Pixie O'Harris facts for kids

Pixie O'Harris (born Rhona Olive Harris; 15 October 1903 – 17 November 1991) was a talented artist, author, and illustrator from Australia. She was born in Cardiff, Wales, and later moved to Australia. Pixie was famous for her beautiful fairy-style paintings in children's hospital wards. She also wrote and illustrated many books for kids. In 1977, she became a special supporter of Sydney's Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children.

Pixie's Early Life and Art Journey

Rhona Olive Harris was born in Cardiff, Wales. She was one of nine children. Her father, George Frederick Harris, was a leader at the Royal Art Society in Cardiff.

Pixie went to school at Sully village school and Allensbank Girls School in Cardiff. By the time she was 14, she was already a member of the South West Art Society. In 1920, her family moved to Australia, first living in Perth, then settling in Sydney in 1921.

Pixie didn't like her birth name, Rhona. On the boat trip to Australia, people started calling her "the Welsh pixie." This nickname stuck, and she became known as Pixie.

At first, she signed her professional work as "Pixie O. Harris." But a printing mistake in Sydney Morning Herald newspaper changed it to "Pixie O'Harris." She liked it and decided to use that name forever!

In the 1950s, Pixie and her brother Olaf painted many murals and pictures for children's hospital wards. These special artworks were rediscovered and restored in 2020.

Family Life

On 16 July 1928, Pixie married Bruce Pratt. Bruce was an important editor of the Australian Encyclopaedia. Pixie and Bruce had three daughters together.

Awards and Recognition

Pixie O'Harris received several special awards for her work:

• In 1953, she was given the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.
• In 1976, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This is a high honor!
• The next year, in 1977, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.

Pixie O'Harris's Creative Works

Pixie O'Harris was a very busy artist and writer. She wrote her own stories, created poems, and illustrated many books for other authors.

Books Written by Pixie O'Harris

• 1983, Was It Yesterday? The Autobiography of Pixie O'Harris
• 1986, Our Small Safe World: Recollections of a Welsh Childhood

Poems and Songs by Pixie O'Harris

Pixie also wrote lyrics for songs and poetry.

• 1944, Where the Waterfall Leaps in the Gully
• 1945, Pixie O'Harris Songs for Children
• 1945, Where the Winding Wollondilly Flows
• 1957, The Town of Flowers
• 1972, The Hunter: a Two-Part Song

Books Written and Illustrated by Pixie O'Harris

Pixie created both the words and pictures for many children's books.

• 1923, The O.K. Fairy Book: New Rhymes and Pictures for Kiddies Only
• 1935, Pearl Pinkie and Sea Greenie: the Story of Two Little Rock-Sprites
• 1940, The Pixie O'Harris Story Book
• 1941, The Babes in the Wood, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood (3 books)
• 1941, The Fortunes of Poppy Treloar
• 1942, Marmaduke the Possum
• 1943, Goolara: Daughter of the Billabong
• 1943, Rondel the Fair
• 1943, The Story of Our Baby
• 1944, Rocks of Han: a Fairy Story
• 1944, Poppy and the Gems
• 1945, Pixie O'Harris Songs for Children
• 1945, The Fairy Who Wouldn't Fly
• 1946, Princess of China
• 1947, Poppy Faces the World
• 1950, Pixie O'Harris Gift Book
• 1953, Marmaduke and Margaret
• 1977, Marmaduke the Possum in the Cave of the Gnomes
• 1977, Birthday Book
• 1978, The Teddy Bear's Picnic
• 1978, The Bunny Who Lost his Tail and The Giant's Eiderdown
• 1979, The Kangaroo Who Couldn't Hop and the Cloud Wallaby
• 1980, The Pixie O'Harris Treasury of Animal Verse
• 1980, Trailing Echoes
• 1981, The Pixie O'Harris Nursery Rhyme Book
• 1982, The Little Grey Mouse and her Friends
• 1985, A Cavalcade of Cats
• 1985, Loveleaves the Koala
• 1988, Loveleaves Returns to the Bush

Books Illustrated by Pixie O'Harris

Pixie also drew pictures for many books written by other authors.

• Bedford, Ruth, 1934, Hundreds and Thousands
• Boughton, Joy, 1981, This Roundabout
• Carroll, Lewis, 1990, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
• Cope, Gwen, 1936, Fairy Verse for Little Folk
• Cope, Gwen, 1937, Under the Joy of the Sky, and Other Verses
• Davison, Frank Dalby, 1936, Children of the Dark People: an Australian Story for Young Folk
• Grahame, Kenneth, 1983, The Wind in the Willows
• Griffiths, Lexie, 1945, Between Ourselves
• Hemphill, Rosemary, 1959, Fragrance and Flavour: the Growing and Use of Herbs
• Higgins, Kathleen, 1938, Betty in Bushland
• Lister, Gladys, 1938, Little Round Garden
• Lister, Gladys, 1939, Little Round House
• Lister, Gladys, 1946, The House that Beckons
• Liston, Maud Renner, 1982, Cinderella's Party: A Fairy Story
• Littlejohn, Agnes. 1924, The Lost Emerald and Other Stories
• Merrick, Frances, 1975, The Children's Bar Reading Book
• Park, Margaret Robertson, 1940, The Secret Joy: Poems
• Pender, Lydia, 1958, Marbles in My Pocket
• Randell, Beverley, 1969, The Baby
• Rice, Esmée, 1948, The Secret Family
• Rothenberger, L. (ed.), 1968, More Star Spangled Cooking
• Sabine, Jo, 1941, The Pillow Pat Poems
• Tombs, John, 1945, Apple Cottage, and the Lost Key
• She also illustrated stories and articles in the School Magazine published by the NSW Department of Education.

Remembering Pixie O'Harris

APA Pixie O’Harris Award

There is a special award named after Pixie O'Harris. It's called the "APA Pixie O’Harris Award." This award is given to people who have done amazing work to help Australian children's books grow and become well-known.