Tomi Ungerer - a life in pictures

The Mellops Go Diving for Treasure (1957) Ungerer made his name with a series of books about an adventurous family of French pigs called the Mellops. Mr Mellop finds an intriguing letter in the attic, giving a set of co-ordinates for some lost treasure, and the family goes on a great adventure to find it Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images The Mellops Go Diving for Treasure (1957) After diving to retrieve the treasure from a sunken ship, the Mellops need help from a lovely merpig. Her charming music lulls to sleep a dangerous octopus who lives in the shipwreck Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images The Mellops Go Diving for Treasure (1957) Their boat wrecked and their raft lost, the pigs find themselves trapped on a desert island. In due course they are rescued, but not before they have learned a valuable lesson: 'riches are no good to people stranded on a desert island with nothing to buy' Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images The Mellops Strike Oil (1958) After the Mellops stumble upon a potential oil field, Casimir, Felix, Isidor and Ferdinand work together to build a derrick under their father's instructions. But they soon find that drilling for oil is not as easy as it looks ... Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images The Three Robbers (1963) The big bad robbers make their living robbing carriages of their gold. But this carriage contains no treasure, just a lonely little girl called Tiffany, who is on the way to live with her wicked Aunt. She isn't scared at all, but delighted to be rescued and soon she is teaching them right from wrong Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images The Three Robbers (1963) The robbers take Tiffany back to their cave in the mountains where they make her so comfortable that she falls into a peaceful sleep Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images The Three Robbers (1963) Tiffany shows the robbers how to put their stolen riches to good use, building a castle for all unhappy and abandoned children. Ungerer describes his children’s stories as fables, saying 'There’s always a message' Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images Moon Man (1966) When he sees people on Earth enjoying themselves, Moon Man dives down to join all the fun. But when he arrives, people think he's an invader and lock him up in jail, where he gets thinner and thiner, until ... Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images Moon Man (1966) Helped by the forgotten scientist Doktor Bunsen van der Dunkel, the Moon Man returns home, realising that he could never live comfortably down on Earth anyway Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images No Kiss for Mother (1973) This illustration, the cover of the book, shows a grumpy little kitten called Piper Paw, who hates to be kissed Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images No Kiss for Mother (1973) Piper Paw flies into a terrible rage when he is woken from a dream by a kiss from Mother Paw Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images No Kiss for Mother (1973) As well has hating to be kissed, Piper Paw gets into all sorts of trouble at school. He regularly gets in catfights, and this picture shows him catapulting a marble right out of the frame Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images No Kiss for Mother (1973) Ungerer brought mayhem to children's books with scenes of fighting, bloodshed, catapults and smoking. Even though it's in black and white, this picture is about as colourful as mischief can get Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images Far Out Isn't Far Enough (1983) As well as his fables, Ungerer has written books about his own life. This book records his quirky and pioneering attempt at self-sufficiency on an isolated peninsula on the Canadian coast Photograph: Phaidon Press Limited Photograph: Action images Otto - The Autobiography of a Teddy Bear (1999) Otto, a German-born teddy bear, is separated from his Jewish owner before the second world war. Here, Otto types up his story, after being reunited at long last with his original owner, a Jewish boy called David. Ungerer wasn't Jewish but was born in Alsace, a part of France where invading Nazis tried to ban the speaking of French Photograph: Phaidon Photograph: Action images