Hanna Czajkowska-Kroczewska (born July 22, 1917, in Warsaw – died February 1, 1991, in Warsaw) was a Polish graphic artist, illustrator, and painter, and a representative of the Polish School of Illustration.
She began her studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in 1939, but due to the war, she completed her education later, receiving her diploma in 1955. She studied painting under Tadeusz Pruszkowski, and graphic arts under the guidance of Jan Marcin Szancer.
Czajkowska quickly began working with publishers specializing in children’s literature and remained active in the field throughout her career. She was closely associated with the publishing house Nasza Księgarnia, and illustrated over 100 books for children.
Although she never visited Sweden, she became especially well known for her illustrations for Swedish children’s literature, most notably Astrid Lindgren’s The Children of Noisy Village, Nils Karlsson Pyssling, and Karlsson-on-the-Roof. Another of her most recognized works is Pierwsza czytanka (First Reader) by Irena Słońska, which was reprinted 17 times and illustrated jointly with Witold Popławski.
Among the many authors whose books she illustrated are Hanna Ożogowska, Helena Bechlerowa, Czesław Janczarski, Joanna Papuzińska, Adam Bahdaj, Mira Jaworczakowa, and Alexander Pushkin. She also collaborated with the children’s magazine Miś, contributing approximately 500 illustrations.
Her artistic style was characterized by clean, vivid colors and a tendency toward simplification and stylization, often using line drawing. Illustrator and editor Ignacy Witz, in his study Graphics in Books by Nasza Księgarnia, described Czajkowska as the most prolific Polish graphic artist, and praised her poetic visual style as being perfectly attuned to the psychology of young children.
Though best known for her illustration work, Hanna Czajkowska also painted oil paintings, mostly landscapes and flowers, created privately for friends and family.
Her work was exhibited numerous times both in Poland and abroad. She lived and worked her entire life in Warsaw, in the Żoliborz district.
The Children of Noisy Village (1957), Nils Karlsson Pyssling, Karlsson-on-the-Roof – Astrid Lindgren
First Reader – Irena Słońska
The Little Hare from the Broken Mirror – Helena Bechlerowa
Here is Kasia (1959) – Mira Jaworczakowa
The Tale of the Fisherman and the Golden Fish – Alexander Pushkin
