Miroslav Šašek


Miroslav Šašek was a Czech emigre author and illustrator, best known for a series of books for children titled This Is..., which he signed M. Sasek.
Šašek's family background was in milling: the family operated the "Lucký mlýn" mill at Chodovlice in northwest Bohemia. His father worked as an insurance agent to the south of Prague in Sedlčany, but died in 1926, after which he moved with his mother to Prague.In 1947 Miroslav Šašek left with his wife Jindřiška to Paris and started studying at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He finished the illustrations for the Czech edition of Chevallier's novel Zvonokosy and began to draw a tourist guide for the town for the Czech publishing house Ladislav Kuncíř, but only for preparatory work. where he worked for Radio Free Europe from 1951 to 1957. This Is Paris appeared in 1959, starting what ultimately grew into a series of eighteen books. Šašek's This Is London received the New York Times Choice of Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year in 1959, as did This Is New York in 1960. This Is New York also received the Boy's Club of America Junior Books Award in 1961, while This Is the United Nations appeared on the International Board on Books for Young People Honor List in 1979.
In addition to texts and illustrations, Miroslav Šašek is the author of book covers and graphic design of many books abroad and in our country.
Before his death, Miroslav Šašek lived in Paris, died in Wettingen near Zurich with his sister