Born in rural Norfolk, I have been drawing and writing since I was a small child Inspired by artists and storytellers like Edward Lear, Eric Carle and David Mckee, I produced many poems, stories and pictures, which I would turn into books I now come up with most of my ideas for stories when out walking in the countryside, and, if I m lucky, I have a pencil and paper with me at the time I quite often find myself repeating certain words or rhymes over and over in my head until I get home I studied at Falmouth College of Arts and earned my undergraduate degree in Illustration in 1999, followed by a little while later a distinction in my Masters Degree in Authorial illustration in 2005 I have written and illustrated several picture books, including Betty and the Yeti , and Darkness Slipped In , which was highly commended at the British book design and production awards in 2008 and nominated for the Kate Greenaway medal in 2009.I have recently illustrated Monsters Don t Cry for Brett Mckee, and am currently working on my latest picture book Recipe for a Story which is due to be published by Macmillan children s books in 2014 I live in Deepest Darkest Dorset with my partner Sam, our two small children and Daisy the dog from her website