Hélène Magisson is a critically acclaimed French-Australian illustrator of many books for children. Before Hélène turned to book illustration, she was a painting restorer in Paris, where she was also trained in the art of medieval illumination. Hélène’s children’s books are widely known and loved across the world. Her timeless style lends itself beautifully to classics, such as The Velveteen Rabbit (New Frontier, 2021), and also universal contemporary stories, such as Before You Were Born (HarperCollins, 2020).

Hélène is frequently recognised by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. She was awarded the CBCA 2020 Notable Picture Book of the Year Award for Little Puggle’s Song, written by Vikki Conley. She also won the 2025 Speech Pathology Award for Willow’s Gumboots, which was written by Beverley McWilliams and published by MidnightSun in 2024.