Shirley Hughes is one of the best-loved and most innovative creators of books for young children. She has written and illustrated over 50 books, sold more than eight million copies, won major awards and created some of the most enduring characters in children’s literature, including Lucy and Tom.
Shirley’s professional and private life came together as she raised a young family and gained first-hand experience of how children behave and what they like to read. This influenced the first book that Shirley wrote as well as illustrated – Lucy & Tom’s Day, published in 1960. As Shirley says, “at that time… there weren’t many books for young children about real life – what it feels like getting up in the morning, going to the shops, having lunch and so on.” This idea proved so popular that Lucy and Tom became a series, which continues to evoke feelings of warmth and familiarity amongst readers.
