V. H. Drummond facts for kids

Violet Hilda Drummond (born July 30, 1911 – died February 7, 2000) was a British author and artist. She wrote and drew pictures for children's books from the 1930s to the 1970s.

Drummond was best known for her book series about Mrs. Easter, Little Laura, and Miss Anna Truly. She won the 1957 Kate Greenaway Medal for her book Mrs Easter and the Storks. Her Little Laura books were even made into eighteen television films for the Children's Hour on BBC in the 1960s.

Besides writing, Drummond also drew pictures for other authors like Helen Cresswell, Barbara Sleigh, and J.K. Stanford. She was also a watercolour painter, and her art was shown in London, England.

Early Life and Education

Violet Drummond was born in London on July 30, 1911. Her father, Robert Drummond, was a banker who sadly died in 1914 during World War I. Her mother, Hilda Margaret Harris, later remarried.

As a child, Violet loved to draw. She often doodled in her school notebooks. She went to the Links School in Eastbourne and later to a finishing school in Paris. For her art training, Drummond studied at Saint Martin's School of Art from 1939 to 1942. During this time, she was also a member of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, a group that helped the British Army.

Career as an Author and Artist

Violet Drummond became a children's author. In 1939, she wrote Phewtus the Squirrel. This book was inspired by a toy squirrel her son had, which he called "Phewtus" by mistake.

From the 1940s to the 1970s, Drummond mainly wrote two popular series. She wrote five books about Mrs. Easter and five books about Little Laura. She also wrote two books about Miss Anna Truly. Drummond drew all the pictures for her own books.

In 1957, she received the Kate Greenaway Medal for her book Mrs Easter and the Storks. Her Little Laura series was very popular. The BBC turned it into eighteen animated television films. These episodes aired on the Children's Hour from 1963 to 1964. Drummond herself wrote, illustrated, and produced these Little Laura TV shows.

Drummond also illustrated books for many other authors. These included J.K. Stanford, Barbara Sleigh, and Helen Cresswell. She drew pictures for their books from the 1940s to the 1960s.

In the 1950s, Drummond also began painting. Her watercolour paintings and lithographs were shown in galleries in London. These included the Fortescue Swann Gallery, the Chenil, and the Upper Grosvenor Galleries. She was also chosen as a member of the Society of Industrial Artists. In 1960, Drummond started her own company, where she was the chairperson. She was married and had one child. Violet Drummond passed away on February 7, 2000, in Essex.

Books Illustrated by Drummond

• The Twelfth, 1944, by J.K. Stanford
• Here and There, A Lusty Trout, 1947, by Thomas A. Powell
• Verse and Worse, 1952, by Arnold Silcock
• The Kingdom of the Winds, 1957, by Angela Jean
• The Piemakers, 1967, by Helen Cresswell.

Books Written by Drummond

• Phewtus the Squirrel, 1939
• Miss Anna Truly, 1945
• The Mountain that Laughed, 1947
• The Flying Postman, 1948
• Mrs Easter and the Storks, 1957
• I'll Never Be Asked Again, 1979.