted teddies whose “stitched hearts beat with love”. She regularly exhibited these gentle bear paintings and other illustrations in galleries – from Brussels and Paris to London and even New York – sharing her tender vision of childhood worldwide.
She also led the Teddy Bears Lovers Club, an association dedicated to the charm of those fluffy friends. In all these activities, she weaves together imagination and kindness, reminding the world that childhood is precious.
Over the years, Marie’s achievements have been recognised with high honours. In 2006, she received the Grand Prix de la Communauté française for her life’s work in children’s literature. In 2014, the prestigious SCAM (Writers’ and Artists’ Society) awarded her a career prize. Most recently, her country formally saluted her lifetime of service. In July 2024, King Philippe appointed Marie Wabbes a Commander in the Order of the Crown, one of Belgium’s highest civilian honours.
Internationally, her contributions continue to inspire new initiatives and awards. Indeed, every book she has made is “a portal to endless possibilities” – a fitting legacy for an author and artist who spent her life opening new worlds for young readers.
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