Hello!
My name is Kathy Urban and I write picture books.
It’s your little ones that got me hooked. Ever since the launch of my first book, Hop Lola Hop, I have fallen in love with my audience of young readers. They’re full of energy, questions, driven by a passion for stories. But how did it all start? …
Many many moons ago, it was my dad who told me stories about the adventures of baby giraffe roaming the African Savannah at bedtime. There was no book though - just his imagination and little me, who hung on every word he shared.
And that, perhaps, is rather the point. Stories told well, shared with love, have a way of staying with us. Moreover they are capable of planting a lifelong love of words and the worlds they can create.
It is these memories that have indeed stayed with me all those years and eventually lead me on the path of making up my own stories as a children’s writer.
For my writing, I draw a lot of inspiration from my childhood - the ways I got to explore the world, from forest adventures in muddy boots, climbing trees and my (rather unsuccessful) attempts to turn a frog into a handsome prince. There are also my experiences as a young mum and - importantly - the way I see our children notice the world around them. They are my constant reminder that it’s important to pause and take delight in the small every day things, those tiny adventures, which the little girl I once was, cherished so much.
With my stories, I want to take my readers on an adventure first and foremost. I want to entertain you, make you laugh, smile, hold your breath but I also hope my stories allow you to be curious, to ask questions and perhaps in some small way, help you to treasure this one world we're all lucky enough to share.
Thank you for being here. Kathy x
Contributing Artists and Illustrators
Sally Garland
Sally grew up in the Highlands of Scotland, and according to her parents, her first really good drawing, at the age of four, was on the sitting-room wall. She later went on to study Illustration and Graphic Design at Edinburgh College of Art before settling in Glasgow, where she now lives with her family. Her stories and illustrations are inspired by everyday things in children's lives and the small simple world they inhabit. You can contact Sally via her website which also has links to her Instagram, Facebook and X feeds.
Website:
Illustrator of Kind Little Hands
Siski Kalla
Illustrator of the Hop Lola Hop Series
Born in London, Siski has lived in various countries and currently resides in Chile with her family of humans and dogs. Painting watercolours gives her the same joy as swimming, eating scones with jam or swinging in a hammock.
She is largely self-taught, having taken a handful of watercolour and illustration courses over the years. More than anything, Siski loves children's books. She would eat them if she could. But they don’t taste as good as scones.
Rosie Butcher
Illustrator of A Tree for Everyone
Rosie Butcher is a March baby, born in 1989 in East Yorkshire, where she continues to live and work. She graduated with a BA (Hons) in Illustration in 2011 and has a particular love for traditional materials such as watercolours and pastels.
Rosie's work is inspired by history, astronomy, music, film, and live performance — she's a keen theatregoer and finds the circus utterly enchanting. Above all, she is passionately dedicated to children's illustration, captivated by the power of a great picture book to spark wonder in both young readers and adults alike. For Rosie, the magic lies in thinking like a child — embracing adventure and never losing sight of the belief in magic.
Website: https://thebrightagency.com/uk/childrens-illustration/artists/rosie-butcher#gallery