Polly Dunbar

Polly Dunbar (born 1977) is an English author-illustrator.[1]

Polly Dunbar
Born1977 (age 45–46)
Cotswolds, England
OccupationIllustrator, writer
GenreChildren's picture books
Website
pollydunbar.com

She is best known for her self-illustrated books Penguin, the Tilly and Friends series (which became a BBC children's television series) and Hello, Mum – an illustrated memoir of motherhood and her first book for adults.[2][3]

She has also illustrated other authors' books: Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, My Dad's a Birdman by David Almond, Can Bears Ski? by poet Raymond Antrobus, Owl or Pussycat? by Michael Morpurgo, and While We Can't Hug by Eoin Mclaughlin.[4][5]

Hello, Mum is Polly's first book for grown-ups, a visual diary about early motherhood.

She is the daughter of children's book writer Joyce Dunbar, whose picture book Shoe Baby she illustrated.

Biography

Dunbar was born in the Cotswolds and moved to Stratford upon Avon at eight months old.[6] She went to school there until she was eleven and moved to Norwich with her family. There she attended City of Norwich School and Norwich School of Art and Design, now known as Norwich University College of the Arts. She started writing and illustrating at age 16, when she published two books – which she describes as "cartoon books inspired by teenage antics".[6] She went to Brighton University and graduated in 1999 with a degree in illustration.[7]

She lives in Waveny Valley, Suffolk with her partner and their two sons.[8]

Career

Polly Dunbar's Dog Blue and Flyaway Katie, both as author-illustrator, were published in 2004.[9] The following year she illustrated Shoe Baby, written by her mother, author Joyce Dunbar.[9]

Her 2007 book Penguin is her most critically acclaimed book to date, winning the Booktrust Early Years Awards in the pre-school category[10] and the silver award in the Nestle Children's Book Prize for children under five years old.[11]

She is also the illustrator for Here's A Little Poem which was on the IBBY honour's book list for 2008, and Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, which won a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in 2009.[12][13]

Dunbar was named "Most Promising New Illustrator" in Publishers Weekly''s Cuffie Awards in 2004.[14] In 2008, she was featured in The Times's list of "The best new picture book illustrators".[15] In 2008 Booktrust named her one of the Ten Best Illustrators, and in 2011 she became their fourth writer in residence.[16]

In 2020, Dunbar illustrated Can Bears Ski? by award-winning poet Raymond Antrobus, Owl or Pussycat? by Michael Morpurgo, and While We Can't Hug by Eoin Mclaughlin.[17][18]

In 2021 her first adult book, Hello, Mum, was published by Faber and Faber.

Adaptations

Her Tilly and Friends books became a BBC animated television series, which aired on CBeebies in 2012.[19]

She co-founded Long Nose Puppets in 2006. Since then, the company has performed puppet adaptations of her books Penguin, Flyaway Katie, Shoe Baby, Arthur's Dream Boat, and soon While We Can't Hug.[20] Their production of Shoe Baby won Best Children’s Show at Brighton Fringe Festival.[21]

Bibliography

Help series
  • Help I've forgotten my Brain, Kingfisher 1996
  • Help I'm out with the in-crowd, Kingfisher 1996

Tilly series
all published via Walker Books
adapted into BBC series[28] 2012 cartoon Tilly and Friends on TVO Kids.
  • "Hello Tilly" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012[29] about a human girl
  • "Happy Hector" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012[30] about a pig boy
  • "Pretty Pru" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012[31] about a bird girl
  • "Where's Tumpty?" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012[32] about an elephant boy
  • "Doodle Bites" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012[33] about a girl crocodile[34]
  • "Goodnight, Tiptoe" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012[35] about a boy bunny
  • "Let's Get Wheeling!" 1 August 2013[36]
  • "Listen to Me!" 1 August 2013[37]
  • "Star Party" 1 August 2013[38]
  • "The Best Day Ever" 1 August 2013[39]
  • "What's Everyone Doing?" 3 April 2014[40]
  • "Who's Hiding?" 3 April 2014[41]
  • "Doctor Tilly" 3 July 2014[42]
  • "Tumpty's Plane" 3 July 2014[43]

Sticker Activity Books:

  • "Dressing Up" 3 October 2013[44]
  • "Play All Day" 3 October 2013[45]

As illustrator

References
  1. "About Polly Dunbar". Polly Dunbar's website. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  2. "CBeebies - Tilly and Friends". BBC. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  3. Dunbar's adult debut goes to Faber The Bookseller.
  4. In Conversation: Raymond Antrobus and Polly Dunbar from Publishers Weekly
  5. "Faber scoops social distancing picture book". The Bookseller. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  6. Illustrator's Gallery: Polly Dunbar Archived 26 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine from Book Trust Children's Books
  7. Polly Dunbar profile from Frances Lincoln.
  8. Author Biography Polly Dunbar's website
  9. Take 3: Illustrators Archived 3 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine from Books For Keeps
  10. Dunbar, Polly from Images of delight
  11. Nestle Children's Book Prize Winners announced from School Library Association
  12. 01/09/2008 // September 2008 from tallpoet.com
  13. "Horn Book Acceptance: Bubble Trouble". The Horn Book. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  14. The 2004 Cuffies from Publishers Weekly.
  15. The best new picture book illustrators from The Times
  16. "Writer in Residence Polly Dunbar". BookTrust. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  17. Eyre, Charlotte (13 March 2019). "Antrobus signs deal with Walker". The Bookseller. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  18. "Owl or Pussycat? How Michael Morpurgo and Polly Dunbar find their inspiration in childhood memories". Booktrust. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  19. "Tilly and Friends, an interview with writer Polly Dunbar". BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  20. Apter, Kelly (29 July 2010). "Penguin brings interactive puppetry to the Fringe: Edinburgh Festival". The List. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  21. "Festival performers honoured". The Argus. 30 May 2006. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  22. Flyaway Katie Polly Dunbar
  23. Arthur's Dream Boat Polly Dunbar
  24. Something Fishy by Polly Dunbar Pan Macmillan
  25. A Lion is a Lion Kirkus Reviews
  26. Red Red Red Walker Books
  27. Dunbar's adult debut goes to Faber The Bookseller
  28. Tilly and Friends Archived 15 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  29. Hello Tilly
  30. Happy Hector
  31. Pretty Pru
  32. Where's Tumpty?
  33. Doodle Bites
  34. Tilly. "Doodle's Bitey Bitey Bitey Day". Tilly and Friends. I think we better have a word with a certain green crocodile.
  35. Goodnight Tiptoe
  36. Let's Get Wheeling! Archived 14 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  37. Listen To Me
  38. Star Party Archived 15 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  39. "Best Day Ever". Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  40. What's Everyone Doing?
  41. Who's Hiding?
  42. Doctor Tilly
  43. "Tumpty's Plane".
  44. Dressing Up
  45. Play All Day
  46. A Saucepan on his Head: and other Nonsense Poems Internet Archive.
  47. The Dragon Test Walker Books
  48. Hal the Highway Man Walker Books
  49. Lucy and the Fire Stone Walker Books
  50. Hal the Pirate Walker Books
  51. Children's Book Review: Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar, Author, Polly Dunbar, Illustrator Publishers Weekly
  52. Down the Back of the Chair BookTrust
  53. Measuring Angels BookTrust
  54. Here's a Little Poem Jane Yolen
  55. Bubble Trouble BookTrust
  56. The boy who climbed into the moon. worldcat.org. OCLC 489634191.
  57. A cat called Penguin. WorldCat. OCLC 751804695.
  58. Pat-a-Cake Baby Walker Books
  59. I Will Not Wear Pink BookTrust
  60. Buster and the Baby Walker Books
  61. The Hug Faber and Faber
  62. While We Can't Hug Faber and Faber
  63. David Fickling Books - Catalogue David Fickling Books
  64. Walker Books - Can Bears Ski? Walker Books
  65. Faber signs follow-up to McLaughlin's While We Can't Hug The Bookseller
  66. The Kiss Bookshop.org
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