Polly Dunbar (born 1977) is an English author-illustrator.
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.Dunbar's adult debut goes to Faber The Bookseller.
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.In Conversation: Raymond Antrobus and Polly Dunbar from Publishers Weekly
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".Illustrator's Gallery: Polly Dunbar from Book Trust Children's Books She went to Brighton University and graduated in 1999 with a degree in illustration.Polly Dunbar profile from Frances Lincoln.
She lives in Waveny Valley, Suffolk with her partner and their two sons. Author Biography Polly Dunbar's website
Career Polly Dunbar's Dog Blue and Flyaway Katie, both as author-illustrator, were published in 2004.Take 3: Illustrators from Books For Keeps The following year she illustrated Shoe Baby, written by her mother, author Joyce Dunbar.
Her 2007 book Penguin is her most critically acclaimed book to date, winning the Booktrust Early Years Awards in the pre-school categoryDunbar, Polly from Images of delight and the silver award in the Nestle Children's Book Prize for children under five years old.Nestle Children's Book Prize Winners announced from School Library Association
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 2009.01/09/2008 // September 2008 from tallpoet.com
Dunbar was named "Most Promising New Illustrator" in Publishers Weekly'''s Cuffie Awards in 2004.The 2004 Cuffies from Publishers Weekly. In 2008, she was featured in The Timess list of "The best new picture book illustrators".The best new picture book illustrators from The Times In 2008 Booktrust named her one of the Ten Best Illustrators, and in 2011 she became their fourth writer in residence.
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.
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.
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. Their production of Shoe Baby won Best Children’s Show at Brighton Fringe Festival.
BibliographyHenry VIII, Hole Story, Scholastic 2002Cleopatra, Hole Story, Scholastic 2002Scrooge, Hole Story, Scholastic 2002Flyaway Katie, Walker Books 2004Flyaway Katie Polly DunbarDog Blue, Walker Books 2004Penguin, Walker Books 2007Arthur's Dream Boat, Walker Books 2012Arthur's Dream Boat Polly DunbarSomething Fishy, Two Hoots 2018Something Fishy by Polly Dunbar Pan MacmillanA Lion is a Lion, Walker Books 2018A Lion is a Lion Kirkus ReviewsRed Red Red, Walker Books 2019Red Red Red Walker BooksHello, Mum, Faber and Faber 2021Dunbar's adult debut goes to Faber The Bookseller
Help seriesHelp I've forgotten my Brain, Kingfisher 1996Help I'm out with the in-crowd, Kingfisher 1996
Tilly series all published via Walker Books adapted into BBC seriesTilly and Friends 2012 cartoon Tilly and Friends on TVO Kids. "Hello Tilly" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012Hello Tilly about a human girl "Happy Hector" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012Happy Hector about a pig boy "Pretty Pru" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012Pretty Pru about a bird girl "Where's Tumpty?" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012Where's Tumpty? about an elephant boy "Doodle Bites" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012Doodle Bites about a girl crocodile "Goodnight, Tiptoe" 2008, MIDI edition 6 September 2012Goodnight Tiptoe about a boy bunny "Let's Get Wheeling!" 1 August 2013Let's Get Wheeling! "Listen to Me!" 1 August 2013Listen To Me "Star Party" 1 August 2013Star Party "The Best Day Ever" 1 August 2013 "What's Everyone Doing?" 3 April 2014What's Everyone Doing? "Who's Hiding?" 3 April 2014Who's Hiding? "Doctor Tilly" 3 July 2014Doctor Tilly "Tumpty's Plane" 3 July 2014
Sticker Activity Books: "Dressing Up" 3 October 2013Dressing Up "Play All Day" 3 October 2013Play All Day
As illustratorA Saucepan on his Head, Collected Nonsense Poems written by M Baars and S Ellis, Walker Books 2001A Saucepan on his Head: and other Nonsense Poems Internet Archive.The Dragon Test written by June Crebbin, Walker Books 2003The Dragon Test Walker BooksHal the Highway Man written by June Crebbin, Walker Books 2003Hal the Highway Man Walker BooksLucy and the Fire Stone written by June Crebbin, Walker Books 2004Lucy and the Fire Stone Walker BooksHal the Pirate written by June Crebbin, Walker Books 2004Hal the Pirate Walker BooksLooking after Louis written by Lesley Ely, Frances Lincoln Children's Books 2004Shoe Baby written by Joyce Dunbar, Walker Books 2005Children's Book Review: Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar, Author, Polly Dunbar, Illustrator Publishers WeeklyDown the Back of the Chair written by Margaret Mahy, Frances Lincoln Children's Books 2006Down the Back of the Chair BookTrustMy Dad's a Birdman written by David Almond, Walker Books 2007Measuring Angels written by Lesley Ely, Frances Lincoln Children's Books 2007Measuring Angels BookTrustHere's a Little Poem edited by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters Walker Books 2007Here's a Little Poem Jane YolenBubble Trouble written by Margaret Mahy, Frances Lincoln Children's Books 2008Bubble Trouble BookTrustThe Boy Who Climbed into the Moon written by David Almond, Walker Books 2010A Cat Called Penguin, Holly Webb (author), 2011 Pat-a-Cake Baby written by Joyce Dunbar, Walker Books 2015Pat-a-Cake Baby Walker BooksI Will Not Wear Pink written by Joyce Dunbar, Otter-Barry Books 2016I Will Not Wear Pink BookTrustBuster and the Baby written by Amy Hest, Walker Books 2017Buster and the Baby Walker BooksThe Hug written by Eoin Mclaughlin, Faber and Faber 2019The Hug Faber and FaberWhile We Can't Hug written by Eoin Mclaughlin, Faber and Faber 2020While We Can't Hug Faber and FaberOwl or Pussycat? written by Michael Morpurgo, David Fickling Books 2020David Fickling Books - Catalogue David Fickling BooksCan Bears Ski? written by Raymond Antrobus, Candlewick Press 2020Walker Books - Can Bears Ski? Walker BooksThe Longer the Wait, the Bigger the Hug written by Eoin Mclaughlin, Faber and Faber 2021Faber signs follow-up to McLaughlin's While We Can't Hug The BooksellerThe Kiss'' written by Eoin Mclaughlin, Faber and Faber 2022The Kiss Bookshop.org
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