Vivian French

Vivian French (born 6 June 1945) is a British writer of picture book texts, novels, plays, and non-fiction for children and young adults. She has written more than 200 books – including the picture book Oliver's Vegetables (1995) and the Tiara Club series of chapter books illustrated by Sarah Gibb (from 2005) – which have sold more than three million copies. Another series, Tales from the Five Kingdoms, has been described as "hilarious adventures with wicked witches, trolls, bats and fairy-tale magic" (Books for Keeps) and the Sunday Telegraph has called French "a sublime story-teller".

Life

Vivian French was born in Bedfordshire and educated at Exeter University. She has worked as an actor, for the National Book League, and as a community drama worker. As well as writing story books for young children, she has written plays and poetry.[1]

According to data from the Public Lending Right, French was the 36th most borrowed author, and the 20th most borrowed children's author, from UK public libraries in 2011–2012.[2] Her books are regularly borrowed more than half a million times a year.

A tutor in the Illustration Department at Edinburgh College of Art, Vivian is also co-founder of Picture Hooks, a mentoring scheme for young professional illustrators. In 2012 she was Guest Selector at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Works

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  • One ballerina two, 1991
  • (with John Prater) Once upon a time, 1993
  • Caterpillar, caterpilla, 1993
  • Lazy Jack, 1995
  • A song for little toad, 1995
  • Oliver's vegetables, 1995
  • Oliver's fruit salad, 1998
  • The story of Christmas, 1998
  • Growing frogs, 2000
  • A present for Mom, 2002
  • Baby Baby, 2002
  • I love you, Grandpa, 2004
  • T. Rex, 2004
  • Princess Alice and the magical mirror, 2005, illustrated by Sarah Gibb
  • Princess Charlotte and the birthday ball, 2005, illus. Gibb
  • Princess Daisy and the dazzling dragon, 2005, illus. Gibb
Main article: The Tiara Club
  • Henny Penny, 2006
  • The robe of skulls, 2007
  • The bag of bones, 2008
  • The heart of glass, 2009
  • Yucky worms, 2009, Walker Books and Candlewick Press, illus. Jessica Ahlberg
  • Mountain Mona
  • Morris plays hide and seek

References

  1. ↑ Anna Adams (1985). Purple & green: poems by 33 women poets. Rivelin Grapheme. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-947612-15-3. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  2. ↑ Ami Sedghi, Library lending figures: which books are most popular?, The Guardian, 8 February 2013.

External links