HarperCollins Children’s Books Presents: Stories for Summer Holidays for age 2+

David Walliams continues to take the literary world by storm. His tenth novel, BAD DAD, was an immediate number one, following the triumph of THE MIDNIGHT GANG, the biggest-selling children’s book of 2016. THE WORLD’S WORST CHILDREN 2, spent four weeks at industry number one. David’s books have now exceeded 100 non-consecutive weeks at children’s number one, and have been translated into 53 languages, selling more than 35 million copies worldwide.

Jackie French was born in Sydney in 1953, grew up in Brisbane, graduated from the University of Queensland and moved to her present home in NSW bush land in her mid twenties. Over the past 10 years she has published over a hundred books on diverse subjects ranging from children’s fiction to pest control!

Rob Scotton is a prolific artist and illustrator. He studied at Leicester Polytechnic and now lives in Rutland with his wife, Liz, who is also an artist. Rob only had to look out of his studio window to find the inspiration for ‘Russell the Sheep’, his debut picture book. The rolling countryside surrounding his home is brimming with sheep, other wildlife, sheep, rural beauty and more sheep!

Oliver Jeffers is a highly acclaimed talent in picture books. He graduated from The University of Ulster in 2001 with First Class honours and has since exhibited his paintings around the world. His outstanding talent has already been recognised by several high-profile awards, including the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Gold Award, the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award and the Irish Children's Book of the Year.

David Mackintosh is an Australian designer, art director and illustrator. As a designer he has worked with some of the biggest names in children's publishing and also in publishing, theatre, TV production and advertising. David’s first book Marshall Armstrong is New to Our School was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and his second, The Frank Show, was on FT.com list of Best Books 2012. David lives in London, loves books with pictures in them, flying, visiting cities and being read to.

Rachel is a writer of words, drawer of pictures and thinker of happy thoughts. With a cacophony of quirky characters tumbling tirelessly from her imagination, she is one of the South West’s most prolific talents. Creating a growing portfolio of beautifully imagined children’s stories, an award-winning card and gift empire and a smorgasbord of delicate etchings, silk-screens and hand-printed poems, Rachel brings her own unique sunshine to the very young and the slightly older alike.

Emma Chichester Clark studied art at the Royal College of Art. She has worked as a freelancer for magazines, publishers and advertising agencies as well as teaching art for several years, but now dedicates most of her time to children’s books. She was nominated for the Kurt Maschler Award for Illustration twice and ‘I Love You, Blue Kangaroo!’, was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal.

Jez was born in Kingston upon Thames in 1959. He went to art school in Norwich and then set about entering the competitve world of children’s books. Jez has now written and illustrated over thirty picture books for children, he was runner up of the 1985 Mother Goose Award with his first book Bare Bear. Jez lives in Richmond, Surrey, with his Danish wife.

Simon Puttock was born in New Zealand and, as a child, travelled all over the world with his family. He wanted to be a vet when he was little, but grew up to become a bookseller. He was particularly interested in children's books and was chosen to be a short-listing Children's Whitbread judge. He has since become a full-time writer, creating 24 children's books, and winning the Early Years award at the Royal Mail Scottish Children's Book Awards, 2006. Simon lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.