Ian Whybrow has written over 60 books for children, has been translated into 21 languages and published in 24 countries. His books are known for their humour and child-friendliness and range from picture books, to novels, short stories and poetry. His humour is wacky and original and his books are all good to read aloud.  An animated version of the very popular Little Wolf's Book of Badness was the 2003 Christmas Special on Channel 4. The enormously popular Harry and the Dinosaurs titles, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds, are published by Puffin.

THE BASICS:
Born:                                          Gillingham, Kent - date confidential!
Jobs:           &n...

Ian Whybrow has written over 60 books for children, has been translated into 21 languages and published in 24 countries. His books are known for their humour and child-friendliness and range from picture books, to novels, short stories and poetry. His humour is wacky and original and his books are all good to read aloud.  An animated version of the very popular Little Wolf's Book of Badness was the 2003 Christmas Special on Channel 4. The enormously popular Harry and the Dinosaurs titles, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds, are published by Puffin.

THE BASICS:
Born:                                          Gillingham, Kent - date confidential!
Jobs:                                          Teacher and writer
Lives:                                         Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex and
                                                    Almeley Wootton, Herefordshire
First Book:                                 The Sniff Stories, 1989

THE BOOKS:

Ian recently gave up teaching to become a full-time writer and is now extending the Little Wolf series of short, very funny novels (Collins) and the Harry picture books as well as publishing new picture books and contributing poems to anthologies. All the titles featuring Harry and the Dinosaurs are now published by Puffin. These books have huge appeal for the under sixes as Harry’s behaviour reflects real life – and dinosaurs seem to have a timeless appeal.

WHAT HE SAYS…

“I loved being read to when I was a child and I loved the sense that my mother and father were enjoying themselves too. For me that’s the acid test for any good book – that there’s something in it for everyone to enjoy.”

His passions are (apart from his wife and daughters): The Herefordshire Marches – where he retreats to write in an idyllic Victorian villa; digging; running; walking with friends; swimming; cycling (especially in France); the poet Stevie Smith; the theatre; books, films and hedgehogs.

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT IAN WHYBROW…

“A major talent has arrived.”
The Times on the publication of The Sniff Stories in 1989.

“Are you sitting comfortably? Then you’re in for a treat. Between them Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds can work magic – and they do.”
The Liverpool Echo on Harry and the Dinosaurs Make a Christmas Wish – their first title in this series for Puffin.

AWARDS:

QUACKY QUACK QUARK! was nominated for the Smarties Prize
A BABY FOR GRACE was nominated for the Carnegie Medal
LITTLE WOLF’S BOOK OF BADNESS won the TSB Birmingham Book Award, a UKRA Award for making a substantial contribution to literacy, the Talkie Award for the Best Children’s Book and Tape, a nomination for the best TV movie, and was a finalist for the Best Children’s Programme in the Broadcast Awards and the Best TV Special in the British Animation Awards. The book has also won awards in Italy and the USA
HARRY AND THE BUCKETFUL OF DINOSAURS was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Award and won both the Sheffield Children’s Book Award and the Norfolk Libraries Children’s Book Award
WHIFF was nominated for the Blue Peter Award for the Best Picture Book to Read Aloud
WHERE’S TIM’S TED has won prizes in France and Italy

Place of birth:
I was born in Gillingham, Kent but I’m not telling you when.

Favourite book:
Great Expectations was the first great book I ever read, so it made a deep impression.

Favourite song:
The first song that comes into my head was  Moon River, so I’ll stick with that for the moment, in spite of the fact that Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel, the Sergeant Pepper album, Satisfaction and Good Vibrations are crowding in as I type…

Favourite film:
On the Waterfront. No screen actor has ever given a better performance than Marlon Brando does in that film.

Most treasured possession:
A carved  box made from a piece of wood from Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford given to me by Mrs Penny next door when I was ten. She paid me a great compliment: “There you are. You like S...

Place of birth:
I was born in Gillingham, Kent but I’m not telling you when.

Favourite book:
Great Expectations was the first great book I ever read, so it made a deep impression.

Favourite song:
The first song that comes into my head was  Moon River, so I’ll stick with that for the moment, in spite of the fact that Heartbreak Hotel, Don’t Be Cruel, the Sergeant Pepper album, Satisfaction and Good Vibrations are crowding in as I type…

Favourite film:
On the Waterfront. No screen actor has ever given a better performance than Marlon Brando does in that film.

Most treasured possession:
A carved  box made from a piece of wood from Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford given to me by Mrs Penny next door when I was ten. She paid me a great compliment: “There you are. You like Shakespeare, I expect.” I’d never (consciously) read a word at the time, but I thought it was very  nice of her to think that I might one day.

When did you start writing?
I’ve written ever since I can remember. My first successful book for children was published in 1989. It was called The Sniff Stories. (It’s since been reprinted as Sniff.)

What inspires you?
The immediate inspiration for The Sniff Stories was The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, by Sue Townsend (1st person narrative, fish-finger sized chapters, English, funny, domestic).  Other influences were JD Salinger (for his voices and for the way he can convey natural, spoken language); Stevie Smith, GM Hopkins, Dylan Thomas (all for their oddness, their pleasure in finding new ways of using words and in  the sounds of words and voices), John Burningham, Maurice Sendak and Helen Oxenbury (for their picture books that I was happy to read over and over again with my children); AA Milne, Kipling’s Jungle Book, and Alice in Wonderland for their warmth, peculiarity, humour and rhythm.

Top tips for becoming a successful author:
Nothing you write is ever wasted - even the rejected stuff.
Get an agent
Keep going

Favourite place:
Herefordshire - it’s beautiful and tranquil and as yet undiscovered. Shhhhh.

Hobbies:
Reading, cinema,  theatre, jogging, walking with friends, going places, digging, hedgehogs

What would you have been if you weren't an author?
Bitter and miserable.