Hideko Takahashi

Fine Arts - 1994

Hideko Takahashi ('94) was born in Osaka, Japan, where she fondly recalls drawing and watching TV at the same time - which she still enjoys to this day.

Schooled in Kyoto, she later moved to the U.S. in 1990 to attend Otis. After graduation, she began to work as a freelance illustrator. Since then, she has illustrated many children's books, including Beach Play, Good Night God Bless, Hot Dog on TV, Lull-a-bye Little One, The Ding Dong Clock, In My New Yellow Shirt, My Loose Tooth and Come to My Party and Other Shape Poems, Matthew's Truck and Princess Fun. ...

Hideko's tongue-in-cheek "specialty" includes playful illustrations of children, dogs, and bugs.

Lynn Plourde, author of Snow Day, writes of Takahashi, "Hideko's illustrations have such kid-appeal and look deceptively simple (with basic colors and shapes), but they are filled with fun angles and perspectives and amazing details (cards look like real playing cards, and a braided rug is so textured you want to touch it)."

In 2001, Takahashi moved to her adopted home of Seattle, which is now her favorite city.