Gillian Osband author page

Gillian Osband biography

Gillian Osband is a children’s author and editor whose books span novelty non-fiction, activity titles and early illustrated stories for primary readers. Active from the 1980s, she has written pop-up reference books, make-and-do collections and topic titles used in homes, schools and libraries.

Osband’s best-known novelty books include Our Working Earth: A Three-Dimensional Guide (Macmillan, 1987) and Castles: A 3-Dimensional Exploration (Tango/Orchard, early 1990s), created with paper engineering and large fold-out spreads; editions list illustrator Robert Andrew. Her hands-on titles for younger readers include The Dinosaur Fun Book and The Messy Book of Things to Make and Do, which combine step-by-step activities with simple facts.

Alongside non-fiction, Osband wrote picture-book stories about Boysie the dog, including Boysie’s Kitten and Boysie’s First Birthday, illustrated by Jonathan Allen. She also authored “Out & About” topic books such as Roman Britain and Ghosts for emerging independent readers, and a short illustrated fiction sequence, “The Swampees”, with artwork by Bobbie Spargo.

Her catalogue has appeared across UK and international imprints with multiple reprints and format variants. Selected bibliographic details often cited for teaching and library use include: Our Working Earth (Macmillan, 1987); Castles: A 3-Dimensional Exploration (Tango Books/Orchard, ISBN 1857070313); and Boysie’s Kitten (Macmillan/Heinemann Young Books), reflecting a focus on accessible explanation, interactive design and early reading confidence.

Most recent dated milestone commonly recorded in listings: Castles: A 3-Dimensional Exploration, first published 1991.