Jon Berkeley facts for kids
Jon Berkeley is an artist and writer from Dublin, Ireland. He is famous for his detailed illustrations and for writing exciting adventure books for young readers. He was born in 1962.
Jon Berkeley's Early Life and Travels
Jon Berkeley traveled a lot in the 1980s. He worked as a freelance artist in cities like London, Sydney, and Hong Kong. In 1992, he came back to Dublin. There, he joined a group of other talented Irish illustrators. This group was called Baggot Street Central. Some of the artists he worked with were Roger O'Reilly, P.J. Lynch, and Angela Clarke. Since 1997, Jon Berkeley has lived in Barcelona, Spain.
Jon Berkeley's Illustrations
Jon Berkeley's artwork has appeared in many well-known magazines and newspapers around the world. You might have seen his illustrations in Time magazine, the Sunday Independent, Backbone, and The Washington Post. He often creates the cover art for The Economist magazine. For example, his 2003 cover about obesity was very popular and was used in many other publications.
His illustrations often have a clever idea at their center, with a surprising twist. Jon Berkeley is also known for his bright and sharp caricatures. Caricatures are drawings that exaggerate someone's features in a funny way. His caricatures have been featured in The Sunday Times UK, Hot Press, and The LA Times. He has won several awards for his amazing illustration work.
Jon Berkeley's Books for Young Readers
Jon Berkeley is not just an illustrator; he also writes books. In 2005, he wrote and illustrated a book called Chopsticks. It's a story about a mouse who makes a carved Chinese dragon come to life.
Later in 2005, a big publishing company called HarperCollins asked him to write a series of three children's novels.
- The first book in this series was The Palace of Laughter, released in 2006. It was even nominated for the CBI Bisto award in 2007.
- The second book, The Tiger's Egg, came out in September 2007.
- The third and final book in the series, The Lightning Key, was published in January 2009.
This exciting series is illustrated by Brandon Dorman. The stories take place in and around a mysterious circus. They feature many interesting characters, like a girl who is 400 years old, a tiger that can talk, and a fancy old lady who lives in a tree! The author Angie Sage described the series as 'a vivid journey of discovery.'
Jon Berkeley's most recent book, The Hidden Boy, was published in February 2010. This book is the first in a new series. It's about a young girl who wins a "Holiday of a Lifetime." She and her family are taken to a strange, secret world. But then, they discover there's no way for them to get back home!
