Simon James author page

Simon James biography

Simon James is a British children’s author and illustrator. He grew up in Bristol and Exeter and attended Queen Elizabeth School, Crediton.

From childhood, James drew and made little stapled storybooks, influenced by cartoonists such as Ronald Searle and Gerard Hoffnung whose work his father collected.

After leaving school he held various jobs while pursuing his interest in visual storytelling. Later he studied graphic design and art history, aiming to blend words and images in children’s books.

His first published book was The Day Jake Vacuumed in 1989, followed by two further Jake titles. His first book with Walker Books was My Friend Whale, and subsequent works include Dear Greenpeace, Sally and the Limpet, The Wild Woods and The Birdwatchers.

His book Leon and Bob won the Smarties Book Prize Silver Award and was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. Days Like This, a collection of short poems, was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. His title Baby Brains won the Red House Children’s Book Award in 2005 through a children’s vote.

His books have been published in more than twenty languages. He continues to give school visits and appearances at festivals in both the UK and the USA.

Selected work: Baby Brains (Red House Children’s Book Award winner, 2005)