I married John Burningham who is another illustrator, and I watched him working and producing books, and it was almost like taking a course in illustration myself. So that when we had a family I didn’t want to leave the babies. I wanted something to do at home, and that’s how I started to illustrate children’s books.
My first book was a counting book. It didn’t need any text. And the second book I did was an ABC or something. So I started
I sort of putting my toe in the water, but it
in those days it was the beginning of the golden days of children’s books. And I was so lucky to have been there at that time.
I mean, I pity young illustrators today. It’s, you know, the competition is so fierce, but in those days there were very few. Like anything that just begins it was so exciting, and people were enthusiastic. And then it gradually grew and got bigger and bigger and then all publishers started and they all started to do too many books. And this is the point where I think we’re probably at the moment.
My husband’s been influential in the fact that I really knew nothing about how to go about making a children’s book until we were married and I watched the whole process. And, you know, the part the publishers played and all that. So when I first did the counting book, I took it to a publisher, and they said yes straight away.
