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From stranded mermaids and flying camels to golden statues and dancing princesses, Jane Ray’s distinctive style has established her as a successful picture book artist, recognized in Britain, Europe and the U.S. Known mainly for her books for children, Jane has also designed greetings cards, posters and book jackets.
Jane has worked with many authors, including Michael Rosen, Berlie Doherty, Jeanette Winterson and Vikram Seth. Her work is published by Walker Books, Orchard Books, Bloomsbury, and Transworld, amongst others; she has illustrated several volumes for the Folio Society and a Garden of Eden for the Eden Project in Cornwall. She is also involved with the In the Picture project, which aims to promote the inclusion of disabled children in early years picture books and stories. Jane often gives workshops in schools and at festivals, as well as exhibiting work around the country. Jane has also produced a DVD (in conjunction with Children’s Authors TV) which shows her at work both in her studio and at a local
primary school.
Jane lives in North London with her husband (conductor David Temple) and their three children. She works in a studio at the end of the garden. She enjoys music, reading, gardening and the company of friends, family and her two cats.
Jane Ray’s sparkling, jewel-like illustrations are the perfect match for Diane Hofmeyr’s story, part fairytale, part history, set in 13th century Venice. Daniela is the daughter of one of Venice’s famous glassmakers and to her father’s dismay she’s always glum. Desperate to cheer her up he offers a glass palace to anyone who can make her smile. Fire eaters, mask makers, trumpet players, even sausage stringers try and fail, until a young glassmaker creates a beautiful looking glass, a new invention. Seeing her gloomy face in the mirror, Daniela smiles then laughs uproariously, and soon the whole city joins in. A satisfying story with a lesson for us all, and the scenes of Venice, people and palaces, are beautiful. ~ Andrea Reece
Jane Ray’s sparkling, jewel-like illustrations are the perfect match for Diane Hofmeyr’s story, part fairytale, part history, set in 13th century Venice. Daniela is the daughter of one of Venice’s famous glassmakers and to her father’s dismay she’s always glum. Desperate to cheer her up he offers a glass palace to anyone who can make her smile. Fire eaters, mask makers, trumpet players, even sausage stringers try and fail, until a young glassmaker creates a beautiful looking glass, a new invention. Seeing her gloomy face in the mirror, Daniela smiles then laughs uproariously, and soon the whole city joins in. A satisfying story with a lesson for us all, and the scenes of Venice, people and palaces, are beautiful. ~ Andrea Reece
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month November 2017 Award-winning illustrator Jane Ray has gathered together a wonderful collection of stories from around the world which reflect her love of all kinds of animals – real and imaginary. Beautifully illustrated, each story whether it is from forest, mountain, jungle or plain, tells readers something about the importance of valuing animals and respecting their specific purpose. Familiar favourites including the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, the hilarious Rudyard Kipling tale of How the Rhinoceros Got his Skin and the title story, The Lion and the Unicorn are intermingled with less familiar stories such as The Singing Ringing Tree. ~ Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for November 2017 Christmas Dinner of Souls by Ross Montgomery Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers Katinka's Tail by Judith Kerr Lucky Button by Michael Morpurgo Pick A Pine Tree by Patricia Toht The Stone Bird by Jenny McCartney The Lion and the Unicorn and Other Hairy Tales by Jane Ray The Song from Somewhere Else by A. F. Harrold
Longlisted for the UKLA 2017 Book Award An extraordinary illustrated tale set within the dark mystery of Venice and composer Vivaldi's life about an orphan who finds her voice and future through the healing power of music - created by two award-winning literary greats
A giraffe in Paris! The idea sounds ridiculous but this beautiful picture book tells the true story of how the Pasha of Egypt sent a young giraffe called Zeraffa as a gift to the King of France. Captured on the plains of Africa, Zeraffa is too young to walk at first. Instead she is transported tied on to the side of a camel. From Africa Zeraffa, accompanied at all times by her Atir, a young boy who attends to her every need, travels by foot over land and briefly by sea when she must. Jane Ray’s illustrations bring alive every detail of the journey and Zeraffa’s triumphant welcome to Paris. They are especially entertaining capturing the ridiculous fashions that spring up around the city as everyone imitates all thing giraffe! ~ Julia Eccleshare If you are a fan of Jane's artwork you will love her magical tale Ahmed and the Feather Girl, beautifully illustrated throughout with her detailed, fine drawings and vibrant use of colour. You can download an extract of it here.
A beautiful edition of ten of the best loved Greek myths, each exquisitely illustrated by Jane Ray, are gathered together is this lovely edition. The story of Pandora and her box which she is told not to open; Pegasus, the wonder flying horse; King Midas and his donkey ears – storyteller Sally Pomme Clayton retells all of these and more making them fresh and easily accessible to a new audience.
One of our Books of the Year 2014 A giraffe in Paris! The idea sounds ridiculous but this beautiful picture book tells the true story of how the Pasha of Egypt sent a young giraffe called Zeraffa as a gift to the King of France. Captured on the plains of Africa, Zeraffa is too young to walk at first. Instead she is transported tied on to the side of a camel. From Africa Zeraffa, accompanied at all times by her Atir, a young boy who attends to her every need, travels by foot over land and briefly by sea when she must. Jane Ray’s illustrations bring alive every detail of the journey and Zeraffa’s triumphant welcome to Paris. They are especially entertaining capturing the ridiculous fashions that spring up around the city as everyone imitates all thing giraffe! If you are a fan of Jane's artwork you will love her magical tale Ahmed and the Feather Girl, beautifully illustrated throughout with her detailed, fine drawings and vibrant use of colour. You can download an extract of it here.
In beautiful pictures matched by a richly-told story award-winning Jane Ray brings to life the story of a little boy and the magic that enables him to escape from his hard life. Ahmed is badly treated as a servant to the cruel owner of a travelling circus. When he finds a golden egg in the forest he is sure it will lead to better things. But his mistress puts the egg into a cage and, when the most beautiful little girl in the world hatches out of it, she charges people loads of money to come and see her. When the beautiful girl pines for freedom Ahmed steals the key and sets her free. Can the two ever be reunited? A feathery-light tale that inspires belief. If you are a fan of Jane's work you might also like Zeraffa Giraffa, intricately and sensitively drawn, there are full page colour illustrations that simply spring into life.
Award-winning Jane Ray’s beautiful illustrations bring these stories which capture some of the traditions as Christmas from far and wide vividly to life. The collection includes the traditional story of the Nativity as well as Hans Christian Andersen’s cautionary tale, The Little Fir Tree. Grandmothers everywhere – and especially at Christmas – are celebrated in Baboushka.
Award-winning Jane Ray’s stunning illustrations beautifully capture the twelve folk and fairy tales she retells in this lovely collection of her own favourite stories taken from around the world. All feature birds of many kinds – real and imaginary. There are traditionally popular stories such as Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince, The Owl and the Pussycat and Jorinda and Joringel and as well as other less well-known tales such as Heron and Hummingbird, a Native American story from the Hitchiti people which take readers into the heart of other cultures. Handsomely produced, this is a wonderful collection to share especially through reading aloud. A Piece of Passion from David Bennett, Publisher, Boxer BooksJane Ray is one of my favourite story tellers - fluent, poetic, easy to follow, full of anticipation and they deliver drama that makes at a pace! The thought of working with Jane was exciting enough, but when I said let's not use the beautiful colour pieces she had produced and instead, just use the little scraperboard and ink drawings and add colour digitally...I drew a breath. Jane launched into this series with gusto and has produced something totally fresh for herself and Boxer - fantastic partnership.
A beautiful edition of ten of the best loved Greek myths, each exquisitely illustrated by Jane Ray, are gathered together is this lovely edition. The story of Pandora and her box which she is told not to open; Pegasus, the wonder flying horse; King Midas and his donkey ears – storyteller Sally Pomme Clayton retells all of these and more making them fresh and easily accessible to a new audience.
Award-winning Jane Ray has created a stunning version of Cinderellawhich unfolds in six beautiful three-dimensional scenes. Cinderella, herUgly Sisters, her mean step-mother, the Prince - all are brought vividlyto life against equally striking backgrounds of a drab kitchen, aglorious Palace ballroom and a fairy tale garden. It is a work of beautyto treasure.
Ten stories from different times and different places demonstrate the importance of looking after the earth and the creatures that live on it. Each story tells how mutual respect will lead us to have the planet we want and guide us in how to take care of it. Rich in detail, Jane Ray’s stunning illustrations capture the magic of our world and enormous importance of nurturing it.
A Nature Storybook about hummingbirds, beautifully told and illustrated by Nicola Davies and Jane Ray. From Nicola Davies, award-winning non-fiction author, and Jane Ray, one of the country's finest illustrators, comes a spellbinding Nature Storybook about hummingbirds. A hummingbird weighs less than a nickel, less than a 20 pence piece, less than a 50 cent bit. Whatever way you use to measure it, it's tiny. But every spring, hummingbirds that have spent the winter in Mexico fly north to make the most of the warmer weather. They nest as far north as Canada and Alaska - a 2,000-mile trip, made by a bird smaller than your thumb. This is the story of one spring migration: of a tiny bird, its amazing journey and the people it meets along the way.
If you love The Frog Prince and The Elves and the Shoemaker, you'll love this tale of love, magic ... and unicorns! Annis and her grandmother live in a cold, draughty castle on top of a hill, which they share with their chickens and their cow. They may be poor, but Annis's heart is full of kindness. Offering a home to an injured unicorn and a family of fairies one day, her kindness is magically rewarded. But will her good fortune bring her happiness and love? This entrancing contemporary fairy tale is brought gloriously to life by Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee Jane Ray. Jane Ray's jewel-bright illustrations shine like the flourishes of an illuminated manuscript in Saviour Pirotta's The Unicorn Prince, featuring a crumbling castle, a dauntless heroine, industrious fairies and an enchanted prince. Gorgeous gowns, wild dreams, transformations and galloping moonlit freedom are also thrown into the mix. Observer
If you love The Frog Prince and The Elves and the Shoemaker, you'll love this tale of love, magic ... and unicorns! Annis and her grandmother live in a cold, draughty castle on top of a hill, which they share with their chickens and their cow. They may be poor, but Annis's heart is full of kindness. Offering a home to an injured unicorn and a family of fairies one day, her kindness is magically rewarded. But will her good fortune bring her happiness and love? This entrancing contemporary fairy tale is brought gloriously to life by Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee Jane Ray. Jane Ray's jewel-bright illustrations shine like the flourishes of an illuminated manuscript in Saviour Pirotta's The Unicorn Prince, featuring a crumbling castle, a dauntless heroine, industrious fairies and an enchanted prince. Gorgeous gowns, wild dreams, transformations and galloping moonlit freedom are also thrown into the mix. Observer
A spellbinding collection of twelve classic fairy tales, with exquisite illustrations by Jane Ray - shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. From double Carnegie Medal-winning author Berlie Doherty comes an enchanting collection of classic fairy tales, with magnificent illustrations by Jane Ray. The twelve stories in this collection - Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Beauty and the Beast, Rumpelstiltskin, Aladdin, the Fire-bird and Snow White - are among the best-loved fairy tales of all. These classic stories have enthralled children all over the world for hundreds of years; but rarely, if ever, have they been presented as perfectly as here. Berlie Doherty's graceful, direct prose combines with Jane Ray's intensely beautiful pictures to create a most memorable read. Here is fairy tale magic for many a lifetime.
Ten-year-old Isla has moved from Edinburgh to the Orkney Islands with her parents, to start a new life after the death of Isla's beloved young brother. Isla's mother's family is from Orkney and her father's is from Africa, and she finds island life is very different to her former city home. Her discovery of the old Orcadian legend about the selkies, half human, half seal people, becomes the key to adjustment and acceptance. Many strands are woven into this deceptively simple story - loss and discovery, legend and reality, the pleasures and problems of settling into a new place, the need to make new friends, the coming to terms with sadness. Jane Ray's illustrations capture the beauty of the island landscape and integrate it perfectly with the atmosphere and rich texture of the storytelling. Endorsed by Amnesty International for illuminating the human rights values of family, friends, home, safety and refuge.
A beautifully illustrated 3D retelling of one of our best-loved fairy tales, with artwork from the IBBY UK nominee for the Andersen Illustration Award 2018. A young girl with an unpleasant stepmother and two cruel stepsisters ... and a Fairy Godmother with a magic wand. The enchanting story of Cinderella is brought to life through award-winning artist Jane Ray's exquisite 3D peep-through illustrations - the six delightful fold-out scenes include a shadowy kitchen, a gorgeous nightscape in a magical garden and a sparkling ballroom filled with nobles, as well as Cinderella's iconic pumpkin coach. Illustrated in rich, dreamlike watercolours, this is the perfect gift for fans of fairy tales.
An orphan with no voice but an extraordinary musical gift. A man of music who discovers her gift. Heartsong is a spellbinding tale about the healing power of music, set against the mystery and beauty of Venice. Destined to be a future classic Manchester Evening News This is a spectacular book... a quiet, heart-soaring triumph Big Issue A very special present for music-loving readers The Times Abandoned at the orphanage in Venice as a baby, Laura has never spoken. Her life is transformed when the composer Vivaldi unlocks her passion for music. The seasons turn, dark turns to light and miracles happen. Carnegie award-winning author Kevin Crossley-Holland makes every word a master stroke. This short novel is exquisitely illustrated by acclaimed artist Jane Ray. Her work is inspired by Vivaldi's Four Seasons and the real girls and boys who lived and laughed and worked in the Venetian orphanage.
An author and poet, welcomed for his reflective and thought-provoking style, retells 10 stories from different cultures - from around the world and through the ages - which each highlight the importance of taking care of the world. These stories - from ancient Greece, the Far East, the Celts, Africa, Greenland, Russia, China, Japan, South America and ancient Israel - afford wonderful opportunities for Jane Ray's paradisiacal paintings of trees and flowers, animals and birds... in short, all creation.
Learn why you should never look at a mermaid, how the unicorn always walks alone, why there are so many dragons in China and how the Phoenix lives forever. These ten fabulous stories of the world's most magical birds and beasts are retold with wit and warmth by Margaret Mayo and brought to life in glorious colour by Jane Ray. A magical gift to treasure.
Shortlisted for the prestigious 2008 Greenway. A wonderfully lyrical story about the search for the happy endings that are needed to make the perfect story. Beautiful illustrations bring the story to life.
Sparkling crystal waters and coral beaches, velvet-smooth dolphins and flying fish, whispered ghost stories and the pung-la-la chorus of frogs...the sights and sounds, tastes and tales of the Caribbean come alive in this glorious collection of poetry. Divided into five sections each brilliantly illustrated by a major contemporary artist, the experience of living and leaving the Caribbean is vividly recalled in this vibrant anthology, edited by leading Caribbean poets John Agard and Grace Nichols.
Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. What the judges said: It employs sumptuous colour, and layers of exquisite decorative detail to really draw you into the story. You can feel the presence of the ghost; there is a real sense of her movement. Though the illustrator has not stuck to a single colour palette, there is no jarring. There is plenty for children to look at in this book which repays revisiting.
Introducing Jinnie Ghost, thin as the wind, with hair as white as the feathers of owls and eyes like water. Jinnie whispers dreams to children as they sleep. She brings Charlotte's dolls to life, makes Amy's carpet bubble with frogs and toads and conjures up a giant to carry Joe away shoulder-high to his castle in the sky. But the break of dawn takes Jinnie away...and the children wake to a new day, brushing wonder from their eyes. This perfectly-pitched poem takes readers on a thrilling fantasy journey, raising a shiver or two on the way, but returning them safe and sound in the morning.
This most famous of love stories is uniquely presented in picture book form for children. The tale is told scene by scene in a simple lively style, with dialogue reproducing Shakespeare's own words so that the most celebrated passages of the play are retained in their original form.
When a greedy king wakes up one morning, everything he owns has gone - blown across the bay to neighbouring Naples. When a poor and humble washerwoman wakes up that same morning her back yard is full of things that simply were not there the night before. Soon the king and the washerwoman meet for the first time and from that moment both their lives magically change.
This most famous of love stories is uniquely presented in picture book form for children. The tale is told scene by scene in a simple lively style, with dialogue reproducing Shakespeare's own words so that the most celebrated passages of the play are retained in their original form.
A challenging and thought-provoking collection of new poetry and prose from some of the industry's most prestigious and talented authors and illustrators. Ideal for use in schools to help educate children when dealing with the topic of war, each contribution depicts a strong anti-war message and will serve as a cry for peace in these troubled times. Contributors include: Laurence Anholt; Julie Bertagna; Mary Hoffman; Adrian Mitchell; Beverley Naidoo; Caroline Pitcher; Michael Rosen; Ros Asquith; Korky Paul; Elizabeth Laird; Hiawyn Oram; Marcus Sedgwick; Peter Whitby; Stephen Aitken; Ann Jungman; Joanna Troughton; Michael Morpurgo; Jane Yolen; David Almond; Nick Sharratt; and Kevin Crossley-Holland. All royalties and publisher's profits will go to UNICEF to directly fund the bringing of aid to child victims of the war in Iraq.
Berlie Doherty with her unique style manages to bring classic Fairy Tales such as Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, Aladdin and Sleeping Beauty to life once more in this truly gorgeous picture book. Inside are some surreal, elegant and always exquisite illustrations from Jane Ray, which compliment the text superbly. Prepare to be enchanted!
Where do the king's beautiful daughters disappear to night after night? And who can solve the mystery of the twelve pairs of dancing slippers, worn to shreds by the morning? Internationally acclaimed illustrator Jane Ray, vividly brings to life the fun-loving princesses of the classic Grimm fairy tale, as they boldly escape the confines of their father's castle. With its sumptuous, detailed illustrations and gold and silver highlights, The Twelve Dancing Princesses is a perfect gift to treasure.
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