David Roberts was born and grew up in Liverpool. He hated school so couldn’t wait to leave and escape to Art College where he discovered an interest in pottery and fashion design. Pursuing the fashion route he studied a degree in Fashion at Manchester Polytechnic. There he developed a keen interest in hat making and went on to work for a number of years as a milliner. He still makes hats sometimes for special occasions if bribed with lots of chocolate!
David had numerous other jobs including hair washer, shelf stacker, egg fryer, coffee-maker and film extra before discovering his true calling as a children’s book illustrator. As his interest in illustration grew he worked freelance for a number of magazines and newspapers before illustrating his first children’s book Frankie Stein’s Robot by Roy Apps which was shortlisted for the Mother Goose Award.
Since then David has continued to enjoy his work as a children’s book illustrator and feels very privileged to do a job he loves and to be able to work with some fantastic authors such as Philip Ardagh, Jacqueline Wilson, Daren King and Tom Baker. He has won numerous awards including the Smarties Book Award and has twice been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway award. His most recent works include The Troll by Julia Donaldson, Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty and The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman. David is also the creator of the Dirty Bertie books about a young boy with dirty habits such as picking his nose and trumping loudly – which are not autobiographical of course!
David now lives in London.
| Tyrannosaurus Drip, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by David Roberts. First published 2006 by Macmillan Children’s Books. “A honking, hooting success” The Bookseller “The roaring, hooting, monster success of the season” The Times “rollicks along very engrossingly” Independent “Comic, dynamic and charming” Sunday Times |