Sir Quentin Blake was born in 1932 and has drawn ever since he can remember. Quentin Blake’s first drawing was published in Punch when he was just 16. Quentin Blake went to Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School before reading English at Downing College, Cambridge.  After National Service Quentin Blake did a postgraduate teaching diploma at … Continue reading Sir Quentin Blake

Roald Dahl was born in Wales 1916, to Norwegian parents. After a distinguished career as a fighter pilot and diplomat during the Second World War, Roald Dahl settled down to become a fulltime author; first writing popular stories for adults; then, later, retelling many of the stories he made up at bedtime for his own … Continue reading Roald Dahl

Beatrix Potter was born in London in 1866 and grew up living the conventionally sheltered life of a Victorian girl in a well-to-do household. Beatrix Potter was educated at home by a governess with her brother Bertram. Her constant companions were the pet animals she kept which she enjoyed studying and sketching. On summer holidays … Continue reading Beatrix Potter

Sometimes when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how great your feelings are.  But as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not an easy thing to measure. Sam McBratney’s enchanting bedtime story ‘Guess how much I love you’ is illustrated by Anita Jeram, … Continue reading Anita Jeram

Barbara Firth achieved success relatively late in life with her rich, warm, evocative illustrations for children’s books, the most successful being the classic “Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear?” written by Martin Waddell. Barbara Firth grew up in Cheshire and although encouraged in her art at school Barbara Firth never studied it and she delighted in … Continue reading Barbara Firth – You and Me Little Bear