Jez Alborough

Jez once commented: "I write to awaken and realize the child in myself, and hopefully to do so in those who read my books. To me, 'the child' is that part of oneself which is still innocent, heartful, mindless, and unaffected by upbringing and the conditioning of society. When I see some people read my books, I can see the child shining through, and I am happy."

"Some people write children's books for their own children," says Jez. "But I don't have any children. I write books which I know the four year old me would have enjoyed." And it's clear that he remembers the experience well. His rhythmic writing makes his books a joy to read aloud, while his bold, colorful style is humorous and appealing and enormously popular with children. His hilarious picture book WHERE’S MY TEDDY?, together with its sequels IT’S THE BEAR! and MY FRIEND BEAR, have sold more than a million copies.

Jez’s picture books feature rhyming texts and genius drawings of animal characters that teach simple lessons to preschoolers. Jez writes and illustrates from the heart of childhood – which children immediately understand and readers of all ages find endearing. Critics invariably find his illustrations apt, vibrant, and appealing.

"Like a wordless book, the story unfolds through a series of expressive pictures. . . .Alborough makes clear . . . the elation the animals gain from their shared affection." - Publishers Weekly

"In the inimitable world of Jez Alborough, some dogs do fly - and little pups everywhere are encouraged to dream big." - Random House

"Jez Alborough's outstanding illustrations and rapid-fire rhymes put Duck and his friends into a beautifully fun world that is completely unforgettable. With over 20 years in children's books, Alborough has created beloved characters in gorgeous little books. Duck and his friends are no exception." - Zane Ewton/2007 for curled up with a good kid's book

"The animals burst out of the boisterous, colorful pictures," wrote Bina Williams about Captain Duck in School Library Journal, while a Publishers Weekly reviewer praised Duck in the Truck's "infectious, hard-hitting beat with more than a few rhythmic surprises."

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Go to www.jezalborough.com ->

Nicola Bayley

Nicola Bayley is a truly gifted painter, perhaps best known for her loving, detailed illustrations of cats. She has illustrated many acclaimed picture books including The Necessary Cat, The Jungle Book, Katje the Windmill Cat, The Curious Cat and The Mousehole Cat (by Antonia Barber), which was chosen as the British Book Awards Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year in 1991. Nicola lives in London.

Nicola Bayley was born in Singapore and studied art at St Martins and the Royal College of Art. She now lives in south London with her cat, Tikki, and is prospecting her next book illustration project. 

Bayley works in watercolours and uses a stippling technique of small dots, resulting in illustrations lush with exquisite detail.  She works on a very small scale, which makes the intricacy of her work even more extraordinary.

“As is typical of Bayley's style, the masterful use of light, detail, rich color, and texture creates striking and evocative visual effects. The images of the tiger are especially expressive….”  The Jungle Book, School Library Journal

“Collector of all things feline, Bayley …here compiles an eclectic mix of cat facts, quirks and virtues culled from every corner of existence, domestic and foreign, past and present into a unified compendium. Not only do cats turn up in nursery rhymes, paintings, poetry and children's books, but in sayings ("She who denies the cat skimmed milk must give the mouse cream"), advertisements and plant names such as "cat's face" and "catkin." Each spread uses a different format or style of illustration: "Cat Words" includes small line drawings of "cat-o'-nine-tails," "catgut" and "cat's ice" against a beige background in a bingolike grid; in another spread, readers view ornately framed cats rendered in the styles of great masters, such as Rousseau, Goya and Brueghel the Elder, as if perusing an exhibition hall; others present one poem (by the likes of Wordsworth, Farjeon and Yeats) paired with a single painting. Bayley is certainly inclusive; her bewhiskered heroes range from the 50-million-year-old miacid (the cat's first ancestor) to "Sugar," who walked 1500 miles to rejoin her family in Oklahoma, from the Cheshire Cat to the spotted Margay. But more important, her versatile illustrations betray sly humor and a true passion for her subject.
The Necessary Cat, Publisher’s Weekly
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bayley's lovely watercolors with their borders inspired by delft tiles are a delight for the eye. The soft blues and browns coupled with meticulous attention to detail are a perfect match for this gentle, charming tale.
Katie the Windmill Cat, School Library Journal,
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The epilogue describes the Kinderdijk (Children's Dike) built to honor the baby saved by a cat. Like the text, Bayley's (The Necessary Cat) richly detailed artwork not only chronicles the events, but also captures the cat's uncannily human emotions. The panel illustrations, like miniature Dutch paintings, glow with a patina of amber light and parallel the excitement of the text; early scenes show the serene town and domestic life while later paintings chronicle the rising floodwaters, culminating in a wordless spread of cat and baby bobbing precariously in the cradle. Delft tiles in traditional patterns as well as those incorporating images from the story decorate each page. Both art and text infuse this little-known piece of history with warmth and imagination.
Katie the Windmill Cat, Publisher’s Weekly,
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Babette Cole

Hello, my name is Babette Cole and I write and illustrate children's picture books.
I was born on a little island called Jersey in 1950. I went to school in a convent where I spent most of my time drawing pictures and writing stories.

I got fed up with school so I left and went to Art School at Canterbury in England. I left there in 1973 with a first class honours degree. I made friends with Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate who were making Children’s TV programmes for the BBC. They gave me my first proper job drawing for Jackanory and TV comics.

Then, since I had some work published by the BBC, I could go to other publishers with my own books and finally got one published in 1976. It did very well so it wasn't difficult to get books published after that because publishers knew I could make money for them.

Since then I have written over 70 books! The most famous one is called Mummy Laid An Egg. It sold a million copies! I have lived in different parts of the world like Africa and the West Indies. At present I live in Dorset in England.

I have a stud farm in England and I breed Show Hunters which I ride myself. I have been riding show ponies and horses since I was seven years old. I do a lot of side saddle riding - My little horse, Hot Tip, (Scrappit) and I have been the National Champions for the past three years.

"Babette Cole author and illustrator of Children’s Picture Books. Rated in the top three in her profession she is an international best seller."

"Books include 'Mummy laid an Egg' and 'Dr. Dog' both sold over a million copies worldwide."

"Hilarious, wacky illustrations accompanied with rich humorous text."

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Go to www.babette-cole.com ->

Diane Dawson Hearn

Diane Dawson Hearn has illustrated over 50 children's books and has had
three of her own storiespublished.  Her book, "Dad's Dinosaur Day" won the Children's Choice Award. Diane enjoys exploring the many worlds of make believe, telling fanciful or funny stories with her art.

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Mary Peterson

Mary Peterson’s images tell (mostly) funny stories. Her books include award winning Wiggle and Waggle by Caroline Arnold, Charlesbridge Publishing, No Time To Nap by Mike Madison, Heyday Books and Cat On Wheels by Larry Dane Brimner, Boyds Mills Press. Coming in 2010 are Ocean Soup. Tide Pool Poems, by Steve Swinburne and Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch, which she also co-authored, both from Charlesbridge Publishing.

Mary was born and raised in Iowa on a small farm surrounded by cornfields and lots of animals. Those early years in the company of critters large and small continue to provide inspiration for her art. She studied painting at the University of Northern Iowa, moved to Los Angeles where she enjoyed a career as a freelance graphic designer and ultimately discovered her true love, illustrating children’s books.

Mary works in pencil on paper. She then scans the finished pencil drawing and colors the images in Photoshop© and Ilustrator©. She works in a limited palette and brings a bold sense of design to her images.

"Peterson is all-around terrific, tightly cropping her environments to keep the action focused on her characters and conveying a sense of contrasting scale (an unharvested carrot dwarfs the two worms). As for the two leads themselves, they’re spunky, comically gangly, and just vulnerable enough to be adorable." - Publishers Weekly

"The simple illustrations enhance the humor and provide the graphic support that new readers need." - School Library Journal

"Placing her worms in a well-tilled setting among healthy-looking veggies, Peterson endows them with smiles and goggle eyes, plus subtle differences in body color, and for Waggle, a pair of eyeglasses. An altogether agreeable visit to the garden..." - Kirkus Reviews

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Rosemary Wells

Rosemary Wells is the author of a number of popular children's books, most notably the Max and Ruby series which follows the everyday adventures of sibling bunnies - curious three year old Max and bossy seven year old Ruby. She gets the inspiration for Max and Ruby from her two daughters and the experiences they have with friends and school. Her West Highland Terriers Lucy and Snowy have also worked their way into her books, as McDuff and insight for other characters. She has also written Noisy Nora, Yoko, Voyage to the Bunny Planet series, a Christmas Book called Morris's Disappearing Bag and a collected book of illustrations of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs.

Rosemary was born in New York City and grew up on the New Jersey Shore. Most of her childhood was spent outdoors at a time when New Jersey was still small farms and miles of woods. Her mother was a dancer in the Russian Ballet, and her father a playwright and actor. Mrs. Wells says,"Both my parents flooded me with books and stories. My grandmother took me on special trips to the theater and museums in New York. When I was two years old I began to draw and they saw right away the career that lay ahead of me and encouraged me every day of my life. As far back as I can remember, I did nothing but draw."

Described as "a master of the delicate art of story" by School Library Journal reviewer Christy Norris and as "one of the most gifted picture-book illustrators in the United States today" by Jennifer Farley Smith in the Christian Science Monitor, author and illustrator Rosemary Wells has been praised for creating delightful picture and board books and well-received adaptations of classic tales in picture-book form.

"Wells, quite simply, takes the cake." - Publishers Weekly

"Wells's ink-and-watercolor pictures reveal the mischief of the small child with magical power." - Booklist

"It's cause for celebration when rabbit toddler Max and his bossy sister Ruby return to share another holiday with young readers." - School Library Journal, starred review

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Go to www.rosemarywells.com ->