| Lisbeth Zwerger was born in 1954 in Vienna, Austria.
Her father was a graphic artist, and she became a fine arts student at the Applied Arts Academy in Vienna from 1971 until 1974, but did not obtain a degree. At the University, she met and married artist and author, John Rowe.
She works primarily using ink wash drawing, enhanced by water colours with monochromic shades of brown and greyish blue.
She has illustrated some twenty books, and is widely recognized as a superior fairy tale illustrator. The only American stories she has ever illustrated are The Gift of the Magi and The Wizard of Oz.
Her style has changed from sepia, grey, blue, and brown watercolors and ink washes, to brighter watercolors and gouache paints.
Her first book, The Strange Child, was published in 1977 by Michael Nuegebauer. She currently publishes with North-South Books.
She won the 1990 Hans Christian Andersen Award, and a few awards from the Bologna Children's Book Fair. Several of her books were identified by the [New York Times as "Best Illustrated Books of the Year."
Her favourite color is green. | 
