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Lauren Child was born in 1967 and grew up in Wiltshire, the middle child of three sisters and the daughter of two teachers. Her father was an art teacher and she went to sixth form in the school where he taught. She studied at Manchester Polytechnic and City and Guilds of London Art School.
She admits she did not learn much at art school, and left after a year – 'there was no sense of discovery or excitement about it'. She travelled for six months, unsure about which career to follow. She started her own company Chandeliers for the People, making exotic lampshades. The turning point came after talking to a business manager who suggested she might write a children's book and design a product range around it. The result was Clarice Bean in 1999. Her career combines her fascination with childhood and her talent for designing and creating. Lauren also works for the creative agency Big Fish.

Lauren Child draws family life in the 21st century, taking bits and pieces from all over the place to create kaleidoscopic collages. She uses bold black lines, flat colours and lots of surface pattern. She has won the Kate Greenaway Medal and her artwork was selected to promote 2002 World Book Day.

On her work

'I use a computer for a lot of the work. I use it more and more as I get better at it. I put together backgrounds made up of all sorts of elements – photographs, collages etc. After that I can superimpose the figures.'

'I draw the figures in pencil. I just can't use pen and ink. Pencil is much less inhibiting and I can rub it out if it goes wrong. I scan the pencil drawing into the computer, clean up the line, and print it in black on cartridge paper so I can continue to work on it with paints, collage or whatever. Then I cut out the figures and scan them into the computer again.' 

Inspiration

My father – he ran an amazing art department. He really made you want to draw, made you look, made you understand things.

Snoopy – my greatest source of inspiration because of the boldness and simplicity of those drawings. They appeal across the generations.

Madeleine books by Ludwig Bemelmans.

Carl Larssen – Swedish illustrator.

Quentin Blake and E. H. Shepard.

1993 Addy the Baddy (Margaret Joy)
1999 I Want a Pet
1999 Clarice Bean, That's Me!
2000 I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato
2000 My Uncle is a Hunkle Says Clarice Bean
2001 My Dream Bed
2001 I Am Not Sleepy and Will Not Go To Bed
2001 What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean?
2001 Definitely Daisy: You're a Disgrace (Jenny Oldfield)
2001 Definitely Daisy: I'd Like a Little Word, Leonie (Jenny Oldfield)
2001 Definitely Daisy: You must be joking, Jimmy (Jenny Oldfield)
2001 Definitely Daisy: Not now, Nathan! (Jenny Oldfield)
2001 Definitely Daisy: What's the matter, Maya? (Jenny Oldfield)
2001 Beware the Story Book Wolves
2002 Dan's Angel (Alexander Sturgis)
2001 Definitely Daisy: Just you wait, Winona (Jenny Oldfield)
2001 Utterly me, Clarice Bean
2002 That Pesky Rat
2002 Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Book

See details of books in print from enCompassCulture.com

External links

Listen to a BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour interview with Lauren Child