Neal Layton
Neal was born and raised in Chichester, West Sussex but has since lived in Newcastle, Brighton, London, Slough and Glasgow. He now lives in Portsmouth with his family. He likes living by the seaside.
His studio is a room in his house where he can make a mess. The walls are covered with pictures, drawings, scribbles, badges, photos, posters, packaging and anything else that he finds inspiring. He uses all sorts of different media to make his illustrations: pencils, paint, pens, ink, pieces of collage, biros, photocopiers, cameras, a computer, bits of stick, old toothbrushes, dough, hair, leaves, anything that comes to hand... He likes his illustrations to appear as fresh and spontaneous as possible.
Books
A Ticket to Kalamazoo! Zippy Poems to Read Out Loud
Author: James Carter Illustrator: Neal Layton
Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
Interest age: 2-3
Reading age: 4-5
Featuring 19 upbeat poems, A Ticket to Kalamazoo is a delightful picture book of fun rhymes.
Cheer Up Your Teddy Bear, Emily Brown!
Author: Cressida Cowell Illustrator: Neal Layton
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Interest age: 3-6
Reading age: 5-7
Emily Brown and her sidekick rabbit, Stanley, are back – and this time, they're on a mission to cheer up one very unhappy teddy bear. Another lovely story of friendship and humour from the author of How To Train Your Dragon and illustrator Neal Layton.
Deadly!
Author: Nicola Davies
Illustrator: Neal Layton
Publisher: Walker
Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 8+
Sometimes nature can be nasty!
Emily Brown and Father Christmas
Author: Cressida Cowell
Illustrator: Neal Layton
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Interest age: 4-5
Father Christmas is on a mission to be modern this year. But are the old ways sometimes best? The unshakeable Emily Brown is just the girl to sort Santa out and save everyone's Christmas. Fabulously fun and festive!
Emily Brown and the Elephant Emergency
Author: Cressida Cowell Illustrator: Neal Layton
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Interest age: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
Emily, her rabbit Stanley, and their friend Matilda are doing Very Important Things and having Great Adventures, but keep getting interrupted by the emergency telephone. Cowell and Layton perfectly blend imaginative play with reality.
Poo: A Natural History of the Unmentionable
Author: Nicola Davies
Illustrator: Neal Layton
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 6-9
Reading age: 7+
This funny non-fiction picture book for older readers is packed full of fascinating facts about poo and enthusiastically explains why this natural waste product is one of the most useful things on earth.
The Big Story of Being Alive
Author: Neal Layton
Publisher: Wren & Rook
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 6+
In this clever picture book, Neal Layton explains that there are some things that everything alive has in common: they are cellular, they grow and they can reproduce.
Yn y llyfr lluniau clyfar hwn, rydyn ni'n dysgu bod yna rai pethau yn gyffredin i bopeth byw: maen nhw'n gellog, maen nhw'n tyfu ac maen nhw'n gallu atgenhedlu.
The Invincible Tony Spears
Author: Neal Layton
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Interest age: 6+
Reading age: 7+
After Tony moves house, the kitchen in his new place turns into a spaceship called The Invincible. Amid all the zaniness, there's an important message tucked in here about just trying your best.