Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhood in both Africa and the United Kingdom. She is the author of the award-winning Anna Hibiscus series, illustrated by Lauren Tobia, as well as Hugo, illustrated by Birgitta Sif, and Too Small Tola, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu. Her other books include Baby, Sleepy Baby; Baby Goes to Market; B Is for Baby; and Catch That Chicken!, all illustrated by Angela Brooksbank. Atinuke lives in Wales.
Lauren Tobia is the author-illustrator of Oscar’s Tower of Flowers and the illustrator of numerous children’s books, including the Anna Hibiscus series by Atinuke, Are You Sure, Mother Bear? by Amy Hest, Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin, Baby’s Got the Blues by Carol Diggory Shields, and The Blanket Where Violet Sits by Allan Wolf. She lives in the United Kingdom.
I was born in Bristol, England, and have lived there pretty much all my life. When I was small I spent some time living on a boat in Cornwall at the bottom of an estuary where seabirds waded outside my window and where I was able to run wild.
I have two fabulous creative and lovely daughters who are grown up now. My husband and I live with our crazy Jack Russell dogs in a little terraced house in Bristol, and when I am not there I am at my studio drawing and drinking tea. And not drawing and drinking more tea! We have a community garden (I think that is what you call them) where we grow vegetables and rather a lot of weeds.
I was a nurse for many years before I went to university.
I originally wanted to study fine art.
I had a magical time! I tried everything from bronze casting to video to enameling and printmaking. Eventually I ended up in an illustration course and have not looked back. I work using mostly pencil, ink, a bit of watercolor, and my computer to make pictures.
Three things you don’t know about me:
I am very dyslexic and happy to be so.
But don’t ask me to remember a name or a phone number!
I almost always wear mismatched socks. Life is too short to find a pair.
I love animals, although I am not super keen on spiders or donkeys!
(I had to look after some donkeys once and they kept running away.)
