Nationality British Education Central Saint Martins Role Writer | Name Colin McNaughton Period 1976–present | |
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Occupation Illustrator, writer, graphic designer Awards Nestle Smarties Book Prize, Golden Duck Award for Picture Book Books Here Come the Aliens, Once Upon an Ordinary, Captain Abdul's Pirate Sc, There's an Awful Lot of Weirdos i, Potty poo‑poo wee‑wee | ||
Boo! By Colin McNaughton
Colin McNaughton (born 1 May 1951) is a British writer and illustrator of over 70 children's books. He is also a poet, focusing mainly on humorous children's poetry. He trained in graphic design at the Central School of Art and Design in London followed by an MA in illustration at the Royal College of Art. He lives in London.
Contents
- Boo By Colin McNaughton
- Suddenly by Colin McNaughton Mr Wickins Reads
- Childhood
- Books
- List incomplete of published books
- Awards
- References
Suddenly! by Colin McNaughton - Mr Wickins Reads
Childhood
McNaughton was born in Wallsend, Northumberland in 1951, the son of a shipyard worker and a school dinner lady. As a child, there was little indication that he would become one of Britain's leading creators of children's picture books. There were no books at all in the family home but there were always comics, his formative literature, and their slapstick humour has been a lasting influence.
Books
McNaughton's first book was published while he was still at the RCA.
His exuberant picture books with their comic-strip techniques, often take the form of an extended joke:
McNaughton's books include the Preston Pig series: Suddenly!, Boo!, Oops!, Goal!, Hmm... and Shh (Don't Tell Mister Wolf!) all of which feature Preston Pig and his near-escapes from Mr Wolf. A TV series was developed from these books.
His most notable book is perhaps There's an Awful Lot of Weirdos in Our Neighbourhood, a collection of poetry written in conjunction with Allan Ahlberg and which was published in 1989. Colin McNaughton has worked with Allan Ahlberg on a number of books, including three of the Happy Families series, Mr and Mrs Hay the Horse, Miss Brick the Builders' Baby and Mrs Jolly's Joke Shop.
McNaughton worked with illustrator Satoshi Kitamura to create Once Upon an Ordinary School Day, published in 2004.
List (incomplete) of published books
Awards
McNaughton won the British Book Award, Design and Production in 1989 for Jolly Roger and in 1993 for Making Friends with Frankenstein. He won the Kurt Maschler Award, or "the Emil", in 1991 for Have You Seen Who's Just Moved in Next Door to Us? (Walker), which he wrote and illustrated. That award from Maschler Publications and Booktrust annually recognised one "work of imagination for children, in which text and illustration are integrated so that each enhances and balances the other." He won the 1996 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize in category 0–5 years for Oops!.