Ruby Redfort

Lauren Child
Born	Helen Child 1965 (age 51–52) London, England
Occupation	Illustrator, writer
Nationality	British
Education	Manchester Polytechnic, London Art School (briefly)
Period	1999–present
Genre	Children's picture books 10+ Fiction
Notable works	Charlie and Lola Ruby Redfort Clarice Bean
Notable awards	Kate Greenaway Medal 2000 the book award

Lauren Child MBE (born Helen Child; 1965) is an English writer and illustrator. She is best known for the Charlie and Lola picture books and the Clarice Bean series of picture books and novels. She wrote the series of Ruby Redfort. Influences: E. H. Shepard, Quentin Blake, Carl Larsson, Ludwig Bemelmans.

Child introduced Charlie and Lola in 2000 with I will not ever Never eat a tomato and won the annual Kate Greenaway Medal from the Library Association for the year's most "distinguished illustration in a book for children". For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel named it one of the top ten winning works, which composed the ballot for a public election of the nation's favourite. It finished third in the public vote from that shortlist.

Lauren Child was born in 1965 and she grew up in Marlborough, Wiltshire, where her father led the art department at Marlborough College and her mother taught primary school. Helen was the middle child of three daughters. She later changed her first name to Lauren. She attended St John's School and, from 16, Marlborough College. She studied Art briefly at Manchester Polytechnic and later at City and Guilds of London Art School. She started her own company, Chandeliers for the People, making lampshades. Between 1998 and 2003 she worked for the design agency big fish and includes its founder Perry Haydn Taylor in the dedications of her books.

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