Polly Dunbar facts for kids

Polly Dunbar (born in 1977) is an English author and illustrator. She creates wonderful books, mostly for children.

Polly is famous for books she wrote and illustrated herself. These include Penguin and the Tilly and Friends series. The Tilly and Friends books even became a BBC children's TV show! She also wrote Hello, Mum, which was her first book for grown-ups. It's like a visual diary about being a new mum.

She has also drawn pictures for books by other authors. Some of these are Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy and My Dad's a Birdman by David Almond. She also illustrated Can Bears Ski? by poet Raymond Antrobus, Owl or Pussycat? by Michael Morpurgo, and While We Can't Hug by Eoin Mclaughlin.

Polly's mother, Joyce Dunbar, is also a children's book writer. Polly illustrated her mother's picture book called Shoe Baby.

About Polly Dunbar

Polly Dunbar was born in a beautiful area of England called the Cotswolds. When she was eight months old, her family moved to Stratford upon Avon. She went to school there until she was eleven.

Later, her family moved to Norwich. Polly went to school there and then studied art and design at Norwich University College of the Arts. She started writing and drawing books when she was just 16 years old. She called her first books "cartoon books inspired by teenage antics."

In 1999, Polly graduated from Brighton University with a degree in illustration. Today, she lives in Waveny Valley, Suffolk. She lives there with her partner and their two sons.

Polly's Books and Awards

Polly Dunbar's books Dog Blue and Flyaway Katie were both published in 2004. She wrote and illustrated both of these books. In 2005, she illustrated Shoe Baby, which was written by her mother, Joyce Dunbar.

Penguin and Other Recognitions

Her book Penguin, published in 2007, is one of her most popular. It won the Booktrust Early Years Awards for pre-school books. It also won a silver award in the Nestle Children's Book Prize for children under five.

Polly also illustrated Here's A Little Poem. This book was on the IBBY honour's book list in 2008. Another book she illustrated, Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy, won a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in 2009.

Awards and Special Mentions

In 2004, Polly Dunbar was named "Most Promising New Illustrator" by Publishers Weekly. In 2008, The Times newspaper included her in their list of "The best new picture book illustrators."

Booktrust named her one of the Ten Best Illustrators in 2008. In 2011, she became their fourth writer in residence. This means she spent time working with Booktrust to encourage reading.

In 2020, Polly illustrated several new books. These included Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus, Owl or Pussycat? by Michael Morpurgo, and While We Can't Hug by Eoin Mclaughlin. Her first book for adults, Hello, Mum, was published by Faber and Faber in 2021.

Books Come to Life

Polly Dunbar's Tilly and Friends books were made into an animated television series. This show aired on CBeebies in 2012, bringing her characters to life for many children.

In 2006, Polly also helped start a puppet company called Long Nose Puppets. This company performs puppet shows based on her books. They have created shows for Penguin, Flyaway Katie, Shoe Baby, and Arthur's Dream Boat. They are also planning a show for While We Can't Hug. Their puppet show of Shoe Baby won "Best Children’s Show" at the Brighton Fringe Festival.