Jackie Morris
Jackie Morris is a British writer and illustrator. Morris was born in Birmingham in 1961. Her family moved to Evesham when she was four. As a child she was told that she couldn't be an artist, but despite this information being drilled into her by teachers she decided to throw caution to the wind and learn to paint.
On leaving college she found work in editorial, illustrating magazines like Radio Times, New Statesman, New Society and Country Living. She worked for years illustrating books and in 2005 her book The Seal Children won the Tir Na N-Og Award. In 2016 she was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal for Something About a Bear, which she later won in 2019 for her illustration of The Lost Words, book of poetry by Robert Macfarlane with illustrations by Morris.
Books
Can You See a Little Bear?
Author: James Mayhew Illustrator: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Interest age: 1+
Reading age: 5+
Little Bear journeys through an astonishing collection of magical settings, and meets many exotic animals as he drifts off to sleep. The text is a series of rhyming statements and questions which draw the child's attention into the pictures, and encourage them to search for the creatures and objects mentioned, and also to discover the wealth of other images …
I am Cat
Author: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Interest age: 3+
Reading age: 7+
A cat curls up asleep, warm and cosy, and while it sleeps, it dreams. It is a tiger roaming the jungle, a cheetah racing across African plains...
One Cheetah, One Cherry
Author: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Otter Barry
Interest age: 1-5
Cheetah and tigers and pandas and polar bears feature in this wonderful book about helping children count to ten. Whether it's otters juggling or foxes eating strawberries, each page is filled with exotic adventure and sumptuous illustrations.
Something About a Bear
Author: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Interest age: 5+
Reading age: 5+
A beautiful gift for bear and book lovers alike, this is a showpiece for Morris's paintings which are as awe-inspiring as their subjects.
Tell me a Dragon
Author: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Interest age: 4-8
Reading age: 5+
Jackie Morris’s lyrical descriptions imagine each child’s relationship with their own dragon, and the reader is invited to imagine their dragon, too, at the end of the book.
The Cat and the Fiddle: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes
Author: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Reading age: 6+
The bold, earthy colour palate and close observation of the human and natural world make this a striking collection to be treasured – and remembered
The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow
Author: Jackie Morris
Publisher: GRAFFEG
Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 8-12
A collection of original folk tale-style stories inspired by her own music-themed paintings, this beautiful large hardback is an ideal gift for any Jackie Morris fan, and will appeal to adults and children alike.
The Seal Children
Author: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
Interest age: 4-9
Reading age: 6+
A tender and mythical exploration of the selkie myth in a family context, with a gentle and evocative use of watercolour, this breathtakingly beautiful book is one to treasure.
The Secret of the Tattered Shoes
Author: Jackie Morris Illustrator: Ehsan Abdollahi
Publisher: Tiny Owl
Interest age: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
Jackie Morris' retelling of the classic fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses is accompanied by Ehsan Abdollahi's transfixingly beautiful illustration, updating the story for a new generation.
The Snow Leopard
Author: Jackie Morris Illustrator: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Interest age: 5+
Reading age: 8+
The Mergich Realm, a sacred and secret place hidden high in the tallest mountains of the world, comes under threat when soldiers arrive seeking slaves and gold.
The White Fox
Author: Jackie Morris
Publisher: Conkers/Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 6-12
Reading age: 8-12
A wonderful story about family and belonging, The White Fox is also a magical book about our spiritual connection to animals and nature, enhanced by Jackie Morris's beautiful paintings.