Gillian McClure

Gillian McClure has written and illustrated over thirty picture books. Several of them have been short-listed for awards; one was highly commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal and another, 'Selkie', won the US Parent's Guide to Children's Media Award for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Books.

Gillian illustrates in watercolour adding textures by using waxing, scratching, spraying ink and even applying rock salt crystals!

Her latest book is 'Cinderlad and the Sea Dragon'. It’s a funny and thrilling retelling of an Orcadian folk tale, perfect for young readers who love adventure. Told in a lively graphic novel format, 'Cinderlad and the Sea Dragon' blends humour, peril and emotional truth, drawing readers straight into the drama of an old Scottish story that still speaks to children today.

Cinderlad, the overlooked youngest son stuck tending the peat fire, spends his days dreaming up heroic quests. When a monstrous Sea Dragon rises from the deep, one of his imagined adventures suddenly becomes real and he must find the courage no one else can. An imaginative twist on the Cinderella tradition with timeless appeal!

Here are some reviews of her other books:

'Tanglewood': When Bison arrives to change Tanglewood for the better, a story is told that opens young eyes as to how Nature works. My granddaughter loved it. 'I wish it was six thousand pages' she said”.

Tony Juniper CBE, environmentalist

'Don't Eat Granny': "A twisted fairytale that teaches punctuation with a smile."

This charming picture book is an Eats, Shoots and Leaves for children who are beginning to learn the meaning and usage of the four main punctuation marks. Here the author has invented them as characters in their own right and they come to the rescue of Red Hoodie, who has written a story about her and her Gran and a wolf, but it has all gone wrong!

The punctuation characters spring into action to help her story make sense. But she doesn’t know who they are and so the full stop, the exclamation mark ‘an excitable guy’, the question mark and what Red Hoodie thinks is a ‘cute and curly’ comma ( ‘don’t call me that. I’m a clever comma and I’m in charge here’). The whimsical pictures (Granny in a bag because of a missing full stop!) to illustrate the meaning that Red has mistakenly written, will raise lots of laughs.

This is a very different sort of twisted fairy tale that will serve a useful purpose as well as to entertain. I can see older children wanting to rewrite other fairy tales in the same style to prove how well they know their punctuation.

Joy Court LOVEREADING4KIDS

'We're Going to Build a Dam: Dam-making is one of those childhood activities that seem almost instinctively to appeal to every generation – and in this beautifully illustrated, tenderly told tale, Gillian McClure captures the process perfectly. BOOK CLUB –TEACH NURSERY

'Flood': A simple, yet gratifying story demonstrating the need for cooperation in adversity, is beautifully illustrated with splashy textures and muted colours unfolding into exciting compositions... BOOKS FOR KEEPS

'Zoe's Boat': Another charming book from a well established children’s author-illustrator...It is always fun to be adventurous in a story and these short and simple sentences and attractive illustrations tell all.

THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN

'Mouse in the House': An accomplished ability to orchestrate this delicate play of rhyme, rhythm, perspective, pattern, shape, colour and light defines this picture book for the very young that offers delight at each re-reading.

CAROUSEL