Tiny Little Fly

Children's Laureate 2007-2009

Michael Rosen is one of the best-known figures not only in the children's book world but also the British arts scene. His first book of children's poems was published in 1974, and he has gone on to write numerous award winning children's poetry books, picture books and non-fiction, such as Quick, Let's Get Out of Here and We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

Alongside this he performs, teaches, lectures, presents Word of Mouth on Radio 4 and reviews books for the Guardian. In 2007, Michael was appointed the fifth Children's Laureate - a role which he says will be used to be an 'ambassador of fun'.

Kevin Waldron was born in Dublin and, after graduating with a degree in graphic design, he travelled for a year and then moved to London where he studied for an MA in Illustration at Kingston University. After deciding that children’s book illustration was for him, Kevin found a studio in central London where he works with other illustrators.

Kevin’s first book, Mr Peek and the Misunderstanding at the Zoo (Templar Publishing), which unveiled Mr Peek, his eccentric and amazing new character, won the Bologna Ragazzi Award Opera Prima Award in 2009. He illustrated Tiny Little Fly (Walker Books) a witty book of rhyme by Michael Rosen, in 2009 before emigrating to America. He now lives in New York.

He was chosen for a Booktrust Best New Illustrators Award in 2011.

Illustration Technique

Kevin works with gouache, pen and ink (he broke lots of nibs making the pink scratches you see on the hippo in Tiny Little Fly!), charcoal, whatever is lying around and whatever he can use to get the texture he is after. Sometimes this involves placing the paper on the cement ground in the studio and drawing with charcoal or a heavy pencil. Then he scans it in and manipulates the colours on the computer (he had a rubber stamp made for some of the text and borders) using his computer like a screen printer.