Cressida Cowell Books In Order

Publication Order of How to Train Your Dragon Books

Publication Order of How To Train Your Dragon Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of How To Train Your Dragon Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of How To Train Your Dragon: Hidden World Books

Publication Order of Emily Brown Books

Publication Order of The Wizards of Once Books

Publication Order of Super Sue Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Children's Books

Cressida Cowell is a renowned English children’s author. She was born in London on 15th April, 1966 to Michael Hare, 2nd Viscount Blakenham. Cowell grew up in London on a small uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland where she began developing her writing and drawing talents. She studied English in Keble College, Oxford and also learnt illustration in Brighton University and Saint Martin’s School of Art.
Her books are mainly drawn from her early childhood holidays spent on the island. Cowell’s books mainly target young children as well as young adults. Cressida Cowell is married to Simon Cowell and has three children.

Books and Characters
Most of the characters in some of Cowell’s books bear names that describe the character of the given person. Cressida Cowell is responsible for illustrations for most of her books but has also worked with other illustrators like Neal Layton. How to Train your Dragon series and Emily Brown series are some of her most notable works. The books mainly target a young audience and are portrayed by fantasy, fiction and adventures.

How to Train your Dragon series
This is a series of about twelve children’s books authored by Cressida Cowell. The books were published by Little, Brown and Company in the US and Hodder Children’s Books in the UK. The series revolve around the adventures of the lead character, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. The book series has fictional Viking world kind of setting, the location according to .Two of earliest books in the series include How to Train your Dragon (2003) and How to Be A Pirate (2004). Hiccup is the son of the Chief of the Hairy Hooligans and is misconceived to being useless and weak by everyone. His thin physique and red hair only asserts to the misconception. However, he later comes out as a witty character who becomes the first person to speak and understand the language of the dragons, Dragonese, earning himself the title “Dragon Whisperer”. Additionally, Hiccup is a good swordfighter given that he is left handed; he also emerges as the best Viking hero of all time.
The first book traces Hiccup’s unsuccessful trials in training his dragon, Toothless. Berk’s tradition dictates that the boys must capture and train dragons or risk being exiled. The only guide book on training dragons is only one page thus unhelpful thus Hiccup uses his own methods. A fight between all dragons is sparked by Toothless, who is offended by another dragon, in the final stage of the rite of passage. This causes Hiccup and the boys to be exiled. Luckily, due to a raging storm they are allowed to spend one night. Green Death, Purple Death and one other sea dragon are washed ashore; Hiccup is picked to negotiate with Green Death who has already swallowed one of the dragons. Hiccup, the boys accompanied by their dragons start a fight between the Green Death and the Purple Death. Hiccup is saved by Toothless from almost being swallowed and the two manage to kill the two sea dragons and become instant heroes.
The second book, Hiccup discovers the coffin of Grimbeard the Ghastly, who is the greatest pirate of all times, on a boat. Locked inside is Alvin the Treacherous who claims to have found a riddle and a map regarding the location of the treasure of Grimbeard the Ghastly and that also claims that he was locked in the coffin by some rude persons. This leads them to the Isle of Skullions, an island home to dragons called Skullions who have a keen sense of smell despite them being deaf, blind and flightless. The book involves his earliest struggles in mastering sword fighting, dealing with homicidal dragons and shipwrecks.

Emily Brown series
This children’s picture book series is about the adventures of Emily Brown and Stanley, her side-kick bunny. That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown (2006) and Emily Brown and the Thing (2007) are two of the earliest books in the series.
In the first book, That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown, Cowell describes the pair as inseparable going on adventures together every day. However, one evening Queen Gloriana tries to buy the floppy gray stuffed rabbit from her in exchange for a new golden bear. The Queen’s attempts through her workers are futile as Emily refuses every offer. Until Stanley “bunnywunny” is stolen by the Queen while Emily is asleep. Emily demands her Stanley back and teaches the queen on how to love a special toy of her very own.
The second book in the series, Emily Brown and the Thing, sees the pair on yet another adventure on trying to help the “Thing” get sleep. The two find a “Thing” crying outside their window, he can’t seem to get any sleep. Emily and Stanley try to give him his medicine, bedtime milk but none of them seems to work.

TV and Film Productions
Cressida Cowell books have won the hearts of many readers over the years. Some of her book series have been adapted to TV series as well as animation films. Notably, the How to Train your Dragon series has been made into a franchise comprising of several short stories, two feature films bearing the same name and two animated TV series created by Netflix and DreamWorks Animation.

Awards and Recognition
“That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown”, which is the first book in the Emily Brown series won the Nestlé Children’s Book Prize, Gold Award in 2006. It was also long listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal as well as short listed for the Booktrust Early Years Awards.

Cowell also won the Contributions in the Fight Against Stupidity Award by “Philosophy Now” magazine in 2015.

The How to Train your Dragon film based on Cowell’s book series won a couple of awards including ten Annie Awards’, a Visual Effects Society Award, a Genesis Award for “Best Feature Film” among others. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for the “Best Original Score” as well as the “Best Animated Feature” and also for two BAFTA – British Academy Film Awards. Its sequel also received several awards including a Golden Globe Award, six Annie Awards and a National Board of Review award among others.

Conclusion
Cressida Cowell has claimed her spot as one of the best children’s books author of our times. Coupled with remarkable illustrations, detailed plots and easy to understand language, her books portray a masterly in story-telling.