A tale of imagination and friendship, from the nation's favourite illustrator, Quentin Blake! When two bold adventurers climb over the wall to explore the overgrown garden next door, the discover a ship made of bushes, with tall, thin trees for masts. They also meet marvellous Mrs Tredegar, who turns them into a fully trained crew, and with their imaginations at the ready, they embark on a series of glorious voyages. "Blake is beyond brilliant . . . I've never met a child who doesn't love Quentin Blake" - Daily Telegraph Quentin Blake is one of Britain's best-loved and most successful author-illustrators, and was made the first Children's Laureate in 1999. He has won the Whitbread Award, the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration, and the Kate Greenaway Medal. among others.
Author
Quentin Saxby Blake, CBE, FCSD, RDI, is an English cartoonist, illustrator and children's author, well known for his collaborations with writer Roald Dahl. Education Blake was educated at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. His English teacher, JH Walsh, influenced his ambition to become involved in literature. His first published drawing was for the satirical magazine Punch, at the age of 16. He read English Literature at Downing College, Cambridge (1953-6), received his postgraduate teaching diploma from the University of London, and later studied at the Chelsea School of Art. He gained another teaching diploma at the Institute of Education before working at the Royal College of Art. Career Blake gained a reputation as a reliable and humorous illustrator of over 300 children's books. As well as illustrating the books of others, including Roald Dahl and Elizabeth Bowen, Blake has written numerous books of his own. As of 2006, he has participated in the writing and/or illustrating of 323 books (of which he wrote 35 himself, and 18 were by Dahl). He taught at the Royal College of Art for over twenty years, and was head of the Illustration department from 1978 to 1986. He recently illustrated David Walliams' debut book, The Boy in the Dress and his more recent book Mr Stink.
