Jonadab and Rita

Hughes, Shirley

Shirley was born in West Kirby, near Liverpool, and studied fashion and dress design at Liverpool Art School, before continuing her studies at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in Oxford. She then embarked on a career as a freelance illustrator in London, where she still lives today. She illustrated other writers' work, including Noel Streatfeild, Alison Uttley, Ian Seraillier, Margaret Mahy and notably Dorothy Edwards's My Naughty Little Sister series.

Shirley began to write and draw her own picture books when her children were young. Her first book - Lucy and Tom's Day - was published in 1960, and she followed it with, among others, Dogger and the Alfie series.

Shirley Hughes has won the Other Award, the Eleanor Farjeon Award, and the Kate Greenaway Medal for Illustration twice, for Dogger in 1977 and for Ella's Big Chance in 2003. In 2007 Dogger was voted the public's favourite Greenaway winner of all time. Shirley received an OBE in 1999 for services to Children's Literature, and a CBE in 2017. She is the first recipient of Booktrust's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Shirley Hughes is one of the greatest writers and illustrators for pre-schoolers that we have. The creator of the endearing, enduring Alfie series, she understands a small child's world to perfection...Substitute child for donkey, and you have just the way far too many children feel, especially in the holidays. The expressions on Jonadab's face - contented, bored, defiant, amazed, lonely, wretched and utterly despairing - are all too familiar. Times 20080830 Picturebooks need to engage and delight children while also entertaining the adults who read them aloud. Hughes's new picturebook achieves this end triumphantly. Sunday Times 20080907 Bewitching and poignant story from the inimitable Shirley Hughes. Bournemouth Daily Echo 20080905 Children will love this little tale with great illustrations and learn a valuable lesson about appreciating their friends. The South Wales Argus 20080920 This tale of friendship, and possible loss, is told simply and powerfully and enriched with lively, enveloping illustrations both in colour and black and white. It is superb. Carousel 20081015 Yet another winner from the author whose many books enhance children's bookshelves. Newbury Weekly News 20081023 Delightful illustrations that are touched with magic perfectly compliment this warm and memorable story. Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Review 20081103 A delightful tale with a perfectly happy ending. The Northern Echo 20081121 This heartwarming tale is a timely purchase for Christmas as it is enthralled with Shirley Hughes' beautiful prose and magical watercolour drawings - perfect bedtime reading fare. Pregnancy and Parenting 20081201 A story which will touch all children, enriched by the enchanting illustrations from our much-loved Shirley Hughes who catches the magic and warmth of the love between a child and her favourite toys. School Librarian 20081201 A magical tale. Sunday Express 20090412