Jan Ormerod
Jan Ormerod grew up in the fifties, in a series of small towns in Western Australia, with her three older sisters. As a child she drew constantly and compulsively, inspired by beautifully drawn schoolgirl annuals from England and secretly acquired American comics that were forbidden by her parents.
Mother to two daughters, her books have largely been a celebration and savouring of the positive experience of parenthood she truly had not anticipated - the fun, the warmth, and the love. Jan is acutely aware that picture books are almost always shared by the child and a caring adult. ‘I depend on the adult to create the right atmosphere and help children read them’, she explains. ‘When this happens, it is a time for physical closeness and comfort, a quiet time for sharing ideas and feelings, for laughing and learning together.’