Lucy Cousins


Elizabeth 'Lucy' Cousins is an English author and illustrator of children's books. She is best known for her books featuring Maisy Mouse, but she has also published other children's books, such as Jazzy in the Jungle and one about Noah's Ark. She lives in Hampshire, England.

Biography

Cousins, whose parents were also artists, was interested in children's books from an early age. But it took until the end of six years in art college for her to decide that she wanted to create children's books. Cousins received BA Honours in Graphic Design from The Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Brighton Polytechnic. She then attended the Royal College of Art, where she met Quentin Blake, who encouraged her work. Her sense of design and color that she uses to this day, she developed while she was at the Royal College of Art.

Work

Cousins' work, especially Maisy, are a successful publishing brand, with books printed in 27 different languages and over 27 million copies of her books in print. Her books are aimed at preschool-aged children and younger or older, her "simple and vibrant" illustrations are attractive to "the eye of the prereading child." Her board books, designed especially for toddlers are considered among the best, according to Horn Book Magazine. The Carnegie Library listed Maisy's First Colors as a 2013 pick for their Best Books for Babies list.
Cousins' character, Maisy, was featured on a postage stamp published by the U.S. Postal Service in their 2006 Favorite Children's Book Animals Series.
Cousins won a Booktrust Best Book Award in 2014 for Peck,Peck,Peck.