Russell Ayto

Russell Ayto is an English author and illustrator of children's books including many picture books.

Biography
Russell was born in Chichester, Sussex in 1960 and grew up in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. After school he worked as a postman, then in the Histopathology Department of the John Radcliffe Hospital before studying at Oxford Polytechnic and Exeter College of Art and Design where he gained a degree in Graphic Design. He gained work with Observer Magazine and Time Out and began illustrating adult fiction before his work was spotted by Walker Books and he moved to illustrating children's fiction.

Russell has illustrated over 80 books, including The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill, Quacky Quack-Quack! and Whiff both by Ian Whybrow, and The Witch’s Children series by Ursula Jones. His illustration of The Witch’s Children go to School by Ursula Jones won the 2008 inaugural Roald Dahl Funny Prize.

Russell’s illustrations for The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas (2012) written by Andy Cutbill were adapted into an animated short film for the BBC, featuring the voices of Johnny Vegas and Miriam Margoles. In 2015, SLR Productions launched a series of 52 x 11 minute animated episodes based on the picture books Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs written by Giles Andre and illustrated by Russell Ayto. The third book in the Captain Flinn series, Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: The Magic Cutlass was later adapted into a stage performance by Les Petits Theatre Company in 2015.

Russell continues to work full time as an author. His self-illustrated books include The Match (2018), Henry and the Yeti (2017), and Mouse in the House (2020).

Russell currently lives with his family near Penzance, Cornwall.

Recognition

 * 2001 shortlist, Kate Greenaway Medal (for illustration); The Witch's Children by Ursula Jones
 * 2003 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, ages 0–5; The Witch's Children and the Queen by Ursula Jones
 * 2004 shortlist, Greenaway Medal; One More Sheep by Mij Kelly
 * 2008 shortlist, Booktrust Early Years Award, Pre-school; The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill
 * 2008 Roald Dahl Funny Prize, ages 0–6; The Witch's Children go to School by Ursula Jones
 * 2014 Honor, Irma Black Award

Adult cover art

 * Oxford Coffee Houses, 1651–1800 by Norma Albertin-Potter and Alyx Bennett (Hampden, 1987)
 * Why Are We in Vietnam? by Norman Mailer, later edition (Oxford University Press, 1988)
 * Fludd by Hilary Mantel, first edition (Viking Press, 1989)

Children's books as writer

 * The Other Day I Met a Bear, self-illustrated, Walker Books, 2001
 * My Friend Joe, self-illustrated, HarperCollins, 2013
 * Henry and the Yeti, self-illustrated, Bloomsbury, 2017
 * Cats and Robbers, self-illustrated, Bloomsbury, 2019
 * An Earth-Bots Solution to Plastic Pollution, self-illustrated, Kids Can Press, 2021
 * Will You Be My Friend? self-illustrated, Andersen Press, 2021
 * Mouse in the House, self-illustrated, Andersen Press, 2022

2010s

 * The Love Bugs by Simon Puttock, HarperCollins, 2010
 * Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs – Smugglers Bay! by Giles Andreas, Puffin, 2010
 * First Week at Cow School by Andy Cutbill, HarperCollins, 2011
 * Are the Dinosaurs Dead, Dad? by Julie Middleton, Picture Corgi, 2012
 * Dustbin Dad, by Peter Bentley, Simon & Schuster Children’s UK, 2013
 * The Somethingosaur, by Tony Mitton, HarperCollins, 2013
 * A Very Pirate Christmas, by Timothy Knapman, Egmont Books, 2014
 * Top Top Secret, by Claire Freedman, Simon & Schuster, 2014
 * Whoops! by Suzi Moore, Templar Publishing, 2015
 * Old Misery, by James Sage, Kids Can Press, 2018