Amanda Shufflebotham is a designer and illustrator based in the historic Welsh/English border town of Chepstow, where she lives with her partner and two sons. She was born near Oxford and attended Swindon School of Art and Design in the late 1980s, which led to a career in publishing, design and advertising. In 2004, while her sons were very young, Amanda branched out into freelance work and it was at that point that her approach became more illustrative. Amanda’s background in graphics is evident in her design style: bold colours and geometric shapes take centre stage. Her designs have been used for greeting ware in the UK and the US, and in the tourism sector. Amanda now works from her home studio, and when she’s not illustrating and designing she is spending time with her family and enjoying her garden. In fact, if Amanda hadn’t gone into design she would have like to be a landscape gardener as the shapes and textures of foliage have always enchanted her.

Cottage Door Press is an independent publisher of high-quality children’s books. Our books are designed to spark curiosity in the littlest readers and fan the flames of lifelong learning. We understand children deserve our respect. That's why we always select artwork and stories that encourage caregivers to "read up" to their little ones––exploring interests together, learning together, and giving their young minds room to grow.

We also believe in creating stories that reflect the boundless possibilities of all children. We hope to create books that inspire little ones to connect, encourage them to dream, give them cause to celebrate, and allow them to see themselves beautifully reflected in the stories they read.

To bring these beautiful stories to life, our diverse and talented staff collaborates with authors and illustrators from all backgrounds and nationalities. We have also partnered with multicultural brands and literacy organizations to make sure our books reflect and reach as many little ones as possible.