27th September Bernard Waber (1921-2013) Paul Goble (1933) Martin Handford (1956) G.Brian Karas (1957)

A big day for birthdays. I wrote about Bernard Waber last year, but want to remind everyone about how good Courage is.

English-born American Paul Goble is the author illustrator of the Caldecott Award winner The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses and many other beautifully illustrated books.

Martin Handford is the English illustrator who is responsible for the publishing phenomenon Where's Wally?

And G(eorge). Brian Karas is an American illustrator who I discovered because of Clever Jack Takes the Cake, a wonderfully original fairytale by Candace Fleming. Then I went looking in the library and found more of his work and realised that On Earth and Throw Your Tooth on the Roof, two of my favourite books are also illustrated by him.

27th September Bernard Waber (1921 - 2013)

Today is the birthday of Bernard Waber, the creator of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile! Lyle lives with the Primms family in a city home, hardly the place for a crocodile as we learn from reading all the stories about him. Waber also wrote and illustrated Ira Sleeps Over and But Names Will Never Hurt Me, two books that are often used in early childhood classrooms in circle time. Waber's more recent title Courage, a book about conquering fears, continues his reputation for books that make for good discussion between adult and child or teacher and class.