J-J Murray

J-J Murray writes picture books for 4 to 8 year olds who like a little mischief with their bedtime story.

Her award-winning series, Fang & Bang and the Midnight Mouse, follows two brother cats who are doing their absolute best. Fang is two minutes older and thinks that makes him the boss, while Bang is the one with the plan. Together they chase a cheese-stealing mouse who has so far called them to 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, The Bell Inn at Stilton and Hill Top Farm in the Lake District, and who slips away every time.

The books are illustrated by Katie Tayler and read aloud beautifully, which matters when a small person demands the same one four nights running. From the Lake District book onwards, every book is set in Lexend, a clear font chosen to support readers with dyslexia.

J-J grew up on Mrs Pepperpot and Alice in Wonderland, and she has since read hundreds of books aloud to her own children and helped others learn to read in school.

Every cat in the series starts out as one of J-J's own. Otis and Zeno became Fang and Bang, and they supervise each manuscript from the nearest warm surface while contributing nothing useful. Tsuki became Suki Kitten in the Lake District book.

J-J lives in the UK and publishes independently, which means she chooses every word and every slightly crazy plot twist herself.

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