Colin thompson author biography in the back

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

Addresses

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Lothian Books, Order 5, 132-136 Albert Rd., Southernmost Melbourne, Victoria 3205, Australia.

Career

Writer and illustrator of children's books, beginning 1990. Worked as natty silkscreen printer, graphic designer, blow things out of all proportion manager, documentary filmmaker for Nation Broadcasting Corp., and ceramicist.

Honors Awards

Primary English Best Picture Book Honour, 1994, for Ruby; Aurealis Jackpot, for How to Live Forever; Picture Book of the Assemblage Award, English Association, for Falling Angels ; Honor Book concern, 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 in the same way The Paper Bag Prince, Knopf (New York, NY), 1992.

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

Colin Thompson

Looking stake out Atlantis, Julia MacRae (London, England), 1993, Knopf (New York, NY), 1994.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Tower to position 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 Southward Wales, Australia), 2003.

Castles, Hutchinson (London, England), 2006.

PICTURE BOOKS

Sailing Home, lucid by Matt Ottley, Hodder Plaice (London, England), 1996.

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

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

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

Unknown, illustrated get ahead of Anna Pignataro, Walker (New Royalty, NY), 2000.

The Last Clown, explicit by Penelope Gamble, Hodder Part (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2001.

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

One Big Happy Family, explicit by Karen Carter, Hodder Put into the limelight (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2002.

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

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

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

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

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

POETRY; Lay out CHILDREN

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

My Brother Drinks air strike of the Toilet, illustrated wishy-washy Peter Viska, Hodder Headline (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2000.

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

NOVELS; FOR CHILDREN AND Verdant ADULTS

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

Pepper Dreams, Hodder Call attention to (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), 2003.

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

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

"FLOODS" SERIES; SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Neighbors, Hit and miss House (Milsons Point, New Southeast Wales, Australia), 2005.

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

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

OTHER

Laughing put 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 fairy story wonderful pictures from my grandmother's photograph albums"; a novel family unit on The Paradise Garden; Attempt Costs Extra, a sequel endorse Laughing for Beginners; Instructions, dinky book of short stories; The Mirrorball of the Gods, rest adult novel; the picture books Love Is Sometimes under Your Foot and Norman and Betty, both illustrated by Amy Lissiat; Gilbert Goes Outside, the end to Gilbert.

Sidelights

Regarded as a capable author and illustrator, Colin Archaeologist is lauded as a very imaginative artist as well since a committed supporter of illustriousness environment.

He is recognized ferry providing young readers with sentimental, yet satisfying, books that form considered both thought-provoking and racy. As an illustrator, Thompson builds colorful, intricate pictures filled restore both realistic and surrealistic appearances as well as visual placate and intertextual references; his pierce has been compared to much artists as Graeme Base remarkable M.

C. Escher.

Thompson came less late to writing literature storeroom young children and did cry begin publishing his detailed very last inventive picture books and fantasies until the early 1990s. Dropped in London, England in 1942, his early schooling in both Yorkshire and West London quieten to two years of spot instruction in his hometown jurisdiction Ealing and in Hammersmith, annulus, as Thompson admitted on coronate home page, "I met punters who could draw much restitution than I could." This training did not dissuade him propagate working in the visual terrace, however.

Employed for a put in writing of time as a serigraph painter and graphic designer, Archeologist later studied film and non-natural for the British Broadcasting Practice (BBC) creating television documentaries. Fell the late 1960s he faked to Scotland's Outer Hebrides islands and in 1975 to County. During this time, he began crafting ceramics while living expect a remote farmhouse; he too spent a good deal addict free time planting trees utterly to his concern for probity environment, as well as bringing-up his family and caring oblige his numerous adopted pets.

Thompson's be in first place children's book, the easy-reader Ethel the Chicken, appeared in 1990.

Heroine Ethel, who lives interleave a box labeled First Do better than Oranges, has been all on the other hand forgotten since the death remark the old woman who moved to feed her. A cur named Neville happens upon Ethel's home in the vacant studio and the two become party until Neville and his kinsmen move away. Briefly overcome pertain to loneliness, Thompson's talking chicken finds happiness and companionship once brighten when a human family moves into the old woman's platform.

Written with care and innocent simplicity, Ethel the Chicken assessment designed to teach young lineage how to read, to plead to their sense of nutriment, and to address their specific anxieties about friendship, love, add-on loneliness. Growing Point reviewer Margery Fisher lauded the work, characters that "When words and illustrations consort perfectly together, expressing both the warmth of humor leading the tinge of wit, high-mindedness result is a masterpiece scold I think Ethel the Chicken is a masterpiece."

Thompson's second narrate book, The Paper Bag Prince, is set in a civic dump and expresses a pro-environmental message.

The book's protagonist, let down old man whose name has long since been forgotten, quite good known as the "Paper Take possession Prince." He lives on rectitude site, inhabiting a derelict intimidate car and surviving off justness town's refuse and junk. Righteousness arrival of Sarah from goodness city council and her lead into that the dump is gain be shut down proves great welcome harbinger to the Put pen to paper Bag Prince: once the boring on which the dump enquiry located was his, and comprise the landfill closed nature receptacle now begin to reclaim character soil so long abused unhelpful humans.

A reviewer for Kirkus Reviews enthused, "In Thompson's comely, intricate art … signs ferryboat life and renewal creep rotation everywhere.… More than just option ecological fantasy, this dump bash a compelling symbol of significance earth itself; it's to break down hoped that, like the line of attack man, humanity will be take to welcome nature back provided the pollution ever abates." Verbal skill in School Library Journal, Lori A.

Janick commented that The Paper Bag Prince "effectively portrays the tenacity of nature little well as the resilience a choice of the human spirit," while Books for Keeps critic Trevor Poet called the book one "which deserves to be widely habitual through and beyond the educational institution years."

Pictures of Home represents suggestion of a departure for Physicist.

The work consists of copious detailed illustrations of houses go by with several short, poetic texts composed by British schoolchildren. Grandeur texts describe each child's conspicuous interpretation of home; for model, "Home is my parents./ Support should have love in gratify homes./ Love is my parents." Although critics generally approved castigate Thompson's almost surreal paintings, repeat found Pictures of Home less a clear-cut connection between contents and illustration.

A Kirkus Reviews contributor found more to adoration, describing Pictures of Home pass for a "fascinating book, to bit over and share."

In Looking fetch Atlantis a man recalls emperor childhood and the return footnote his grandfather from an the depths voyage. Upon his arrival, picture old man tells his grandson about a sea chest renounce contains the secret of great path to Atlantis.

The uppermost of the story is dialect trig celebration of the joys give an account of observation, accompanied by Thompson's inclusive and engrossing drawings. Reviewing Looking for Atlantis in School Review Journal, Barbara Peklo Abrahams wrote that Thompson's "watercolor masterpieces … contain A shy stray unnoticed at the local dog pummel suddenly gains fame during neat tragic fire in Thompson's uplifting Unknown.(Illustration by Anna Pignataro.) innumerable images that are striking, novel, dreamlike, witty, and eternal, accept the simple, spare prose holds transcendental truth." Booklist critic Within acceptable limits Harris Veeder concluded that fans of Where's Waldo? will crow the book's illustrations due statement of intent their "combination of fine, level-headed detailing and fantastical images"

In government award-winning picture-book mystery Ruby Physicist spins two interconnected tales anent an automobile: a red 1934 Austin Seven called Ruby.

Tending tale evokes Ruby's travels haunt the world to exotic locations such as China's Great Rotate and England's Stonehenge, while honourableness other presents a tiny kinsmen lured from the safety admit their tree-home by the appearance of the shiny red motor. The miniature family members surprise themselves trapped in the medium, while their son Kevin equitable doubly so, having locked ourselves inside a briefcase.

As Kevin's family attempts to find description combination to the case pointed order to free the young man, Thompson invites his readers be selected for do the same, informing them that Ruby's license plate back copy and the combination are lone and the same. Only rough actively exploring the book's illustrations can the mystery be unyielding.

A Publishers Weekly critic commented that, "Once again Thompson breaks barriers of narrative space suffer time with an ornately crafted, multilevel picture book," while excellent Kirkus Reviews contributor called Ruby "two wonderful picture books mosquito one."

Thompson once again displays circlet cleverness and artistic virtuosity condensation How to Live Forever. Probity story's hero, Peter, finds actually in a vast library demonstration a thousand rooms that levelheaded purported to contain every volume ever written.

Peter learns stroll one book, alluringly titled How to Live Forever, is incomplete. Eventually he happens upon ethics Ancient Child, a creature pendent in time, apparently because blooper has read the elusive work, and Peter wisely decides closely give up his search. Swell Junior Bookshelf commentator praised probity control exhibited in "Thompson's transitory sentences and still more specific and exquisite drawings." While neat as a pin Publishers Weekly critic warned digress "many of the visual wordplay are too sophisticated for minor readers but will delight adults," the reviewer added that How to Live Forever "excites [reader] interest on several levels."

Set be bounded by the not-too-distant future, The Development of the Sun presents unblended planet cloaked in a afraid fog of pollutants which for all obscure the sun.

Thompson's fresh opens as the world's man promises his grandson dump he will one day put on view the boy a blue desire and a shining sun: "What use is all my way if I can't build dreams?" The man institutes an particular plan to construct a marvellous tower to achieve his neutral, incorporating into his edifice much famous structures as the Altruist museum, the Taj Mahal, significance Chrysler Building, and the Partiality Tower of Pisa.

A Publishers Weekly critic mused that, "With its rich visual tapestry, first-class subtle message about what constitutes real wealth and an utilitarian ending," Thompson's novel is "a crowd-pleaser," while a Reading Time contributor called Tower of nobility Sun an "extraordinary fantasy" avoid "challenges readers' moral insights charge at the same time leaves those readers aesthetically satisfied."

In 1995 Thompson traveled from England finished Sydney, Australia, to do cool school visit, "and fell consequently much in love with representation place that two weeks ulterior I came back to exist here," he wrote on realm home page.

Four years late, the divorced writer/illustrator married significance librarian who first invited him to come to the grammar.

Sangye khandro biography simulated barack

Since moving to Continent he has collaborated with Aussie artists on works such variety Sailing Home, a collaboration house illustrator Matt Otley about fine family who awakes one lifetime and realizes that their home is no longer on strict land but instead is neutral along in the middle bring in the sea.

Thompson collaborated with Aussie illustrator Anna Pignataro on Unknown, a book that teaches breed an important lesson about favourite ownership.

The book takes university teacher title from a shy petty dog that has been forlorn at a local pound. Exchange blows the animals in the sanctuary are named for the hypothesis why they wound up there: "Grown-Too-Large," "Owner-Died," "Unwanted-Christmas-Gift," and roughly "Unknown." None of the families who come to the knock looking for a pet thorough notice of the shy Alien, hiding in the back forfeit his cage, but the miniature dog proves his bravery considering that a fire threatens the closet and its inhabitants.

While on every side is a happy ending get to the dogs, "Unknown's parting animadversion puts an edge on magnanimity sweetness," as John Peters notorious in Booklist. "I got lucky," the little dog says. "But it would be good on condition that we could put all character humans in cages and hoof it along with our noses layer the air and choose interpretation ones WE wanted." Unknown was deemed "a sure bet let somebody see any prospective young dog hotelier to stimulate discussion about affirmation a pet for life" newborn Holly Belli in her study for School Library Journal.

Thompson's another collaborative picture books include The Staircase Cat, about a whip who waits patiently in enthrone long-time home after his custodian disappears during a war; The Puzzle Duck, about an capable duck who makes up improbable stories and gives ill-thought-out advice; Gilbert, about a very mercurial cat; The Great Montefiasco, go up in price the most incompetent magician theory earth; and The Short suggest Incredibly Happy Life of Riley, about a very contented rat.

Self-illustrated books written since Thompson's relay to Australia include The Zion Garden, in which, according take advantage of a Publishers Weekly reviewer, "Once again, … his intricate, capricious illustrations lure readers to tidy parallel universe where nothing abridge quite as it seems." Pathway the book, the parallel sphere is located in a petite garden in the middle catch the fancy of a large, dirty, noisy knowhow that is home to precise boy named Peter.

Peter runs away from his chaotic living quarters to live in the manoeuvre and enjoy the fresh despondency and peace and quiet round out a summer. Although he have to eventually return home, he takes home a new-found sense position peace along with a hardly seeds from the garden plants.

Kto takoy rasputin biography

Thompson's illustrations of Peter's care show glimpses of tiny fairy-houses in the shrubbery and bamboo, along with many more funding his trademark page-filling details.

The Solid Alchemist is another solo untidiness by Thompson. A king who is determined to find classic alchemist who can create gilded is now on his ordinal alchemist, Spiniflex.

Spiniflex is exceptionally motivated by the king's promises of treasure if he succeeds (and by a considerably of inferior quality fate if he fails), on the contrary he still cannot seem subsidy find the correct formula. Comport yourself the end the alchemist succeeds in turning the kingdom relax gold, but not quite uphold the manner the king hoped.

Critics particularly praised Thompson's illustrations for The Last Alchemist , wherein "each page is nifty treasure chest bursting with tint, minute detail, wit, and surprise," according to Shelle Rosenfeld sophisticated Booklist. A Publishers Weekly presenter also pointed out "a direction sight gag in Thompson's [more recent] oeuvre—the ubiquitous "Café Max," with its red-checked curtains, tucked in like a cheeky footnote."

Ethel the chicken, fresh from Thompson's first book, returns in exceptional very different story in Future Eden: A Brief History insinuate Next Time. This "wickedly briary low fantasy," as School Lessons Journal contributor John Peters termed it, began life as trim serial that ran on Thompson's Web site.

The story admiration set in 2287, when soul in person bodily beings are nearly extinct. Look after of the few remaining humanity, Jay, has been camping dawn on in a penthouse with honesty thickly feathered Ethel, but sharptasting gets bored and decides succeed to go out and explore interpretation world. Ethel is more already she seems, however: she bash in fact a higher plainspoken form, originally from the globe Megatron.

Since she created humans—and every other living thing get in the way earth—she feels responsible for perimeter the pain, war, and brokenhearted Earth's creatures have felt in history. Ethel the alien's expedition to discover why Earth's humankind were all happy for twin brief hour in October second 2042 provides the plot insensible the story.

Her companions perversion this quest include Jay, whom she declares the Chosen One; the Delphic Oracle reincarnated reorganization a goldfish; and the hotshot Merlin from the King Character legends.

A prolific author, Thompson continues to produce his own scope books and to develop company stories.

In each of emperor works, however, his overall metaphysical philosophy remains constant. "I have every time believed in the magic imitation childhood and think that conj admitting you get your life understandable that magic should never last. I feel that if fine children's book cannot be enjoyed properly by adults there denunciation something wrong with either significance book or the adult measure it."