Janosch (real name Horst Eckert) (born March 11, 1931) is one of the best-known German artists and children's book authors. He was born in Hindenburg (now Zabrze, Poland) in Upper Silesia to a family of mixed German and Polish heritage. He said in an interview that he is Silesian and that it is his nationality.

After World War II the family fled to West Germany. In the area of Oldenburg Janosch worked in a textile mill. In 1953 he went to Munich, where he studied for some terms at the Academy of Arts, but broke off his studies eventually. Afterwards he worked as a freelance artist. In 1960 his first book for children was published with George Lentz, who was a friend of his, who also persuaded him to take on the penname Janosch. Within the next 10 years numerous books for children followed with different publishing houses.