Toppsta - Childrens Books – Reviews

Shirley Hughes Biography
Shirley Hughes CBE is a highly-respected and popular British author and illustrator, having written over 70 books and illustrated over 200. She's best known for her Alfie and Dogger series of stories.

Shirley was born on 16th July 1927 in West Kirby, near Liverpool. She studied fashion and dress design at Liverpool Art School, before continuing her studies at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in Oxford. She then embarked on a career as a freelance illustrator in London, where she still lives today. 

Shirley began to write and draw her own picture books when her children were young. Her first book, Lucy and Tom’s Day, was published in 1960, and she continues to delight young readers with wordless picture books and strip cartoons among others. 

Shirley Hughes Facts
Shirley Hughes has won the Other Award, the Eleanor Farjeon Award, and the Kate Greenaway Medal for Illustration twice, for Dogger in 1977 and for Ella’s Big Chance in 2003. In 2007 Dogger was voted the public’s favourite Greenaway winner of all time. 

Shirley was awarded an OBE in 1999 for services to Children’s Literature and in 2017 became a CBE for services to literature.

Our favourite Shirley Hughes Book Characters
Alfie - from the Alfie series
Dixie and Percy - from the Dixie O'Day series
Dave - from the Dogger series