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Before he took up writing full time, Ian Whybrow spent most of his working life in education, mostly as Head of English and Drama and later as Head of Sixth Form.
With the publication by The Bodley Head of the first of THE SNIFF STORIES in 1989, he received rave reviews. Andrew Davies announced in The Times that “a major talent has arrived” and his writing career took off. Since then, Sniff has materialised in four books and an equal number of BBC radio broadcasts. In March 1999 they were re-published as lead titles by Hodder, in a lively new paperback format with illustrations by Tony Ross.
One of a very small number of children’s writers to have topped the best-seller lists, Ian has written over 60 children's books and is published in 24 languages in 25 countries. His work includes pop-ups books and picture books like QUACKY QUACK QUACK (Walker) - now in 7th edition; LITTLE FARMER JOE (Kingfisher); the famous HARRY AND BUCKETFUL OF DINOSAURS series (Puffin); and THE BEDTIME BEAR (Macmillan). Popular stories for younger readers include HOLLY AND THE SKYBOARD (Walker); A FOOTBALLER CALLED FLIP (one of a series of six Books for Boys -Hodder); rather older fiction like the best-selling LITTLE WOLF series (Harper-Collins) THE TIME SAILORS (Walker) and THE UNVISIBLES (Macmillan). He has also been widely published as a poet.
Best known for his whacky and original humour, he is a fine observer of children’s language and behaviour and always writes with adult readers as well as youngsters in mind. He has a brilliant ear for voices and takes pride in the fact that his work reads aloud very well. “I loved being read to as a child,” he says. “And I loved the sense that my mother and father were enjoying themselves too. For me, that's the acid test for any good book -that there's something in it for everyone to enjoy.'
LITTLE WOLF’S BOOK OF BADNESS is scheduled to be an animated series after a hit Christmas Special with Channel 4; HARRY AND THE BUCKETFUL OF DINOSAURS is now in production as an animated tv series: screenings begin in the US and Canada in Spring 2005.
Apart from his wife and daughters, his passions - in no particular order - are: Herefordshire, where he retreats to write in an idyllic Victorian villa; digging; walking with friends; swimming; cycling (especially in France); the poet Stevie Smith; the theatre; books, films and hedgehogs.
AWARDS
- Nominated for Smarties Prize - “Quacky Quack Quack!”
- Nominated for Carnegie Medal - A Baby for Grace
- TSB Birmingham Book Award – “Little Wolf’s Book of Badness” - 1996
- United Kingdom Reader’s Association Award for making a substantial contribution to literacy – “Little Wolf”, 1996
- Best Children’s Book and Tape - with Griff Rhys-Jones - (Talkie Award) - Little Wolf’s Book of Badness 1997
- Cassa di Risparmio di Cento di Letteratura per Ragazzi - Manuale di cattiveria per piccoli lupi (Little Wolf’s Book of Badness) - 1997 (5,000,000 lire!)
- Children’s Book Award, 2000 - Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs
- Norfolk Libraries Children’s Book Award 2000 - Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs
- Sheffield Children’s Book Award 2000 - Harry and the Bucketful of Dinsaurs
- “Little Wolf’s Postbag” - topped the UK Bestseller List for two weeks in March, 2001 Independent Publishers Book Award 2001 USA – Little Wolf’s Book of Badness
- Nominated for Blue Peter Award for Best Picture Book to Read Aloud, 2001 - “Whiff, or How the Beautiful Big Fat Smelly Baby Found a Friend”
- Prix de la Ville de Cherbourg: 2002 – “Where’s Tim’s Ted” (“Le doudou perdue”)
- Little Wolf's Book of Badness: nominated for Best TV Movie in the Pulcinella Awards; Feb 2003
- Little Wolf’s Book of Badness: shortlisted for 4 British Academy Animation Awards – Mar 04
- The Noisy Way to Bed (Scholastic - US edn School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2005 And Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Book Award 2005 -)
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