Alison Jay grew up in Derbyshire on the edge of the countryside. She studied graphic design at the London College of Communication, specialising in illustration, and graduated with a first class honours degree. After a spell working on animation projects with Aardman, she found her niche as a children's book illustrator and has been a prolific and successful practician for some 30 years now.

Alison Jay grew up in Derbyshire on the edge of the countryside. She studied graphic design at the London College of Communication, specialising in illustration, and graduated with a first class honours degree. After a spell working on animation projects with Aardman, she found her niche as a children's book illustrator and has been a prolific and successful practician for some 30 years now.