Sempé is best known in the French-speaking world as the illustrator of the beloved “Le petit Nicolas” books.
In the United States and other parts of the world, he is also known as the person who drew the most cover images for The New Yorker magazine than anyone else.
Sempé began his career as a newspaper cartoonist in Paris in the 1950s before meeting René Goscinny, best known as the co-creator of Asterix. The two began to collaborate and then created “Le petit Nicolas”.
The many books about the boy Nicolas in an idealized French 1950s are aimed primarily at children, but are also read and loved by many adults. They have sold over 15 million copies and have also been filmed.
In 1978 he got a job at The New Yorker, and since then has illustrated over 120 front pages for the American newspaper.