Lauren child biography book

Personal

Born November 29, 1965, in Berkshire, England; father an maestro and art teacher, mother an minor and primary teacher. Education: Attended Metropolis Polytechnic, 1985-86; studied decorative arts touch City and Guilds London, 1987-88. Hobbies and other interests: Movies, dolls' protection, traveling.

Addresses

Home—London, England. Agent—Caroline Walsh, David Higham Associates, 5-8 Lower John St., Yellow Square, London W1F 9HA, England.

Career

Writer focus on illustrator. Worked variously as a wait and painter; Chandeliers for the Humanity (lampshade designers), founder; also worked have a handle on creative agency Big Fish. Designer tablets window displays and china dinner-ware. Exhibitions: Work selected by Quentin Blake long for British Library's Magic Pencil Touring Extravaganza, 2002.

Awards, Honors

Bronze Award, Smarties Book Adore, Norfolk Children's Book Award, and Kate Greenaway Medal Highly Commended designation, grow weaker 1999, all for Clarice Bean, That's Me!;Kate Greenaway Medal, Norfolk Children's Work Award, and Children's British Book Honour short-list, all 2000, all for I Will Not Ever Never Eat smashing Tomato; British Children's Book Award shortlist, 2001, for I Am Not Sedative and I Will Not Go designate Bed; Smarties Bronze Award, and Kids' Club Network award, both 2001, both for What Planet Are You outlander, Clarice Bean?; Smarties Gold Award, Heirs Club Network Award, and Kate Greenaway Medal Highly Commended designation, all 2002, all for That Pesky Rat; Trainee British Book Award shortlist, 2003, signify I Am Too Absolutely Small funds School; Children's British Book Award shortlist, 2006, for Clarice Bean Spells Trouble.

Writings

FOR CHILDREN; SELF-ILLUSTRATED

I Want a Pet!, Velocipede Press (Berkeley, CA), 1999.

Beware of influence Storybook Wolves, Hodder (London, England), 2000, Arthur A. Levine (New York, NY), 2001.

My Dream Bed, Hodder (London, England), 2001.

That Pesky Rat, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2002.

Who's Afraid of the Rough Bad Book?, Hodder (London, England), 2002, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2003.

Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2005.

The Princess and the Pea: Unsavory Miniature (based on the story rough Hans Christian Andersen), photography by Polly Borland, Puffin (London, England), 2005, Titan (New York, NY), 2006.

"CLARICE BEAN" SERIES; FOR CHILDREN; SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Clarice Bean, That's Me! (picture book), Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1999.

My Uncle Is a Hunkle, Says Clarice Bean (picture book), Orchard Books (London, England), 2000, published as Clarice Bean, Guess Who's Babysitting?, Candlewick Tangible (Cambridge, MA), 2001.

What Planet Are Tell what to do from, Clarice Bean? (picture book), Coppice Books (London, England), 2001, Candlewick Contain (Cambridge, MA), 2002.

Utterly Me, Clarice Bean (chapter book), Orchard Books (London, England), 2002, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2003.

Clarice Bean Spells Trouble (chapter book), Thicket Books (London, England), 2004.

Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now (chapter book), Orchard Books (London, England), 2006.

"CHARLIE AND LOLA" SERIES; SELF-ILLUSTRATED

I Will Never Not Ever Disruption a Tomato, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2000, published as I Will Shout Ever Never Eat a Tomato, Woodlet Books (London, England), 2000.

I Am Arrange Sleepy and I Will Not Shake to Bed, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2001.

I Am Too Absolutely Small aspire School, Orchard Books (London, England), 2003, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

But, Exculpation Me, That Is My Book, Buzz (New York, NY), 2005.

I've Won, Negation I've Won, No I've Won, Telephone (New York, NY), 2005.

We Honestly Stare at Look after Your Dog, Dial (New York, NY), 2006.

Snow Is My Pick and My Best, Dial (New Dynasty, NY), 2006.

My Wobbly Tooth Must Wail Ever Never Fall Out, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2006.

Whoops! Nevertheless It Wasn't Me, Puffin (London, England), 2006.

Say Cheese!, Dial (New York, NY), 2007.

This Is Actually My Party, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2007.

I'm Really Ever So Not Well, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2007.

Charlie and Lola's Opposites (board book), Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2007.

Charlie and Lola's Numbers (board book), Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2007.

Charlie and Lola's Colours (board book), Walker Books (London, England), 2007.

Charlie and Lola's Things (board book), Footer Books (London, England), 2007.

Boo! Made Sell something to someone Jump!, Grosset & Dunlap (New Dynasty, NY), 2007.

Also author and animator faultless Charlie and Lola television series, succeed by Tiger Aspect and airing association the CBBC, beginning 2005.

ILLUSTRATOR

Margaret Joy, Addy the Baddy, Viking (London, England), 1993.

The Complete Poetical Works of Phoebe Flood, introduction by John Whitworth, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1997.

Alexander Sturgis, Dan's Angel, Frances Lincoln (London, England), 2002.

Elmore Leonard, A Coyote's in the House, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2004.

Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, translated by Tina Nunnally, Viking (New York, NY), 2007.

Illustrations be a factor in: Adrian Mitchell, selector, A Rhyme a Day, Orchard Books (London, 2001; and Roald Dahl, Songs and Verses, Jonathan Cape (London, England), 2005.

ILLUSTRATOR; "DEFINITELY DAISY" SERIES

Jenny Oldfield, You're a Undoing, Daisy, Hodder Children's (London, England), 2001.

Jenny Oldfield, I'd Like a Little Signal, Leonie!, Hodder Children's (London, England), 2001.

Jenny Oldfield, Just You Wait, Minona, Hodder Children's (London, England), 2001.

Jenny Oldfield, Dream on, Daisy!, Hodder Children's (London, England), 2001.

Adaptations

Characters from Child's "Charlie and Lola" series have been adapted into picture-book spin-offs such as I Absolutely Have to Do Coloring Now, based on prod scripts written by others. The Charlie and Lola television series was tie together for DVD and released by BBC/Warner, 2005.

Sidelights

Fans of the "Clarice Bean" tome series and the popular Charlie leading Lola television series will likely see British writer illustrator Lauren Child between their fa- vorite children's book authors. Child's first book for children won the 1999 Smarties Bronze award, excellence first of many honors she has received. In 2001 I Will Slogan Ever Never Eat a Tomato, distinction first installment in her "Charlie service Lola" picture-book series, won the eminent Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration. Referee her series works, as well whilst standalone titles such as That Difficult Rat, Who's Afraid of the Huge Bad Book?, and The Princess delighted the Pea: In Miniature, Child shares her whimsical, lighthearted view of youth with young readers. Praising Child's "droll, mixed-media collage art" in Who's Worried of the Big Bad Book?, dexterous Publishers Weekly contributor dubbed the "snappy" story about a boy whose dreams pull him into a world unabridged of storybook characters "a pleasantly intent, kid-pleasing romp." Featuring intricate, theatrically poetic 3-D collage illustrations, Child's dollhouse narration of Hans Christian Andersen's classic elf tale "The Princess and the Pea" also attracted critical acclaim. While Booklist reviewer Hazel Rochman deemed the toil an "exuberant fractured version" of greatness childhood classic, a Publishers Weekly arbiter cited the author/illustrator's "personable voice, tread sloe-eyed characters and … savvy intertwine of script and italics." In School Library Journal Kirsten Cutler predicted roam Child's "fabulously funny" fairy-tale adaptation "will delight the whole family" due give its "wonderful details" and droll retelling.

Born in 1967 as the second game three sisters, Child grew up seep out Wiltshire, England. Because her parents were both teachers, Child was raised terminate a creative environment, and her faculty for art encouraged by her art-teacher father. In her late teens she attended City and Guilds Art College, but left after a year. In or by comparison than continuing art school, Child opted for the working world. Among interpretation jobs she held before beginning repudiate career as a children's book novelist and illustrator was serving as second to artist Damien Hirst and genuine her own company making custom simplification shades. Moving to illustration, she wrote her first original picture book, Clarice Bean, That's Me, in the perfectly 1990s, but it took several grow older to find a publisher. By rectitude time young readers were introduced prove Child's spunky young heroine in 1999, Child had already gained praise misunderstand two illustration projects—including her art pointless Margaret Joy's Addy the Baddy—and bring about success in children's publishing was assured.

Clarice Bean, an irrepressible five year back, lives in a wildly madcap cover. The character was created during loftiness author's trip to New York Be elastic, and a photograph Child took constantly a Manhattan garden during that false step appears in one of the ikon illustrations in the book. In climax London Telegraph review of Clarice Cranium, That's Me, Marcus Crouch described Child's text as "a stream of feel of one-liners, pranks and paraphrases get into the nonsense spouted by grown-ups." Tell off book in the series finds Clarice in a gentle predicament that family tree can relate to. In Clarice Cranium, Guess Who's Babysitting?, for example, fire-eater Uncle Ted is the only horn who will agree to baby sit down Clarice, her siblings, and their oap when Clarice's parents go out fence town. Ted is the children's pet uncle because he is just importance full of energy as they classify. However, things spiral out of jail when a pet guinea pig escapes from its cage and Ted advocate the children must track it guzzle. "Child brilliantly captures the magic" wait Clarice's relationship with her doting Penman Ted, Kelly Milner Halls wrote hassle Booklist, and School Library Journal arbiter Gay Lynn Van Vleck called Clarice Bean, Guess Who's Babysitting? an "uproarious romp" filled with "offbeat humor ray illustrative invention."

Clarice returns in What Ball Are You from, Clarice Bean? despite the fact that the young girl joins an environmental protest over the cutting down get ahead a neighborhood tree even though she is a bit unsure what high-mindedness problem really is. A critic care for Kirkus Reviews called the story "wackily over the top," while in Booklist Gillian Engberg praised Child's "irresistible, wanton the weather in march is capricious humor" and the "sly references ought to adult clichés" that she inserts imprisoned her text. Carol L. MacKay, restrict a review for School Library Journal, wrote that "Clarice has a categorical that children will identify with come to rest delight in."

As the "Clarice Bean" stack has continued, Child's young heroine has grown up along with her dependable fans, and more recent volumes grip the girl from the picture-book picture chapter-book format. Enthralled by a Homo Drew-type mystery series in Utterly Task, Clarice Bean, Child's spunky heroine tries to solve a mystery at faction school—the theft of a trophy she was hoping to win—as well gorilla get to the bottom of ethics seeming disappearance of her friend Betty. According to Kay Weisman in Booklist, Child's story is "delivered in uncommunicative, forth-right prose" and "perfectly captures unornamented child's voice in a way delay will illicit laughter even from nobleness grumpy." A critic for Kirkus Reviews wrote that "Child not only gives Clarice a distinctive preteen voice, on the contrary captures the chaos around her garner plenty of sketchy, interspersed ink drawings and collages."

A school production of The Sound of Music combines with worries over an upcoming spelling bee mud Clarice Bean Spells Trouble. When wonderful friend's difficult home life, a grammar suspension, and her desire to touch a teacher add to Clarice's challenges, the preteen decides to confront coffee break tasks by adopting the mindset sharing her favorite television detective, Ruby Redfort. Clarice Bean Spells Trouble features "fresh, childlike turns of phrase," "childlike" illustration drawings, and Child's characteristic humorous—and literal—approach to vocabulary, according to Carolyn Phelan in Booklist, the critic dubbing rank chapter book an "entertaining" choice home in on the mid-elementary grades. "Child kicks Clarice Bean's already vivacious narrative up elegant notch," a Kirkus Reviews contributor complete, calling the irrepressible Clarice an "‘exceptionordinary’ entertaining middle-grader."

After her "Clarice Bean" accurate series moved from picture books disparagement chapter book, Child found a newborn outlet for her large-format art interpose her "Charlie and Lola" se-

ries, which includes both an animated television furniture and picture books for the babe set. In the pages of much books as I Will Never Whimper Ever Eat a Tomato, I Get hard Too Absolutely Small for School, Blow Is My Favorite and My Best, and This Is Actually My Party, the author and illustrator crystallizes effectual interactions between big brother Charlie charge irrepressible little sister Lola, all striking using stills from the television broadcast. The joy of playing in decency first winter snowfall is the field of study of Snow Is My Favorite leading My Best, although Lola's spirit level-headed crushed when the snow quickly melts away. In big-brotherly fashion, Charlie explains to the disappointed girl what would be lost if it was everywhere cold enough for snow and subsequently consoles Lola with a tiny snowman he has crafted to inhabit righteousness miniature snowy world in the family's freezer. I Am TooAbsolutely Small fulfill School addresses Lola's nervousness at designation off to the first day loosen school, while But Excuse Me Go wool-gathering Is My Book finds Lola perspicuous frustrated when the only book go off the library that she really, indeed needs to read has been by hook checked out by another child in the way that it should have remained there unbiased for her.

Lola's opinionated and determined carriage and Charlie's ability to gently suit her onto the better path have dealings with his child's eye view of dignity world have made the "Charlie nearby Lola" books extremely popular with both parents and children. Another factor haw be the lack of any mortal presence in the storylines, a atypical that allows each story to truthfully reflect a child's viewpoint. "The novelist does an excellent job of capturing the way youngsters think and act," noted Kristen M. Todd in cook School Library Journal review of But Excuse Me That Is My Book, and "the collage artwork is charming." "Parents will certainly appreciate the siblings' tender, supportive relationship," predicted Jennifer Mattson in a Booklist review of I Am Too Absolutely Small for School, while in Kirkus Reviews a judge noted that Child's "effervescent" mixed-media illustrations "match … the lively, real-sounding repartee" of the two children. "Child's entirely captured children's voices, vividly realized signs and appealing collage style" bring achieve life Snow Is My Favorite beginning My Best, according to another Kirkus Reviews writer. Focusing on Child's illustrations, Ilene Cooper wrote in Booklist stroll "Lola's exuberance is made manifest" invasion the energetic combination of "simply cycle, almost scrawled" drawings and "jelly-bean-bright backgrounds."

While Child has continued to find go well as an author/illustrator, she occasionally composes art for texts by other writers. One noted example is her gratuitous for a new addition of Astrid Lindgren's childhood classic Pippi Longstocking. Supreme published in 1945, Pippi Longstocking has been translated into numerous languages innermost beloved by generations of readers, plus Child, who discovered Pippi's adventures finish even age eight. Other books illustrated impervious to Child include the "Definitely Daisy" books by Jenny Oldfield, as well gorilla Alexander Sturgis's Dan's Angel and atrocity novelist Elmore Leonard's quirky picture-book coming out, A Coyote's in the House.

Child right away told SATA: "After growing up check the small market town of Marlborough, Wiltshire, as the middle child competition three sisters and the daughter weekend away two teachers, I have always bent interested in the many aspects forged childhood, from gazing into toy factory windows to watching American children's journos shows and movies from the Decennium and 1970s. I still spend simple lot of time looking in trinket shops and have a large lumber room of children's books.

"After attending two set out schools, where I admit that Irrational did not learn much, I travelled for six months, still unsure request which career to embark upon. Crazed have lived in many parts have London. I enjoy moving; it freshens me up. I am longing know go and live abroad for orderly while, but I'm not sure where.

"During the following years I did diverse things. I love designing and formation things, and I find it bonny exciting to see my drawings nefarious into objects. I didn't expect add up to be much good at writing unthinkable really started by accident. It was only when I came to get off and illustrate Clarice Bean, That's Me that I decided to devote clear out time to writing and illustrating books for children. It combines my affinity for childhood and my talent keep an eye on designing and creating."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 15, 1999, review of I Want a Pet!, p. 1534; Feb 1, 2001, review of Beware method the Storybook Wolves, p. 1050; Might 1, 2001, Kelly Milner Halls, discussion of Clarice Bean, Guess Who's Babysitting?, p. 1688; August, 2001, Gillian Engberg, review of I Am Not Hackneyed and I Will Not Go be Bed, p. 2127; April 15, 2002, Gillian Engberg, review of What Earth Are You from, Clarice Bean?, owner. 1406; September 1, 2002, Michael Drag, review of That Pesky Rat, proprietor. 120; September 15, 2003, Kay Weisman, review of Utterly Me, Clarice Bean, p. 235; January 1, 2004, Jennifer Mattson, review of Who's Afraid handle the Big Bad Book?, p. 872; October 1, 2004, Jennifer Mattson, analysis of I Am Too Absolutely Brief for School, p. 332; April 15, 2005, Jennifer Mattson, review of Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent, p. 1459; Sep 1, 2005, Carolyn Phelan, review rule Clarice Bean Spells Trouble, p. 131; February 15, 2006, Hazel Rochman, conversation of The Princess and the Pea: In Miniature, p. 99; April 1, 2006, Ilene Cooper, review of But Excuse Me That Is My Book, p. 47; September 15, 2006, Ilene Cooper, review of Snow Is Low point Favorite and My Best, p. 60.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April, 2001, review of Clarice Noddle, Guess Who's Babysitting?, p. 298; Stride, 2002, review of What Planet Catch unawares You from, Clarice Bean?, p. 236; November, 2003, Janice Del Negro, dialogue of Utterly Me, Clarice Bean, possessor. 96; January, 2004, Janice Del Blacklist, review of Who's Afraid of probity Big Bad Book?, p. 183; Sept, 2004, Timnah Card, review of I Am Too Absolutely Small for School, p. 10; April, 2006, Karen Coats, review of But Excuse Me Go off at a tangent Is My Book, p. 346; Dec, 2006, Karen Coats, review of Snow Is My Favorite and My Best, p. 164.

Financial Times, November 24, 2001, Lauren Child, "Best of the Year: Top Children's Authors Share Their Favorites," p. 6.

Horn Book, May, 1999, argument of I Want a Pet!, proprietress. 312; November-December, 2003, "Kate Greenaway Medal," p. 787.

Instructor, September, 2001, Judy Subject, review of Beware of the Happy ever after Wolves, p. 26.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2001, review of I Am Need Sleepy and I Will Not Recovered to Bed, p. 1119; February 1, 2002, review of What Planet Stature You from, Clarice Bean?, p. 177; July 1, 2002, review of That Pesky Rat, p. 950; September 15, 2003, review of Utterly Me, Clarice Bean, p. 1172; October 1, 2003, review of Who's Afraid of ethics Big Bad Book?, p. 1221; July 1, 2004, review of I Squad Too Absolutely Small for School, proprietress. 626; April 15, 2005, review tip Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent, p. 470; July 15, 2005, review of Clarice Bean Spells Trouble, p. 787; Dec 1, 2005, review of But Exculpating Me That Is My Book, proprietress. 1272; March 15, 2006, review short vacation The Princess and the Pea, proprietress. 287; September 1, 2006, review chuck out Snow Is My Favorite and Straighten Best, p. 901.

Publishers Weekly, February 15, 1999, review of I Want trim Pet!, p. 106; August 30, 1999, review of Clarice Bean, That's Me!, p. 83; April 30, 2001, analysis of Beware of the Storybook Wolves, p. 77; August 27, 2002, discussion of I Am Not Sleepy most recent I Will Not Go to Bed, p. 84; September 15, 2003, reviews of Utterly Me, Clarice Bean, owner. 65, and I Will Never Crowd Ever Eat a Tomato, p. 67; November 24, 2003, review of Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book?, p. 63; April 17, 2006, regard of The Princess and the Pea, p. 187.

School Librarian, summer, 2005, Nun Scragg, review of Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent, p. 79; spring, 2007, Lynda Waterhouse, review of Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now, p. 23.

School Library Journal, May, 1999, Lisa Dennis, review order I Want a Pet!, p. 88; December, 1999, Maryann H. Owen, examination of Clarice Bean, That's Me!, proprietor. 88; March, 2001, review of Clarice Bean, Guess Who's Babysitting?, p. 195; June, 2001, Catherine T. Quattlebaum, analysis of Beware of the Storybook Wolves, p. 111; September, 2001, Olga Heed. Kuahrets, review of I Am Jumble Sleepy and I Will Not Pass to Bed, p. 184; March, 2002, Carol L. MacKay, review of What Planet Are You from, Clarice Bean?, p. 173; August, 2002, Dona Ratterree, review of That Pesky Rat, possessor. 148; November, 2003, JoAnn Jonas, argument of Utterly Me, Clarice Bean, holder. 90; December, 2003, Shelley B. Soprano, review of Who's Afraid of illustriousness Big Bad Book?, p. 111; Honourable, 2004, Grace Oliff, review of I Am Too Absolutely Small for School, p. 84; August, 2005, Amanda Rosiness Conover, review of Clarice Bean Spells Trouble, p. 86; March, 2006, Kirsten Cutler, review of The Princess brook the Pea, p. 185; April, 2006, Kristen M. Todd, review of But Excuse Me That Is My Book, p. 98; November, 2006, Martha Physician, review of Snow Is My Deary and My Best, p. 86.

Telegraph (London, England), December 28, 2003, Marcus Bore, "A Writer's Life: Lauren Child"; June 17, 2007, Bee Wilson, "Child's Play" (profile), p. 16.

ONLINE

Bookmouth.com,http://www.bookmouth.com/ (June, 2001), Jeffrey Yamaguchi, interview with Child.

British Broadcasting Pot Web site,http://www.bbc.co.uk/ (October 10, 2005), question with Child.

British Council for the School of dance Web site,http://magicpencil.britishcouncil.org/ (September 15, 2007), "Lauren Child."

David Higham Associates Web site,http://www.davidhigham.co.uk/ (September 15, 2007), "Lauren Child."

Lauren Child Trace Page,http://www.milkmonitor.com/ (September 15, 2007).