Caroline Binch facts for kids

Caroline Binch (born 1947) is an English artist who illustrates and writes children's books. She is well-known for her beautiful and realistic pictures.

About Caroline Binch

Caroline Binch started illustrating children's books in 1987. Her first book was Hippo by Therese Pouyanne. Since then, she has illustrated more than 20 books. She studied graphic design at Salford Technical College. This helped her learn how to create amazing pictures.

Awards and Recognition

Caroline Binch has won many awards for her illustrations. She has been recognized three times for the Kate Greenaway Medal. This is a special award for children's book illustrators. Her books Gregory Cool (1995) and Down by the River (1997) were highly praised. She was also nominated for the Greenaway award for Silver Shoes in 2001.

She was a co-winner of the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for Hue Boy. This book was also named one of the ten best illustrated children's books by The New York Times. Two of her books were listed among the "50 best culturally diverse children's books" by Seven Stories.

Amazing Grace and Its Impact

One of Caroline Binch's most famous books is Amazing Grace. It was first published in 1991. This book was special because it featured one of the first black heroines in a popular picture book. Amazing Grace won several awards, including the "Certificate of Excellence" from Parenting. It also received "The Parents Choice Award" and was listed as "One of the Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year" by The New York Times.

Caroline Binch was also nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal for her work on Amazing Grace. She illustrated three more books that continued Grace's story. Reviewers from Kirkus Reviews said she captured Grace's personality perfectly. They loved her detailed and realistic watercolor illustrations.

Her Unique Style

Caroline Binch is known for her multicultural artwork. She has illustrated many books with Caribbean themes. These include Look Back! and Gregory Cool. She hopes these books help children from different countries see how much they have in common. She even worked with West Indian families to make the pictures for Amazing Grace and its sequels feel real.

The author Mary Hoffman, who wrote the Grace books, praised Caroline Binch's art. She said Caroline's "beautiful naturalistic pictures" made Grace and her family come alive. This helped the books stay popular for many years.

Another artist, Joanna Carey, described Caroline Binch's technique. She plans her books like a film director. She takes many black-and-white photos to help create her detailed watercolor illustrations. Her work is known for its clear style, perfect colors, and consistent characters. She pays close attention to every detail, which makes her pictures very realistic.

Books Illustrated by Caroline Binch

• Petar’s Song (2003) by Pratima Mitchell
• Starring Grace (1996) by Marry Hoffman
• New Born (1999) by Kathy Henderson
• A Pack of Liars (1998) by Anne Fine
• Down by the River by Grace Hallworth
• Grace and Family (1995) by Mary Hoffman
• Hue Boy (1993) by Rita Phillips Mitchell
• Rosa’s Grandfather Sings Again (1993) by Leon Rosselson
• The Hell Hound of Hooley Street (1993) by Jon Blake
• Billy the Great (1992) by Rosa Guy
• Amazing Grace (1991) by Mary Hoffman
• Come into My Tropical Garden (1990) by Grace Nichols
• Taste of Blackberries (1990) by Doris Buchanan Smith
• Fibs (1990) by Dick Cate
• Flames (1989) by Dick Cate
• Close to Home: Say No is Not Enough (1989) by Oralee Wachter
• Foxcover (1988) by Dick Cate
• Ghost Dog (1987) by Dick Cate
• Twisters (1987) by Dick Cate
• The Private World of Leroy Brown (1987) by Rhodri Jones
• No More Secrets for Me (1985) by Oralee Wachter
• Paris Pee Wee and Big Dog (1985) by Rosa Guy
• Hippo (1983) by Therese Pouyanne