Polly Dunbar Explained

Polly Dunbar
Birth Place:Cotswolds, England
Occupation:Illustrator, writer
Genre:Children's picture books

Polly Dunbar (born 1977) is an English author-illustrator.[1]

She is best known for her self-illustrated books Penguin, the Tilly and Friends series (which became a BBC children's television series) and Hello, Mum – an illustrated memoir of motherhood and her first book for adults.[2] [3]

She has also illustrated other authors' books: Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, My Dad's a Birdman by David Almond, Can Bears Ski? by poet Raymond Antrobus, Owl or Pussycat? by Michael Morpurgo, and While We Can't Hug by Eoin Mclaughlin.[4] [5]

Hello, Mum is Polly's first book for grown-ups, a visual diary about early motherhood.

She is the daughter of children's book writer Joyce Dunbar, whose picture book Shoe Baby she illustrated.

Biography

Dunbar was born in the Cotswolds and moved to Stratford upon Avon at eight months old. She went to school there until she was eleven and moved to Norwich with her family. There she attended City of Norwich School and Norwich School of Art and Design, now known as Norwich University College of the Arts. She started writing and illustrating at age 16, when she published two books – which she describes as "cartoon books inspired by teenage antics".[6] She went to Brighton University and graduated in 1999 with a degree in illustration.[7]

She lives in Waveny Valley, Suffolk with her partner and their two sons.[8]

Career

Polly Dunbar's Dog Blue and Flyaway Katie, both as author-illustrator, were published in 2004.[9] The following year she illustrated Shoe Baby, written by her mother, author Joyce Dunbar.[9]

Her 2007 book Penguin is her most critically acclaimed book to date, winning the Booktrust Early Years Awards in the pre-school category[10] and the silver award in the Nestle Children's Book Prize for children under five years old.[11]

She is also the illustrator for Here's A Little Poem which was on the IBBY honour's book list for 2008, and Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, which won a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in 2009.[12] [13]

Dunbar was named "Most Promising New Illustrator" in Publishers Weeklys Cuffie Awards in 2004.[14] In 2008, she was featured in The Timess list of "The best new picture book illustrators".[15] In 2008 Booktrust named her one of the Ten Best Illustrators, and in 2011 she became their fourth writer in residence.[16]

In 2020, Dunbar illustrated Can Bears Ski? by award-winning poet Raymond Antrobus, Owl or Pussycat? by Michael Morpurgo, and While We Can't Hug by Eoin Mclaughlin.[17] [18]

In 2021 her first adult book, Hello, Mum, was published by Faber and Faber.

Adaptations

Her Tilly and Friends books became a BBC animated television series, which aired on CBeebies in 2012.[19]

She co-founded Long Nose Puppets in 2006. Since then, the company has performed puppet adaptations of her books Penguin, Flyaway Katie, Shoe Baby, Arthur's Dream Boat, and soon While We Can't Hug.[20] Their production of Shoe Baby won Best Children’s Show at Brighton Fringe Festival.[21]

Bibliography

Help series

Tilly series

all published via Walker Books

adapted into BBC series[28] 2012 cartoon Tilly and Friends on TVO Kids.

Sticker Activity Books:

As illustrator

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About Polly Dunbar . Polly Dunbar's website . 8 June 2021.
  2. Web site: CBeebies - Tilly and Friends . BBC . 4 June 2021.
  3. https://www.thebookseller.com/news/dunbars-adult-debut-goes-faber-1218818 Dunbar's adult debut goes to Faber
  4. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/84811-in-conversation-raymond-antrobus-and-polly-dunbar.html In Conversation: Raymond Antrobus and Polly Dunbar
  5. Web site: Faber scoops social distancing picture book . . 31 May 2021.
  6. http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk/show/gallery/Illustrators%20Gallery/Polly-Dunbar-Gallery Illustrator's Gallery: Polly Dunbar
  7. http://www.franceslincoln.com/Contributor/987/i/Polly%20Dunbar Polly Dunbar profile
  8. http://www.pollydunbar.com/about.html Author Biography
  9. http://www.booksforkeeps.co.uk/issues/152/137 Take 3: Illustrators
  10. https://web.archive.org/web/20061021193247/http://www.imagesofdelight.com/client.asp?id=95 Dunbar, Polly
  11. http://www.sla.org.uk/blg-nestle-childrens-book-prize-winners.php Nestle Children's Book Prize Winners announced
  12. http://www.tallpoet.com/news.aspx?intNID=12&intContentID=8&blnPC=true 01/09/2008 // September 2008
  13. Web site: Horn Book Acceptance: Bubble Trouble . The Horn Book . 31 May 2021.
  14. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/37325-the-2004-cuffies.html The 2004 Cuffies
  15. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/children/article3728295.ece The best new picture book illustrators
  16. Web site: Writer in Residence Polly Dunbar . BookTrust . 1 June 2021.
  17. News: Eyre . Charlotte . Antrobus signs deal with Walker . 11 June 2021 . The Bookseller . 13 March 2019.
  18. Web site: Owl or Pussycat? How Michael Morpurgo and Polly Dunbar find their inspiration in childhood memories . Booktrust . 31 May 2021.
  19. Web site: Tilly and Friends, an interview with writer Polly Dunbar . BBC Media Centre . 1 June 2021.
  20. News: Apter . Kelly . Penguin brings interactive puppetry to the Fringe: Edinburgh Festival . 11 June 2021 . The List . 29 July 2010.
  21. News: Festival performers honoured . 11 June 2021 . The Argus . 30 May 2006.
  22. http://www.pollydunbar.com/flyaway-katie.html Flyaway Katie
  23. http://www.pollydunbar.com/arthurs-dream-boat.html Arthur's Dream Boat
  24. https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/polly-dunbar/something-fishy/9781509838004 Something Fishy by Polly Dunbar
  25. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/polly-dunbar/a-lion-is-a-lion/ A Lion is a Lion
  26. https://www.walker.co.uk/Red-Red-Red-9781406376968.aspx Red Red Red
  27. https://www.thebookseller.com/news/dunbars-adult-debut-goes-faber-1218818 Dunbar's adult debut goes to Faber
  28. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/tilly-and-friends Tilly and Friends
  29. http://www.walker.co.uk/Hello-Tilly-9781406340242.aspx Hello Tilly
  30. http://www.walker.co.uk/Happy-Hector-9781406340488.aspx Happy Hector
  31. http://www.walker.co.uk/Pretty-Pru-9781406340495.aspx Pretty Pru
  32. http://www.walker.co.uk/Where-s-Tumpty-9781406340457.aspx Where's Tumpty?
  33. http://www.walker.co.uk/Doodle-Bites-9781406340464.aspx Doodle Bites
  34. . Doodle's Bitey Bitey Bitey Day . Tilly . I think we better have a word with a certain green crocodile..
  35. http://www.walker.co.uk/Goodnight-Tiptoe-9781406340471.aspx Goodnight Tiptoe
  36. http://www.walker.co.uk/Tilly-and-Friends-Let-s-Get-Wheeling-9781406348316.aspx Let's Get Wheeling!
  37. http://www.walker.co.uk/Tilly-and-Friends-Listen-to-Me-9781406345636.aspx Listen To Me
  38. http://www.walker.co.uk/Tilly-and-Friends-Star-Party-9781406348323.aspx Star Party
  39. Web site: Best Day Ever . 13 July 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150714053208/http://www.walker.co.uk/Tilly-and-Friends-The-Best-Day-Ever-9781406345308.aspx . 14 July 2015 . dead .
  40. http://www.walker.co.uk/Tilly-and-Friends-What-s-Everyone-Doing-9781406355864.aspx What's Everyone Doing?
  41. http://www.walker.co.uk/Tilly-and-Friends-Who-s-Hiding-9781406353983.aspx Who's Hiding?
  42. http://www.walker.co.uk/Tilly-and-Friends-Doctor-Tilly-9781406357240.aspx Doctor Tilly
  43. Web site: Tumpty's Plane.
  44. http://www.walker.co.uk/Tilly-and-Friends-Dressing-Up-Sticker-Activity-Book-9781406349894.aspx Dressing Up
  45. http://www.walker.co.uk/Tilly-and-Friends-Play-All-Day-Sticker-Activity-Book-9781406349887.aspx Play All Day
  46. https://archive.org/details/saucepanonhishea0000unse A Saucepan on his Head: and other Nonsense Poems
  47. https://www.walker.co.uk/The-Dragon-Test-9780744590180.aspx. The Dragon Test
  48. https://www.walker.co.uk/Hal-the-Highwayman-9780744590197.aspx Hal the Highway Man
  49. https://www.walker.co.uk/Lucy-and-the-Firestone-9780744565966.aspx Lucy and the Fire Stone
  50. https://www.walker.co.uk/Hal-the-Pirate-9780744565959.aspx Hal the Pirate
  51. https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7636-2779-9 Children's Book Review: Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar, Author, Polly Dunbar, Illustrator
  52. https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book/d/down-the-back-of-the-chair/ Down the Back of the Chair
  53. https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book/m/measuring-angels/ Measuring Angels
  54. https://www.janeyolen.com/heres-a-little-poem/ Here's a Little Poem
  55. https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book/b/bubble-trouble/ Bubble Trouble
  56. Book: The boy who climbed into the moon . worldcat.org . 489634191.
  57. Book: A cat called Penguin . WorldCat . 751804695.
  58. https://www.walker.co.uk/Pat-a-Cake-Baby-9781406365801.aspx Pat-a-Cake Baby
  59. https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book/i/i-will-not-wear-pink/ I Will Not Wear Pink
  60. https://www.walker.co.uk/Buster-and-the-Baby-9781406373011.aspx Buster and the Baby
  61. https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571348756-the-hug.html The Hug
  62. https://www.faber.co.uk/9780571365586-while-we-cant-hug.html While We Can't Hug
  63. https://www.davidficklingbooks.com/CatalogueItems.php?pubID=289 David Fickling Books - Catalogue
  64. https://www.walker.co.uk/Can-Bears-Ski-9781406382624.aspx Walker Books - Can Bears Ski?
  65. https://www.thebookseller.com/news/faber-publish-follow-mclaughlins-while-we-cant-hug-1237921 Faber signs follow-up to McLaughlin's While We Can't Hug
  66. https://bookshop.org/books/the-kiss-9780571361885/9780571361885 The Kiss

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