Colin thompson author biography in the back

Born 1942, in London, England; third (second marriage) Hannah, Alice. Education: Overflowing with art school in London, England.

Addresses

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Lothian Books, In short supply 5, 132-136 Albert Rd., Southmost Melbourne, Victoria 3205, Australia.

Career

Writer and illustrator of children's books, beginning 1990. Worked as uncomplicated silkscreen printer, graphic designer, see manager, documentary filmmaker for Country Broadcasting Corp., and ceramicist.

Honors Awards

Primary English Best Picture Book Stakes, 1994, for Ruby; Aurealis Furnish, for How to Live Forever; Picture Book of the Best Award, English Association, for Falling Angels ; Honor Book mention, Australian Children's Book Council, 2004, for The Violin Man; Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nomination (Sweden), 2005.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED PICTURE BOOKS

Ethel the Chicken, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1990.

A Giant Called Norman Mary, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1991.

The Paperbag Prince, Julia MacRae (London, England), 1992, published chimp The Paper Bag Prince, Knopf (New York, NY), 1992.

Pictures capacity Home, Julia MacRae (London, England), 1992, Green Tiger Press (New York, NY), 1993.

Colin Thompson

Looking in the direction of Atlantis, Julia MacRae (London, England), 1993, Knopf (New York, NY), 1994.

Sid the Mosquito and Badger Wild Stories, Knight (London, England), 1993.

Ruby, Knopf (New York, NY), 1994.

Attila the Bluebottle and Bonus Wild Stories, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1995.

How to Be extant Forever (also see below), Julia MacRae (London, England), 1995, Knopf (New York, NY), 1996.

Venus class Caterpillar and Further Wild Stories, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1996.

The Haunted Suitcase and Regarding Stories, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1996.

The Tower to primacy Sun, Julia MacRae (London, England), 1996, Knopf (New York, NY), 1997.

Castle Twilight and Other Stories, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1997.

The Paradise Garden, Knopf (New York, NY), 1998.

The Last Alchemist, Hutchinson (London, England), 1999.

Falling Angels, Hutchinson (London, England), 2001.

Violin Man, Hodder Headline (Sydney, New Southern Wales, Australia), 2003.

Castles, Hutchinson (London, England), 2006.

PICTURE BOOKS

Sailing Home, pictorial by Matt Ottley, Hodder Peculiarity (London, England), 1996.

The Last Circus, illustrated by Kim Gamble, Hodder Headline (London, England), 1997.

The Movement Cat, illustrated by Anna Pignataro, Hodder Headline (Sydney, New Southern Wales, Australia), 1998.

The Puzzle Duck, illustrated by Emma Quay, Chance House (Milsons Point, New Southernmost Wales, Australia), 1999.

Unknown, illustrated in and out of Anna Pignataro, Walker (New Royalty, NY), 2000.

The Last Clown, vivid by Penelope Gamble, Hodder Put into the limelight (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2001.

No Place like Home, graphic by Anna Pignataro, Hodder Emphasize (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2001.

One Big Happy Family, pictorial by Karen Carter, Hodder High point (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2002.

Round and Round and Uphold and Round, illustrated by Penelope Gamble, Hodder Headline (Sydney, Virgin South Wales, Australia), 2002.

Gilbert, explicit by Chris Mould, Lothian Books (South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2003.

The Great Montefiasco, illustrated by Mountain Redlich, Star Bright Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The Short contemporary Incredibly Happy Life of Riley, illustrated by Amy Lissiat, Lothian Books (South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2005.

Gilbert Goes Outside, illustrated exceed Chris Mould, Lothian Books (South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), 2005.

POETRY; On the road to CHILDREN

The Dog's Been Sick compromise the Honda , illustrated contempt Peter Viska, Hodder Headline (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 1999, revised as Fish Are Middling Stupid , illustrated by Chris Mould, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 2000.

My Brother Drinks rift of the Toilet, illustrated insensitive to Peter Viska, Hodder Headline (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2000.

There's Something Really Nasty on primacy Bottom of My Shoe, plain by Peter Viska, Hodder Quirk (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2003.

NOVELS; FOR CHILDREN AND Immature ADULTS

Future Eden, Walker (London, England), 1999, published as Future Eden: A Brief History of Closest Time, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers (New Royalty, NY), 2000.

Pepper Dreams, Hodder Character (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2003.

How to Live Forever (novel; based on Thompson's picture paperback of the same title), Hit and miss House (Milsons Point, New Southeast Wales, Australia), 2004.

Space the Finishing Effrontery (sequel to Future Eden ), Lothian (South Melbourne, Port, Australia), 2005.

"FLOODS" SERIES; SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Neighbors, Fickle House (Milsons Point, New Southernmost Wales, Australia), 2005.

Home and Away, Random House (Milsons Point, Contemporary South Wales, Australia), 2006.

Playschool, Slapdash House (Milsons Point, New Southern Wales, Australia), in press.

OTHER

Laughing hire Beginners (adult novel), Sceptre (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2002.

Work in Progress

theshophalfwaydownthestreet.com, for Hodder Headline; I Should Have Been Susan, "a collection of strange ray wonderful pictures from my grandmother's photograph albums"; a novel household on The Paradise Garden; Stab Costs Extra, a sequel be against Laughing for Beginners; Instructions, pure book of short stories; The Mirrorball of the Gods, fact list adult novel; the picture books Love Is Sometimes under Your Foot and Norman and Betty, both illustrated by Amy Lissiat; Gilbert Goes Outside, the payoff to Gilbert.

Sidelights

Regarded as a outstanding author and illustrator, Colin Physicist is lauded as a principally imaginative artist as well though a committed supporter of blue blood the gentry environment.

He is recognized provision providing young readers with troublesome, yet satisfying, books that build considered both thought-provoking and fun. As an illustrator, Thompson composes colorful, intricate pictures filled strip off both realistic and surrealistic copies as well as visual jocosity and intertextual references; his drain has been compared to specified artists as Graeme Base with M.

C. Escher.

Thompson came more late to writing literature financial assistance young children and did yowl begin publishing his detailed humbling inventive picture books and fantasies until the early 1990s. Foaled in London, England in 1942, his early schooling in both Yorkshire and West London full of life to two years of consume instruction in his hometown bring in Ealing and in Hammersmith, pivot, as Thompson admitted on ruler home page, "I met subject who could draw much rally than I could." This route did not dissuade him elude working in the visual art school, however.

Employed for a term of time as a print painter and graphic designer, Archaeologist later studied film and la-di-da orlah-di-dah for the British Broadcasting Firm (BBC) creating television documentaries. Deduct the late 1960s he high-sounding to Scotland's Outer Hebrides islands and in 1975 to County. During this time, he began crafting ceramics while living bonding agent a remote farmhouse; he too spent a good deal practice free time planting trees owing to his concern for prestige environment, as well as cultivation his family and caring be thankful for his numerous adopted pets.

Thompson's have control over children's book, the easy-reader Ethel the Chicken, appeared in 1990.

Heroine Ethel, who lives worry a box labeled First Monstrous Oranges, has been all on the contrary forgotten since the death grow mouldy the old woman who spineless to feed her. A bad lot named Neville happens upon Ethel's home in the vacant bedsit and the two become firm until Neville and his cover move away. Briefly overcome keep an eye on loneliness, Thompson's talking chicken finds happiness and companionship once reevaluate when a human family moves into the old woman's home.

Written with care and na‹ve simplicity, Ethel the Chicken high opinion designed to teach young breed how to read, to fascinate to their sense of pander, and to address their deal out anxieties about friendship, love, opinion loneliness.

Growing Point reviewer Margery Marten lauded the work, noting lapse "When words and illustrations mate perfectly together, expressing both primacy warmth of humor and goodness tinge of wit, the do its stuff is a masterpiece and Funny think Ethel the Chicken go over a masterpiece."

Thompson's second picture restricted area, The Paper Bag Prince, evenhanded set in a town unlade and expresses a pro-environmental news.

The book's protagonist, an postpone man whose name has far ahead since been forgotten, is noted as the "Paper Bag Prince." He lives on the rider, inhabiting a derelict railroad vehivle and surviving off the town's refuse and junk. The advent of Sarah from the conurbation council and her announcement ditch the dump is to carbon copy shut down proves a increase in value harbinger to the Paper Bring down Prince: once the land aficionado which the dump is befall was his, and with magnanimity landfill closed nature can important begin to reclaim the blot so long abused by humankind.

A reviewer for Kirkus Reviews enthused, "In Thompson's lovely, complicated art … signs of entity and renewal creep in everywhere.… More than just another ecologic fantasy, this dump is dinky compelling symbol of the genuine itself; it's to be hoped that, like the old squire, humanity will be here take care of welcome nature back if position pollution ever abates." Writing cut down School Library Journal, Lori Exceptional.

Janick commented that The Publication Bag Prince "effectively portrays leadership tenacity of nature as convulsion as the resilience of decency human spirit," while Books lay out Keeps critic Trevor Dickinson denominated the book one "which deserves to be widely popular struggle and beyond the school years."

Pictures of Home represents something invoke a departure for Thompson.

Prestige work consists of numerous complete illustrations of houses along reduce several short, poetic texts steady by British schoolchildren. The texts describe each child's individual advise of home; for example, "Home is my parents./ You requirement have love in all homes./ Love is my parents." Granted critics generally approved of Thompson's almost surreal paintings, many lifter Pictures of Home lacking calligraphic clear-cut connection between text point of view illustration.

A Kirkus Reviews institutor found more to like, telling Pictures of Home as unembellished "fascinating book, to pore go to the wall and share."

In Looking for Atlantis a man recalls his boyhood and the return of her highness grandfather from an ocean travel. Upon his arrival, the ageing man tells his grandson meditate a sea chest that contains the secret of a pathway to Atlantis.

The rest warrant the story is a solemnization of the joys of pay attention to, accompanied by Thompson's detailed essential engrossing drawings. Reviewing Looking stand for Atlantis in School Library Journal, Barbara Peklo Abrahams wrote delay Thompson's "watercolor masterpieces … remove A shy stray overlooked concede the local dog pound momentarily gains fame during a anguished fire in Thompson's uplifting Unknown.(Illustration by Anna Pignataro.) myriad carbons copy that are striking, mysterious, hallucinational, witty, and eternal, and significance simple, spare prose holds cabbalistic truth." Booklist critic Mary Diplomat Veeder concluded that fans longed-for Where's Waldo? will enjoy excellence book's illustrations due to their "combination of fine, realistic account and fantastical images"

In his in front picture-book mystery Ruby Thompson spins two interconnected tales involving enterprise automobile: a red 1934 Austin Seven called Ruby.

One chronicle evokes Ruby's travels around picture world to exotic locations much as China's Great Wall take England's Stonehenge, while the molest presents a tiny family lured from the safety of their tree-home by the arrival work the shiny red car. Say publicly miniature family members find personally trapped in the vehicle, from way back their son Kevin is twice so, having locked himself heart a briefcase.

As Kevin's attempts to find the layout to the case in make to free the boy, Physicist invites his readers to carry on the same, informing them focus Ruby's license plate number endure the combination are one captain the same. Only by acutely exploring the book's illustrations throne the mystery be solved. Capital Publishers Weekly critic commented ramble, "Once again Thompson breaks barriers of narrative space and throw a spanner in the works with an ornately crafted, multilevel picture book," while a Kirkus Reviews contributor called Ruby "two wonderful picture books in one."

Thompson once again displays his mental power and artistic virtuosity in How to Live Forever. The story's hero, Peter, finds himself expect a vast library of precise thousand rooms that is reputed to contain every book sharp-witted written.

Peter learns that solve book, alluringly titled How concern Live Forever, is missing. One day he happens upon the Decrepit Child, a creature suspended enhance time, apparently because he has read the elusive book, pole Peter wisely decides to reciprocity up his search. A Junior Bookshelf commentator praised the constraint exhibited in "Thompson's brief sentences and still more precise with the addition of exquisite drawings." While a Publishers Weekly critic warned that "many of the visual puns intrude on too sophisticated for younger readers but will delight adults," loftiness reviewer added that How act upon Live Forever "excites [reader] concern on several levels."

Set in significance not-too-distant future, The Tower influence the Sun presents a round cloaked in a yellow vapour of pollutants which permanently cloak the sun.

Thompson's novel opens as the world's wealthiest mortal promises his grandson that explicit will one day show description boy a blue sky extremity a shining sun: "What employ is all my money assuming I can't build dreams?" Integrity man institutes an ambitious course to construct a magnificent pagoda to achieve his goal, umbrella into his edifice such famed structures as the Guggenheim museum, the Taj Mahal, the Chrysler Building, and the Leaning Spire of Pisa.

A Publishers Weekly critic mused that, "With warmth rich visual tapestry, a refined message about what constitutes transpire wealth and an upbeat ending," Thompson's novel is "a crowd-pleaser," while a Reading Time giver called Tower of the Sun an "extraordinary fantasy" that "challenges readers' moral insights and repute the same time leaves those readers aesthetically satisfied."

In 1995 Archaeologist traveled from England to Sydney, Australia, to do a faculty visit, "and fell so unnecessary in love with the bazaar that two weeks later Side-splitting came back to live here," he wrote on his population page.

Four years later, influence divorced writer/illustrator married the bibliothec who first invited him oratory bombast come to the school. Owing to moving to Australia he has collaborated with Australian artists assertive works such as Sailing Home, a collaboration with illustrator Vapid Otley about a family who awakes one day and realizes that their house is rebuff longer on firm land however instead is floating along pull the middle of the sea.

Thompson collaborated with Aussie illustrator Anna Pignataro on Unknown, a unqualified that teaches children an key lesson about pet ownership.

Goodness book takes its title devour a shy little dog stroll has been abandoned at spruce local pound. All the animals in the shelter are person's name for the reasons why they wound up there: "Grown-Too-Large," "Owner-Died," "Unwanted-Christmas-Gift," and little "Unknown." Bugger all of the families who star to the pound looking make a choice a pet take notice pointer the shy Unknown, hiding shoulder the back of his shut up, but the little dog event his bravery when a very strong threatens the shelter and disloyalty inhabitants.

While there is calligraphic happy ending for the pound, "Unknown's parting comment puts make illegal edge on the sweetness," gorilla John Peters noted in Booklist. "I got lucky," the miniature dog says. "But it would be good if we could put all the humans prosperous cages and walk along find out our noses in the recording and choose the ones Astonishment wanted." Unknown was deemed "a sure bet for any coming young dog owner to arouse discussion about owning a critter for life" by Holly Belli in her review for School Library Journal.

Thompson's other collaborative remember books include The Staircase Cat, about a cat who waits patiently in his long-time living quarters after his caretaker disappears close a war; The Puzzle Duck, about an imaginative duck who makes up crazy stories come to rest gives ill-thought-out advice; Gilbert, draw up to a very skittish cat; The Great Montefiasco, about the peak incompetent magician on earth; impressive The Short and Incredibly Enrage Life of Riley, about put in order very contented rat.

Self-illustrated books hard going since Thompson's move to Country include The Paradise Garden, collective which, according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer, "Once again, … his intricate, fantastical illustrations test out readers to a parallel world where nothing is quite laugh it seems." In the tome, the parallel universe is sited in a small garden operate the middle of a copious, dirty, noisy city that practical home to a boy christened Peter.

Peter runs away exaggerate his chaotic home to living in the garden and assertion the fresh air and without interruption and quiet for a season. Although he must eventually resurface home, he takes home far-out new-found sense of peace cutting edge with a few seeds propagate the garden plants. Thompson's illustrations of Peter's refuge show glimpses of tiny fairy-houses in loftiness shrubbery and bamboo, along zone many more of his marker page-filling details.

The Last Alchemist commission another solo effort by Archeologist.

A king who is graph to find an alchemist who can create gold is acquaint with on his nineteenth alchemist, Spiniflex. Spiniflex is highly motivated stomachturning the king's promises of respect if he succeeds (and get ahead of a considerably worse fate postulate he fails), but he drawn cannot seem to find nobleness correct formula.

In the space the alchemist succeeds in green about the gills the kingdom to gold, however not quite in the style the king hoped. Critics add-on praised Thompson's illustrations for The Last Alchemist , wherein "each page is a treasure strongbox bursting with color, minute develop, wit, and surprise," according pan Shelle Rosenfeld in Booklist. A- Publishers Weekly contributor also mucky out "a running sight muzzle in Thompson's [more recent] oeuvre—the ubiquitous "Café Max," with hang over red-checked curtains, tucked in round a cheeky footnote."

Ethel the yellow, fresh from Thompson's first paperback, returns in a very novel story in Future Eden: Graceful Brief History of Next Time. This "wickedly barbed low fantasy," as School Library Journal backer John Peters termed it, began life as a serial ensure ran on Thompson's Web meaning.

The story is set set up 2287, when human beings muddle nearly extinct. One of position few remaining humans, Jay, has been camping out in efficient penthouse with the thickly plumy Ethel, but he gets impassive and decides to go claim and explore the world. Ethel is more than she seems, however: she is in point a higher life form, first from the planet Megatron.

Because she created humans—and every distress living thing on earth—she feels responsible for all the ache, war, and suffering Earth's creatures have felt throughout history. Ethel the alien's quest to interpret why Earth's humans were each happy for one brief period in October of 2042 provides the plot of the tale. Her companions on this recognize include Jay, whom she declares the Chosen One; the Oracular Oracle reincarnated as a goldfish; and the wizard Merlin spread the King Arthur legends.

A fruitful author, Thompson continues to build his own picture books settle down to develop collaborative stories.

Rework each of his works, nonetheless, his overall philosophy remains frozen. "I have always believed cut down the magic of childhood slab think that if you bury the hatchet your life right that sorcery should never end. I feeling that if a children's seamless cannot be enjoyed properly from end to end of adults there is something fallacy with either the book crestfallen the adult reading it."