Annabelle was tired
of birthdays at the zoo.
She yawned at the monkeys
and the baby kangaroo.

My birthday is soon.
It’s practically here.
I think I’ll have a party
on the moon this year.

Learn More about Big Birthday.

Ponytails and braids!
Ponytails and braids!
I don’t see anything but
ponytails and braids!

This class needs some fashion.
This class needs some fun.
I’ll find a hairdo to impress
everyone.

Learn More about Big Bouffant.

About the Illustrator

Holly Clifton-Brown has illustrated many imaginative children’s books, including Big Bouffant (Carolrhoda Books). She is also the author and illustrator of Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza (Andersen Press USA). Holly lives in London. You can visit her website at www.hollycliftonbrown.co.uk.

I was very lucky to be paired with Holly Clifton Brown for these books. I especially love the depth of her illustrations.  I think she achieves this richness by doing a lot of her work by hand before scanning it into the computer and manipulating it. She also uses many interesting textures like fabric and paper bags, but she integrates them seamlessly so that they do not distract the reader. Her sense of whimsy was just right for Big Bouffant and Big Birthday, and her palettes and patterns speak for themselves. If you are interested in learning more about how Holly works, check out her blog: hollycliftonbrown.blogspot.com.