When I was small, I spent most of my time drawing and painting, and making library tickets for my books. As I got older, I continued to draw and paint - gaining a First Class honours degree in Fine Art from Liverpool, followed by an MA with distinction from the Royal College of Art.
I then brandished very big paint brushes on film sets, often from very tall ladders. This made my arms ache and my legs wobbly, so I climbed down and bought some very small brushes. Around this time I became a mum, and my two boys demanded I read them three picture books every bedtime. We got library tickets and spent a lot of time in the library choosing stories… and this gave me the idea of what to do with those small brushes…
In 2009 I won the Waterstone’s Picture This competition. The prize was to illustrate Freddie and the Fairy for Julia Donaldson. Happily, this meant that I could still spend most of my time drawing and painting as other picture books followed – and now I write too.
My own books no longer have library tickets, but I work part time as a primary school librarian, where I joyfully stamp and scan books, and read stories to a never ending supply of small children.
I live in Bristol with my family and Dr Calamari the cat.
awards
Winner Inclusive Books for Children Awards 2024 Picture Books
Shortlist - Spark! Book Awards 2024
Longlist - UKLA Book Awards 2024
Longlist Little Rebels Book Award 2024
Longlist - Derby Children's Book Award 2024
Shortlist Nevada Young readers Award 2023
American Library Association - Schneider Family Honor Book 2023
Shortlist - UKLA Book Awards 2022
Shortlist - Little Rebel Book Awards 2022
Cambridge Read It Again Picture Book Award 2014
Winner Waterstone’s Picture This Competition 2009
clients
Faber and Faber
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. US
Macmillan Children’s Books
Welbeck Children’s Books
Welbeck Flame. US
Hachette Children’s Books
Oxford University Press
John Pawson
The Jewish Museum, London
Pop Up Projects
exhibitions
A Squash and a Squeeze: sharing stories with Julia Donaldson. Seven Stories, Newcastle 2012
The Illustrators: curated by Julia Donaldson. The Park Gallery, Falkirk 2011
education
MA (distinction) Fine Art Royal College of Art
BA Hons First Class Fine Art Liverpool Polytechnic
