- Lauren Child
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Lauren Child MBE (born 1965)[1] is an English author and illustrator. She is best known for writing the Charlie and Lola books and Clarice Bean novels.
Helen Child was born in 1965, the middle of three daughters. She later changed her name to Lauren.[1] She attended St John's School and from 16, Marlborough College, where her father was Head of Art.[2] She studied Art briefly at Manchester Polytechnic and later at City and Guilds of London Art School,[3] after which she worked in a variety of jobs, including as a painting assistant to Damien Hirst. She also started her own company, 'Chandeliers for the People', making exotic lampshades together with the actor Andrew St Clair; it was not a commercial success, though the lampshades are instantly recognisable as Child's work and highly valued. Between 1998 and 2003 she worked for the design agency 'Big Fish'.
In 1999 she had two picture books published, I Want a Pet! (1999) and Clarice Bean, That's Me (1999), the latter being shortlisted for the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. In 2000 she won a Kate Greenaway Medal for I Will Not Ever, NEVER Eat a Tomato (2000) and a second Nestlé Smarties Book Prize in 2002 for That Pesky Rat (2002). In the same year, she wrote her first children's novel, Utterly Me, Clarice Bean (2002). Her second book in this series, Clarice Bean Spells Trouble was shortlisted for the 2005 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year. The third novel in the series, Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now was published in 2006.
Child's humorous illustrations contain many different media including magazine cuttings, collage, material and photography as well as traditional watercolours. As well as being author of several highly successful books, she is the illustrator of the Definitely Daisy series by Jenny Oldfield.
A television series based on her Charlie and Lola books was made by Tiger Aspect for Disney/CBBC, on which Child was an Executive Producer. Three series of 26 episodes were made and two specials. A number of spin off books are available based on the scripts of the TV shows, though these were not written or illustrated by Child.[4] Charlie and Lola has been sold throughout the world, and has won many prizes, including BAFTAs in 2007 for Best children's Television Show and Best Script.
Contents
Bibliography
As author and illustrator
- Clarice Bean, That's Me (1999)
- I Want a Pet! (1999)
- Beware of the Storybook Wolves (2000)
- I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato (2000)
- My Uncle is a Hunkle Says Clarice Bean (2000)
- I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed (2001)
- My Dream Bed (2001)
- What Planet Are You From Clarice Bean? (2001)
- That Pesky Rat (2002)
- Utterly me, Clarice Bean (2002)
- Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book? (2002)
- I Am Too Absolutely Small for School (2003)
- Clarice Bean Spells Trouble (2004)
- Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent (2004)
- Bat Cat (2005)
- Beware of Storybook Wolves (2005)
- The Princess and the Pea (2005) - with photography by Polly Borland
- Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now (2006)
- Ruby Redfort, Look Into My Eyes (2011)
As illustrator only
- Addy the Baddy (1993)
- Stand Up for Yourself! (1996)
- The Complete Poetical Works of Phoebe Flood (1997)
- Dream On, Daisy! (2001)
- I'd Like a Little Word, Leonie (2001)
- Just You Wait, Winona (2001)
- What's the Matter, Maya? (2001)
- You Must Be Joking, Jimmy! (2001)
- You're a Disgrace, Daisy (2001)
- Dan's Angel: A Detective's Guide to the Language of Painting (2002)
- Pippi Longstocking (2007)
- Anne of Green Gables(2009)
- Anne of Avonlea (2009)
- Anne of the Island (2009)
Prizes and awards
- 1999 Clarice Bean, That's Me won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award[5]
- 1999 Clarice Bean, That's Me shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal[6]
- 2000 I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato won the Kate Greenaway Medal[6]
- 2000 Beware of the Storybook Wolves won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award[5]
- 2000 Beware of the Storybook Wolves shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal[6]
- 2001 What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean? won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award[5]
- 2002 That Pesky Rat won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Gold Award[5]
- 2002 That Pesky Rat shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal[6]
- 2002 Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Book? shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal[6]
- 2002 Utterly Me, Clarice Bean longlisted for the Carnegie Medal[6]
- 2003 I Am Too Absolutely Small for School longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal[6]
- 2004 Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal[6]
- 2005 Clarice Bean Spells Trouble shortlisted for the British Children's Book of the Year
- 2005 Clarice Bean Spells Trouble shortlisted for the Red House Children's Book Award
- 2005 The Princess and the Pea longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal[6]
Child was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.[7][8]
Charlie and Lola
Charlie and Lola is a series of picture books made by Lauren Child and now is a children's TV show. Each half-hour format show contains two segments with different plots, each starting off with Charlie saying, "I have this little sister, Lola. She is small and very funny."
Clarice Bean
Clarice Bean is also a picture book and novel series by Lauren Child that is for children/young teenagers. Her full name is Clarice Bean Tuesday. She is best friends with Betty P Moody, and Karl Wrenbury is another friend of hers. Clarice Bean is a fan of a book series called Ruby Redfort (Lauren child is planning to write a series for Ruby Redfort in 2010 ), enemies with Grace Grapello and Mrs Wilberton (her teacher) and is a not a very good speller and she day-dreams a lot. Her family consists of her mum, dad, younger brother Minal Cricket, older sister Marcie, her even older brother Kurt, her grandad and her granny who lives in America and who phones regularly. Those books are:
- Clarice Bean That's Me - picture book - about Clarice's big family
- My Uncle is a Hunkle, Says Clarice Bean - picture book - Clarice's parents have gone away and she is looked after by her Uncle...
- What Planet Are You From Clarice Bean?- picture book - Clarice and her brother Kurt try to save Planet Earth.
- Utterly Me, Clarice Bean - novel - Clarice has to do a dreary book project but there's a prize she wants to win.
- Clarice Bean Spells Trouble - novel - Clarice is in big trouble it's all because of spelling.
- Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now! - novel - Clarice has a worry list.
References
- ^ a b Bedell, Geraldine (21 June 2009). "Child at heart". London: The Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/21/lauren-child-childrens-author-inverview. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
- ^ BBC Radio 4 programme, where achievers re-visit their schools: Top of the Class: Lauren Child, 11 August 2008.
- ^ BBC Press Release including bio
- ^ BBC Radio 4: Woman's Hours
- ^ a b c d Nestlé Children's Book Prize
- ^ a b c d e f g h i The CILIP Carnegie Medal & Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59282. p. 14. 31 December 2009.
- ^ New Year Honours
External links
Categories:- 1965 births
- Living people
- People from Marlborough
- Old Marlburians
- English children's writers
- English illustrators
- Children's book illustrators
- Charlie and Lola
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
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