Lucy Cousins Explained

Lucy Cousins
Alma Mater:Royal College of Art
Occupation:Children's book writer and illustrator
Notableworks:Maisy Books
Nationality:British

Elizabeth "Lucy" Cousins (born 1964)[1] is a British author and illustrator of children's books. She is best known for her books featuring Maisy Mouse, referred to as the Maisy Series published from the 1990s onwards, from which the TV series Maisy was created in 1999. A new animated adaptation My Friend Maisy is currently in the works and will be released in 2025.[2] [3]

Early life and education

Cousins, whose parents were also artists, was interested in children's books from an early age. But it took until the end of six years in art college for her to decide that she wanted to create children's books. Cousins received BA Honours in graphic design from the Faculty of Arts and Architecture at Brighton Polytechnic.[4] She then attended the Royal College of Art, where she met artist Quentin Blake, who encouraged her work. She developed her sense of design and colour at the Royal College of Art.[5]

Work

Cousins' books are aimed at preschool-aged children and younger or older.

Her work, especially the character of Maisy Mouse, is a successful publishing brand, with books printed in 27 different languages and over 27 million copies of her books in print.[6] The series is known as the Maisy Series.[7]

Apart from the Maisy books, Cousins has also published other children's books, such as Jazzy in the Jungle (2002) and one about Noah's Ark.[8]

Recognition

Her board books, designed especially for toddlers, are considered among the best, according to Horn Book Magazine.[9]

The Carnegie Library listed Maisy's First Colors as a 2013 pick for their Best Books for Babies list.[10]

Cousins' character, Maisy, was featured on a postage stamp published by the U.S. Postal Service in their 2006 Favorite Children's Book Animals Series.[11]

Cousins won a Booktrust Best Book Award in 2014 for Peck, Peck, Peck.[12]

She received Mathical Honors for Count with Maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep!.[13]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cousins, Lucy 1964–. Encyclopedia.com. 2 September 2024.
  2. https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/09/bbc-kids-trustbridge-announce-maisy-animated-series-project/
  3. https://kidscreen.com/2024/09/05/trustbridge-and-bbc-studios-collaborate-on-my-friend-maisy/
  4. Book: Phinney, Margaret Yatsevitch. Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. Literary Reference Center, EBSCOhost. 24 January 2003. 201. 25 July 2015.
  5. News: Five Questions for Lucy Cousins. Gershowitz. Elissa. 9 February 2015. The Horn Book. 25 July 2015.
  6. Walker Books Snaps Up Lucy Cousins Licensing. 23 January 2009. Bookseller. 25 July 2015. 0006-7539. 5366. 10.
  7. Web site: Maisy . Penguin Random House . 25 January 2023.
  8. About Maisy At the Farm, Lucy Cousins. 3 January 2000. Baker & Taylor Author Biographies. 25 July 2015. subscription.
  9. Board Books Go Boom. Horning. Kathleen T.. 1997. The Horn Book Magazine. 25 July 2015. 73. 2. 155–160.
  10. News: . 2014 Best Books for Babies List Released by Carnegie Library . . May 6, 2014 . January 17, 2024.
  11. News: U.S. Postal Service Celebrates Children's Books. Springen. Karen. 22 August 2013. Publishers Weekly. 25 July 2015.
  12. News: Six Winners of Booktrust Best Book Awards Unveiled!. Baggott. Sophie. 2 July 2014. The Guardian. 25 July 2015.
  13. News: Mathical Book Prizes 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210212220154/https://www.mathicalbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Mathical_Booklist_Web_2021.pdf. 12 February 2021. live.

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