Russell Ayto facts for kids

Russell Ayto is an English author and illustrator who creates many children's books, especially picture books.

Russell Ayto was born in Chichester, Sussex in 1960. He grew up in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. After finishing school, he worked as a postman. He also worked in a hospital lab before going to college. He studied graphic design at Oxford Polytechnic and Exeter College of Art and Design.

He started his career illustrating for magazines like Observer Magazine and Time Out. He also illustrated books for adults. Then, a publisher called Walker Books noticed his work. This led him to start illustrating children's books.

Russell has illustrated over 80 books! Some famous ones include The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill, and Quacky Quack-Quack! and Whiff by Ian Whybrow. He also illustrated The Witch’s Children series by Ursula Jones. His illustrations for The Witch’s Children go to School by Ursula Jones won the first-ever Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2008.

His illustrations for The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas (2012) were turned into a short animated film for the BBC. Famous actors like Johnny Vegas and Miriam Margolyes lent their voices to it. In 2015, a company called SLR Productions launched an animated TV series. It had 52 episodes based on his Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs picture books. The third book in this series, Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: The Magic Cutlass, was even made into a stage play in 2015.

Russell continues to work full-time as an author and illustrator. He has written and illustrated his own books, such as The Match (2018), Henry and the Yeti (2017), and Mouse in the House (2020).

Today, Russell lives with his family near Penzance, Cornwall.

Awards and Recognition

Russell Ayto has received several awards and honors for his amazing work:

• 2001: Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal for The Witch's Children by Ursula Jones.
• 2003: Won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (for ages 0–5) for The Witch's Children and the Queen by Ursula Jones.
• 2004: Shortlisted for the Greenaway Medal for One More Sheep by Mij Kelly.
• 2008: Shortlisted for the Booktrust Early Years Award for The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill.
• 2008: Won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize (for ages 0–6) for The Witch's Children go to School by Ursula Jones.
• 2014: Received an Honor from the Irma Black Award.

Books He Wrote

Here are some books Russell Ayto wrote and illustrated himself:

• The Other Day I Met a Bear, Walker Books, 2001
• My Friend Joe, HarperCollins, 2013
• Henry and the Yeti, Bloomsbury, 2017
• Cats and Robbers, Bloomsbury, 2019
• An Earth-Bots Solution to Plastic Pollution, Kids Can Press, 2021
• Will You Be My Friend? Andersen Press, 2021
• Mouse in the House, Andersen Press, 2022

Books He Illustrated

Here is a list of some of the many books Russell Ayto has illustrated for other authors:

1990s

• Harry and the Lady Next Door by Gene Zion, BBC Books, 1991
• Quacky Quack-quack! by Ian Whybrow, Walker Books, 1991
• Broops Down the Chimney by Nicholas Fisk, Walker Books, 1991
• Trouble at the North Pole by Effin Older Heinemann Young, 1992
• Cinderella and the Hot Air Balloon by Ann Jungman, Frances Lincoln, 1992
• Contact!: How to Cope With Contact Lenses – and the People Who Wear Them, by Phil Dodd and Jody Tresidder, Gollancz, 1992
• Denzil the Dog Polisher by Andrew Matthews, Methuen Young, 1993
• Little Luis and the Bad Bandit by Ann Jungman, Walker Books, 1993
• Lazy Jack by Vivian French, Walker Books, 1994
• The Stray Cat's Tale by Ian Strachan, Heinemann, 1995
• The Peckthorn Monster by Hazel Townson, Mammoth, 1995
• Mrs Potter's Pig by Phyllis Root, Walker Books, 1996
• Ella and the Naughty Lion by Anne Cottringer, Mammoth, 1996
• Henry Pond the Poet by Dick King-Smith, Hodder, 1996
• Tale of the Terrible Teeth by Hazel Townson, Heinemann, 1996
• A Little Too late! by Shirley Jackson, Ladybird Books, 1997
• Rollerblading Royals by Karen Wallace, Hodder, 1997
• A Funny Sort of Dog by Elizabeth Laird, Mammoth, 1997
• The Worm and the Toffee Nosed Princess by Eva Ibbotson, Hodder, 1997
• Baby Bird by Joyce Dunbar, Walker Books, 1998
• A Hiccup on the High Seas by Karen Wallace, A & C Black, 1998
• Let the Sun Shine by Kaye Webb (editor), Frances Lincoln, 1998
• Choose Your Superhero (poems) by Norman Silver, Hodder, 1998
• Gordon (Pet Pals) by Anne Cottringer, Orchard Books, 1999
• Where's Tim's Ted? by Ian Whybrow, HarperCollins, 1999
• Whiff by Ian Whybrow, Doubleday, 1999

2000s

• You'll Soon Grow, Alex by Andrea Shavick, Orchard Books, 2000
• Happy Family by Shirley Jackson, Ladybird, 2000
• Where’s the Magician? by Marie Birkinshaw, Ladybird, 2001
• A Poem a Day, by Adrian Mitchell, Orchard Books, 2001
• My Dog by June Crebbin, Walker Books, 2001
• Herbie Monkey by Martin Waddell, Walker Books, 2001
• The Witch's Children by Ursula Jones, Orchard Books, 2001
• Strange Exchange by Pat Thomson, Barn Owl Books, 2002
• Fat Cat by James Sage, HarperCollins, 2002
• Emily's Legs by Dick King-Smith, Hodder, 2002
• Going Up by Martin Waddell, Walker Books, 2003
• Cup Run by Martin Waddell, Walker Books, 2003
• The Witch's Children and the Queen by Ursula Jones, Orchard Books, 2003
• Super Sue by Cressida Cowell, Candlewick Press, 2003
• Star Striker Titch by Martin Waddell, Walker Books, 2003
• Mr Beast by James Sage, HarperCollins, 2004
• One More Sheep by Mij Kelly, Hodder, 2005
• Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae, Puffin Books, 2005
• Super Sue at Super School by Cressida Cowell, Candlewick Press, 2005
• One Voice, Please by Sam McBratney, Walker Books, 2005
• The Big Adventure (Monster & Frog) by Rose Impey, Orchard Books, 2006
• Get Fit (Monster & Frog) by Rose Impey, Orchard Books, 2006
• Tim, Ted and the Pirates by Ian Whybrow, HarperCollins, 2006
• The Slippery Wallpaper (Monster & Frog) by Rose Impey, Orchard Books, 2006
• The Terrible Toothache (Monster & Frog) by Rose Impey, Orchard Books, 2006
• All-in-together Cake (Monster & Frog) by Rose Impey, Orchard Books, 2006
• The Haunted Tent (Monster & Frog) by Rose Impey, Orchard Books, 2006
• Mind the Baby (Monster & Frog) by Rose Impey, Orchard Books, 2007
• Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure! by Giles Andreae, Puffin, 2007
• The Cow That Laid An Egg by Andy Cutbill, HarperCollins, 2007
• Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs Activity Book by Giles Andeae, Puffin, 2008
• Where Teddy Bears Come From by Mark Burgess, Puffin, 2008
• The Cow That Was the Best Moo-Ther by Andy Cutbill, HarperCollins, 2009
• The Witch's Children Go to School by Ursula Jones, Orchard Books, 2009
• The Best Cow in Show by Andy Cutbill, HarperCollins, 2009
• Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs – The Magic Cutlass by Giles Andreae, Puffin, 2009

2010s

• The Love Bugs by Simon Puttock, HarperCollins, 2010
• Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs – Smugglers Bay! by Giles Andreas, Puffin, 2010
• First Week at Cow School by Andy Cutbill, HarperCollins, 2011
• Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? by Julie Middleton, Picture Corgi, 2012
• Dustbin Dad, by Peter Bentley, Simon & Schuster Children’s UK, 2013
• The Somethingosaur, by Tony Mitton, HarperCollins, 2013
• A Very Pirate Christmas, by Timothy Knapman, Egmont Books, 2014
• Top Top Secret, by Claire Freedman, Simon & Schuster, 2014
• Whoops! by Suzi Moore, Templar Publishing, 2015
• Old Misery, by James Sage, Kids Can Press, 2018