1.. Eric Hill (1927-2014)
" Cartoons must be very simple and have as few words as possible, and so, too, must the 'Spot' books".
- He was evacuated to the countryside during World War I.
- He left school at 14 and worked as an errand boy for an illustrator’s studio where he was encouraged to draw cartoons and comic strips.
- His works have been widely praised for their contributions to child literacy.
- His drawings are known for their simplistic and colourful cartoon-like qualities.
- Best known for his puppy character named Spot. The loveable puppy introduces children to new experiences through friendship and play.
2. Judith Kerr (1923-2019)
- German-born British writer and illustrator, Judith Kerr flew Hitler’s Germany and moved to Britain at the age of 12 – after three years of migration through Europe.
- She later gained a scholarship to the Central School of Arts and Crafts and became an artist.
- Many of Judith's books are based on the quirks of her own pet cats. 'I was amazed by the weird things our cat Mog did'.
- Her most notable picture books include The Tiger Who Came To Tea and the popular Mog series, and children’s novels including When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.
- Her illustrations are admired for their expressive, enchanting nature, perfectly complementing the imaginative narratives of her stories.
3. Pauline Baynes (1922-2008)
“Believe what you like, but don't believe everything you read without questioning it.”
- Pauline Baynes spent the first five years of her life in a remote jungle in India, where her father was stationed in the Indian Civil Service.
- She was as a professional map-maker; a skill put to use in some of her later drawings.
- She contrituted drawins and paintings to more than two hundred books. Most known for her illustrations of C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and J. R. R Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, amongst other titles.
- Her illustrations are praised for their imaginative approach – the dynamic use of colours, space and forms that match the unworldly settings of the stories drawn for.
- Awards : Kate Greenway Medal.
4. Sir Quentin Blake (1932)
“I don't wait for inspiration. I'm not, in fact, quite sure what inspiration is, but I'm sure that if it is going to turn up, my having started work is the precondition of its arrival.”
- He drew from an early age and after sending samples to the satirical magazine Punch, his cartoons were published at just the age of 16.
- He has illustrated over 300 books.
- He is best known for illustrating the incredibly popular Roald Dahl books and more recently, for that of David Walliams.
- As well as illustrating fiction, he has illustrated books about poetry, healthy living and cooking. He has also designed store logos and postage stamps, and drawn on the side of buses. He is patron of several charities.
- Blake has received many accolades throughout his career, most notably a knighthood, the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration, Kate Greenaway Medal, Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for 6 to 8 years, and the Legion d’Honneur He was also Children's laureate from 1999 to 2001.
5. Roger Hargreaves (1935-1988)
“Meow!" said the chicken.”― Mr. Silly
- His original ambition was to be a cartoonist, however, he found himself as a creative director at a London firm.
- Best remembered for the Mr. Men and Little Miss series, intended for very young readers. In total, he wrote and illustrated 46 Mr. Men books and 33 Little Miss books.
- It has been said that Roger's inspiration for the Mr. Men series occurred when his son Adam asked him what a tickle looked like, and in response Roger drew the character that became Mr. Tickle.
6. Nick Sharratt (1962)
"As a general rule the more funny bits in the story the more illustrations it’s likely to get. I’m happier illustrating humorous passages of text than very serious ones"
- He studied graphic design at St. Martin’s School of Art and following this, embarked as a children’s book illustrator.
- He has illustrated for over 200 children’s books, which include some of his own picture books for a younger audience. However, he is largely famed for his partnership with acclaimed children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson, as well as illustrating for Michael Rosen, Giles Andreae. Julia Donaldson or Jeremy Strong.
- Nick Sharratt was chosen to be the official illustrator for World Book Day 2006.
- Notable Works : Shark in the Park, Ketchup on your Cornflakes?, What's In the Witch's Kitchen?, Don't Put Your Finger in the Jelly, Nelly!, Octopus Socktopus and My Mum and Dad make Me Laugh.
7. Elizabeth 'Lucy' Cousins (1964)
"My mum and dad are artists, and they both had studios at home. For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be an artist. I felt an affinity with small children at the age they haven’t been shaped or molded".
- She is best known for her books featuring Maisy Mouse, but she has also published other children's books, such as Jazzy in the Jungle (2002) and one about Noah's Ark.
- She attended the Royal College of Art, where she met Quentin Blake, who encouraged her work and where she developed her sense of design and color that she uses to this day,
- Her books are aimed at preschool-aged children and her "simple and vibrant" illustrations are attractive to the eye of the prereading child
- Cousins won a Booktrust Best Book Award (BBA) in 2014 for Peck,Peck,Peck.
8. Jill Murphy (1949)
“Any other school would be thrilled because they were getting some vital new piece of equipment, but we're all delirious with joy because they've finally put glass in the windows.”
― Jill Murphy, The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star
- She has been called "one of the most engaging writers and illustrators for children in the land".
- Award : Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for 0 to 5 years (1995), Kate Greenaway Medal (1980, 1987 and 1994), Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies Award (1987), Children's Book Award (1986 and 1987)
- Notable works : The Worst Witch series and The Large Family series.
- The Worst Witch stories have become some of the most successful titles on the Young Puffin paperback list and have sold more than three million copies.
9. Helen Oxenbury (1938)
"What drives me? Fear of being bored. My love of illustrating, which is almost an obsession, and my desire to get better at it."
- She is a two-time winner and four-time runner up for the annual Kate Greenaway Medal, the British librarians' award for illustration. For the 50th anniversary of that Medal (1955–2005) her 1999 illustrated edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was named one of the top ten winning works.
- Notable Works : So much, Ten little fingers Ten little toes, All fall down, Say Goodnight, Clap Hands, We're going on a bear hunt, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
10. Peggy Fortnum (1919-2016)
"The line has to be expressive. I do lots of drawings. Humorous drawing is more difficult than any other kind of drawing"
- She worked as a painter, teacher and a textile designer before making the full-time transition to an illustrator. In total, she has illustrated nearly 80 books but she is best known for her drawings of the original Paddington Bear for the first in the series – A Bear Called Paddington.
- She was badly injured in a transport accident when she fell through a broken door and her leg was run over by a lorry. After a long convalescence, she returned to art school at the Central School of Art in Londno where she met Judith Kerr.
- When she used to reply enthusiastic mail from her fans, she always added a drawing of the bear from Peru, with his hat.