BAKER, Alan 1951-

PERSONAL: Born November 14, 1951, in London, England; son of Bernard Victor (a welder) and Barbara Joan (a tracer; maiden name, Weir) Baker; divorced. Education: Attended Croydon Technical College, 1969-71, Hull University, 1971-72, and Croydon Art College, 1972-73; Brighton Art College, B.A. (honours), 1976. Politics: Green. Religion: Agnostic. Hobbies and other interests: Music, waking.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—St. Michaels, Telscombe Village, near Lewes, East Sussex BN7 3HZ, England. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Author and freelance illustrator of children's books. Part-time teacher of illustration at Northbrook College.

AWARDS, HONORS: Whitbread Award and Carnegie Medal commendation, both 1978, both for The Battle of Bubble and Squeak, written by Ann Philippa Pearce; Silver Award, Campaign Press Awards, 1990; Gold Award, Creative Circle Awards, 1990; Children's Choice selection, International Reading Association/ Children's Book Council, 1996, for Gray Rabbit's Odd One Out; several of Baker's works have been selected for annual "Best Books" commendations.

WRITINGS:

for children; self-illustrated

Benjamin and the Box, Lippincott (Philadelphia, PA), 1977.

Benjamin Bounces Back, Lippincott (Philadelphia, PA), 1978.

Benjamin's Dreadful Dream, Lippincott (Philadelphia, PA), 1980.

Benjamin's Book, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1982.

A Fairyland Alphabet, Deutsch (London, England), 1984.

Benjamin's Portrait, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1986.

One Naughty Boy, Deutsch (London, England), 1989.

Goodnight William, Deutsch (London, England), 1990.

Benjamin's Balloon, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1990.

Two Tiny Mice, Kingfisher (London, England), 1990, Dial (New York, NY), 1991.

Jason's Dragon, BBC Publications (London, England), 1992.

Where's Mouse?, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1992.

Black and White Rabbit's ABC (also see below), Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1994.

Brown Rabbit's Shape Book (also see below), Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1994.

Gray Rabbit's 1, 2, 3 (also see below), Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1994.

White Rabbit's Colour Book, Kingfisher (London, England), 1994, published as White Rabbit's Color Book (also see below), Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1994.

Brown Rabbit's Day, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1995.

Gray Rabbit's Odd One Out, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1995.

Little Rabbit's First Word Book, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1996.

Mouse's Christmas, Copper Beach Books (Brookfield, CT), 1996.

I Thought I Heard: A Book of Nighttime Noises, Aladdin (London, England), Copper Beach Books (Brookfield, CT), 1996.

Little Rabbit's Play and Learn Book (contains White Rabbit's Color Book, Gray Rabbit's 1, 2, 3, Black and White Rabbit's ABC, and Brown Rabbit's Shape Book), Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1997.

Mouse's Halloween, Copper Beach Books (Brookfield, CT), 1997.

Little Rabbit's Snack Time, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1998.

Little Rabbit's Bedtime, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1998.

Little Rabbit's Tell the Time Book, Kingfisher (London, England), published as Little Rabbit's First Time Book, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1999.

Little Rabbit's Picture Word Book, Kingfisher (London, England), 1999.

Look Who Lives in the Ocean, Macdonald (Hove, England), 1998, Bedrick (New York, NY), 1999.

Look Who Lives in the Rain Forest, Macdonald (Hove, England), 1998, Bedrick (New York, NY), 1999.

Look Who Lives in the Arctic, Macdonald (Hove, England), Bedrick (New York, NY), 1999.

Look Who Lives in the Desert, Macdonald (Hove, England), Bedrick (New York, NY), 1999.

Little Rabbit's First Farm Book, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 2001.

illustrator

Ann Philippa Pearce, The Battle of Bubble and Squeak, Deutsch (London, England), 1978.

Eleanor Bourne, Heritage of Flowers, Hutchinson (London, England), 1980.

Deirdre Headon, Mythical Beasts, Hutchinson (London, England), 1981.

Rudyard Kipling, The Butterfly That Stamped, Macmillan (London, England), Bedrick (New York, NY), 1982.

Kate Petty, Snakes, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1984.

Kate Petty, Dinosaurs, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1984.

Kate Petty, Frogs and Toads, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1985.

Kate Petty, Spiders, F. Watts (New York, NY), 1985.

Michael Rosen, Hairy Tales and Nursery Crimes, Deutsch (London, England), 1985.

Gene Kemp, Mr. Magus Is Waiting for You, Faber (London, England), 1986.

Robin Lister, reteller, The Odyssey, Kingfisher (London, England), 1987, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1988.

Robin Lister, reteller, The Story of King Arthur, Kingfisher (London, England), 1988.

Verna Wilkins, Mike and Lottie, Tamarind (London, England), 1988, Child's Play (New York, NY), 1993.

Judith Nicholls, Wordspells, Faber (London, England), 1988.

Judith Nicholls, What on Earth?: Poems with a Conservation Theme, Faber (London, England), 1989.

Jill Bailey, Gorilla Rescue, Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1990.

Jill Bailey, Mission Rhino, Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1990.

Jill Bailey, Project Panda, Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1990.

Jill Bailey, Save the Tiger, Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 1990.

Michael Rosen, Mini Beasties, Firefly (London, England), 1991, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

Kate Petty, Stop, Look and Listen, Mr. Toad!, Barron's (New York, NY), 1991.

Kate Petty, Mr. Toad to the Rescue, Barron's (Hauppauge, NY), 1992.

Joni Mitchell, Both Sides Now, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1992.

Kate Petty, Mr. Toad's Narrow Escapes, Barron's (Hauppauge, NY), 1992.

Gloria Patrick, A Bug in a Jug and Other Funny Rhymes, D. C. Heath (Lexington, MA), 1993.

Jill Bennett, Sorry for the Slug, Heinemann (London, England), 1994.

Dan Abnett, Treasure Hunt in the Creepy Mansion, Salamander (London, England), 1995.

Dan Abnett, Treasure Hunt in the Lost City, Salamander (London, England), 1996.

Judy Allen, Hedgehog in the Garden, Leopard, 1996.

Fit-a-Shape: Animals; Colors; Opposites; Shapes; Bugs; Patterns; Cloths; Numbers, Running Press (Philadelphia, PA), 1996.

Anita Ganeri, reteller, Dragons and Monsters, Macdonald (Hove, England), 1996.

Kate Petty, Little Rabbit's First Number Book, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 1998.

Louis De Bernieres, Red Dog, Pantheon (New York, NY), 2001.

David Stewart, Seasons, F. Watts (New York, NY), 2002.

Dawn Allette, Caribbean Animals, Tamarind (London, England), 2004.

Contributor of illustrations to Creatures Great and Small, written by Michael Gabb, Lerner (Minneapolis, MN), 1980.

ADAPTATIONS: Benjamin and the Box was featured on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC-TV) series The Friendly Giant, in March and April of 1980, and on British and Norwegian television.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Three children's books.

SIDELIGHTS: Alan Baker is an English author/ illustrator who is best known for his "Rabbits" series of picture books for preschoolers. Baker favors pen-and-ink drawings that depict animals in meticulous detail. At the same time, critics note that his mice, hamsters, and rabbits appeal to youngsters because they have young and beguiling expressions themselves. This is particularly the case in the "Rabbits" series, where bunnies of different hues introduce concepts such as the alphabet, color, shape, and telling time. Another popular Baker work is the "Look Who Lives In" series, in which readers discover interesting animals and plants from various ecosystems. Some commentators contend that Baker's simple texts are merely a vehicle for his extravagant illustrations. Though the visual element often takes precedence in Baker's work, "I like to think of the writing as adding a further dimension to the illustrations," Baker once commented. "The words hold the story line when the idea cannot be illustrated."

In Benjamin and the Box, Baker introduces preschoolers to a hapless, nearsighted, persistent little hamster named Benjamin, a character based on a pet from Baker's childhood. In this first book, Benjamin comes upon a box, which he persistently tries to open, using tools, magic spells, and even dynamite. "It was love at first meeting," a reviewer for Publishers Weekly declared of Benjamin and the Box. In Benjamin Bounces Back, the nearsighted Benjamin fails to read the "NO ENTRY" sign on a door, and reluctantly embarks on a series of wild adventures after he pushes through the forbidden entrance. Benjamin's Dreadful Dream similarly finds the accident-prone hamster inadvertently touching off a pile of fireworks that blasts him into outer space, when all he really wanted was a midnight snack. "The tenuous story is clearly an excuse for the sparkling illustrations," observed a reviewer for Junior Bookshelf, but a Publishers Weekly critic maintained that "charmed readers won't forget this larky escapade."

The same brightly colored, realistically detailed illustrations characterize the other stories about Benjamin, including Benjamin's Book, in which the hamster accidentally puts a paw print on a clean sheet of paper. In his increasingly frantic attempts to repair the damage, the page gets ever messier, until Benjamin replaces the sheet altogether, but accidentally marks it with another paw print as he leaves. "This is visually appealing, has a quiet humor, and tells a story that's just right in length, scope, and familiarity for the preschool child," noted Zena Sutherland in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Benjamin's Portrait finds the determined hamster attempting a self-portrait after going to a portrait gallery. "Preschoolers will identify with Benjamin's eagerness to try things for himself, as well as his encounters with unexpected troubles," remarked Susan Nemeth McCarthy in School Library Journal. Benjamin flies off under the power of a purple balloon in Benjamin's Balloon, which Growing Point's Margery Fisher called a "gentle and congenial comedy."

Baker's other recurring animal characters include a number of rabbits featured in some highly regarded concept books that teach very young children about shapes, colors, letters, and numbers. Invariably, critics found that Baker's concept books give a fresh twist to familiar themes. Black and White Rabbit's ABC starts with an apple, as many alphabet books do, but then is transformed as a black-and-white rabbit enters the picture and attempts to paint the apple, beginning the reader on "a wry and often very messy journey from A to Z," according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Brown Rabbit's Shape Book features balloons of different shapes, and White Rabbit's Color Book is "perhaps the best book of the bunch," according to Ilene Cooper in Booklist. In White Rabbit's Color Book, a white rabbit falls into a series of paint cans, demonstrating how primary colors mix to become other colors. Throughout each of these concept books, a Publishers Weekly critic noted, "sweet-natured humor infuses the clear, precise artwork."

Baker's subsequent "Rabbit" titles are also distinguished by a gently humorous text and striking illustrations combined with a unique slant on a learning concept. In Brown Rabbit's Day, a simple story offers the opportunity for color and object identification, counting, and telling time. In Gray Rabbit's Odd One Out, preschoolers help Gray Rabbit find his favorite book while learning to sort objects according to a variety of schemes. Little Rabbit's First Farm Book takes Rabbit to a farm, where he participates in the chores and meets the resident animals. A Publishers Weekly reviewer felt that the title "is perfect for preschoolers."

Baker introduces his readers to animals common to the English forest through which his little heroes travel in Two Tiny Mice, another self-illustrated picture book. A Kirkus Reviews critic singled out Baker's "expansive, delicately detailed illustrations" for special mention in a review of this work. Introducing animals also forms the basis for Baker's story Where's Mouse?, in which Mother Mouse questions one forest animal after another in her search for Baby Mouse. Where's Mouse? has accordion-fold pages whose holes give the illusion of three-dimensionality to the illustrations, which School Library Journal contributor Christine A. Moesch praised as "delicate and cleverly laid out." Baker employs a similar format in Mouse's Christmas, in which Mouse's friends plan a surprise party for him on Christmas Eve.

The "Look Who Lives In" series introduces early readers to the plants and animals in some of the world's more extreme ecosystems. The books offer teasers in which each page shows an animal and hints at the animal on the next page, too. In a Science Books and Film review of Look Who Lives in the Rain Forest, Michele H. Lee declared that "young children will enjoy guessing the animals' identities" in this "delightful book." A Kirkus Reviews critic likewise found Look Who Lives in the Rain Forest to be "a good introduction to a habitat" often studied by young students.

Baker's illustrations are acclaimed for their fine detail and for the humor they add to the author's simple tales. According to reviewers, Baker perfected this combination in his popular "Benjamin" series. "Even when one sees only [Benjamin's] feet encased in a snowball, the comic character of the furry creature is unmistakable," remarked Lori A. Janick in School Library Journal. Although some critics have found Baker's plots meager, especially when compared to his arresting artwork, reviewers of such concept books as Gray Rabbit's 1, 2, 3 and White Rabbit's Color Book felt that Baker's plots were suitable for holding the attention of his preschool audience. School Library Journal contributor Marsha McGrath avowed that Baker's books are "instructional titles that are lots of fun for prereaders."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Booklist, July, 1994, Ilene Cooper, review of Black and White Rabbit's ABC, Brown Rabbit's Shape Book, and White Rabbit's Color Book, p. 1952; December 1, 1999, Kathy Broderick, review of Little Rabbit's First Time Book, p. 708; November 15, 2001, Ilene Cooper, review of Little Rabbit's First Farm Book, p. 580.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July, 1983, Zena Sutherland, review of Benjamin's Book, p. 202.

Growing Point, January, 1978, Margery Fisher, review of Benjamin and the Box, p. 3251; November, 1982, Margery Fisher, review of Benjamin's Book, p. 3990; March, 1991, Margery Fisher, review of Benjamin's Balloon, p. 5486.

Junior Bookshelf, June, 1978, review of Benjamin and the Box, p. 133; April, 1979, review of Benjamin Bounces Back, p. 91; October, 1980, review of Benjamin's Dreadful Dream, p. 232.

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 1980, review of Benjamin's Dreadful Dream, p. 773; May 1, 1991, review of Two Tiny Mice, p. 611; December 1, 1992, review of Where's Mouse?, p. 1500; June 15, 1999, review of Look Who Lives in the Rain Forest, p. 960.

Publishers Weekly, February 27, 1978, review of Benjamin and the Box; December 11, 1978, review of Benjamin Bounces Back, p. 70; review of Benjamin's Dreadful Dream, p. 340; November 23, 1992, review of Where's Mouse?, p. 61; March 7, 1994, review of Gray Rabbit's 1, 2, 3, Black and White Rabbit's ABC, Brown Rabbit's Shape Book, and White Rabbit's Color Book, p. 68; September 30, 1996, review of Mouse's Christmas, p. 90; November 12, 2001, review of Little Rabbit's First Farm Book, p. 61.

School Library Journal, May, 1987, Susan Nemeth McCarthy, review of Benjamin's Portrait, p. 81; December, 1990, Lori A. Janick, review of Benjamin's Balloon, p. 70; February, 1993, Christine A. Moesch, review of Where's Mouse?, p. 68; Marsha McGrath, March, 1996, review of Brown Rabbit's Day and Gray Rabbit's Odd One Out, p. 166; February, 2002, Carolyn Janssen, review of Little Rabbit's First Farm Book, p. 96.

Science Books and Film, September, 1999, Michele H. Lee, review of Look Who Lives in the Rain Forest, p. 220.