Ayliffe, Alex

Personal

Born in England.

Addresses

Home and office—Herfordshire, England.

Career

Illustrator and author of books for children.

Awards, Honors

Sainsbury Best Books for Babies Award, 2000, for Boo Barney; Children's Book of the Year Award, Christian Booksellers' Convention, 2004, for My Very First Bible.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Slither, Swoop, Swing, ABC (London, England), 1992, Viking (New York, NY), 1993.

Boo Barney, Orchard (London, England), 2000.

ILLUSTRATOR

Terry Deary, The Dream Seller, A. & C. Black (London, England), 1988.

Elizabeth MacDonald, Mr. MacGregor's Breakfast Egg, Viking (New York, NY), 1990.

Angela McAllister, The Acorn Sailor, Aurum Books for Children (London, England), 1990.

Jon Blake, Roboskool, Blackie (Edinburgh, Scotland), 1990.

Nick Warburton, Mr. Tite's Belongings, Viking (New York, NY), 1991.

Robin Kingsland, Bus Stop Bop, Viking (New York, NY), 1991.

Monica Kulling, I Hate You, Marmalade!, Viking (New York, NY), 1992.

Susan Akass, Number Nine Duckling, Boyds Mills Press (Honesdale, PA), 1993.

Judy Hindley, Funny Walks, Bridewater Books (Mahwah, NJ), 1994.

Sue Tarsky, Kiss the Boo-Boo, Viking (New York, NY), 1994.

Susan Akass, Swim, Number Nine Duckling, Boyds Mills Press (Honesdale, PA), 1994.

Nicola Moon, Lucy's Picture, Orchard (London, England), 1994, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1995.

Caroline Ness, Let's Be Friends, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 1995.

James Riordan, My G-r-r-reat Uncle Tiger, Peachtree Publishers (Atlanta, GA), 1995.

Caroline Ness, Let's Get a Puppy, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 1995.

Nicola Moon, Something Special, Orchard (London, England), 1995, Peachtree Publishers (Atlanta, GA), 1997.

Kate Ruttle and Richard Brown, compilers, Wiggle and Giggle: Movement Rhymes, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1996.

Bill Graham, Guess Who I Am!, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1996.

Nursery Rhymes, Medici Society (London, England), 1996.

Bill Graham, What For?, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1996.

Vivian French, Oh No, Anna!, Peachtree Publishers (Atlanta, GA), 1997.

Judith Skinner, Christmas, Hunt & Thorpe (New Alresford, England), 1997.

Sue Tarsky, The Busy Building Book, ABC (London, England), 1997, G.P. Putnam's (New York, NY), 1998.

Vivian French, Not Again, Anna!, Levinson Books (London, England), 1998.

Hilary McKay, Strange Bear, Hodder Children's (London, England), 1998, published as Where's Bear?, Margaret K. McElderry Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Irene Yates, Ollie, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1998.

Rita Phillips Mitchell, The Gotcha Smile, Orchard Books (London, England), 1998.

Lois Rock, My Very First Christmas Story, Lion (Colorado Springs, CO), 1999.

Harry Belafonte and Lord Burgess, Island in the Sun, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 1999.

Hilary McKay, Pirates Ahoy!, Hodder Children's (London, England), 1999, Margaret K. McElderry Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Vivian French, Let's Go, Anna!, David & Charles Children's (London, England), 2000.

Jane Kemp and Clare Walters, Busy Babies Go Swimming, Collins (London, England), 2000.

Christina Goodings, reteller, Looking High and Low for One Lost Sheep, Lion (Oxford England), 2000.

Trish Cooke, Zoom!, Collins (London, England), 2000.

Margaret Mayo, Dig Dig Digging, Orchard Books (London, England), 2001, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2002.

Margaret Mayo, Emergency!, Carolrhoda Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2002.

Lois Rock, My Very First Bible, Good Books (Intercourse, PA), 2003.

Lois Rock, My Very First Prayers, Good Books (Intercourse, PA), 2003.

Margaret Mayo, Choo Choo Clickety-Clack!, Carolrhoda Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2004.

My Very First Bible, Little Lion (Oxford, England), 2004.

Lois Rock, Let's Read the Christmas Story, Lion (Oxford, England), 2004.

Grace Hallworth, Dancing to the River, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2004.

Lois Rock, My Very First Bedtime Storybook, Good Books (Intercourse, PA), 2004.

Lois Rock, Let's Read the Noah's Ark Story, Lion (Oxford, England), 2004, published as Noah and the Ark! ("My Very First Bible Stories" series), Good Books (Intercourse, PA), 2005.

Lois Rock, Let's Read the Lost Sheep Story, Lion (Oxford, England), 2004, published as The Lost Sheep ("My Very First Bible Stories" series), Good Books (Intercourse, PA), 2005.

Lois Rock, Baby Jesus ("My Very First Bible Stories" series), Good Books (Intercourse, PA), 2005.

Lois Rock, Our Father ("My Very First Bible Stories" series), Good Books (Intercourse, PA), 2005.

Ian Whybrow, Faraway Farm, Orchard (London, England), 2005, Carolrhoda Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2006.

Lois Rock, My Very First Christmas, Good Books (Intercourse, PA), 2006.

The Good Samaritan ("My Very First Bible Stories" series), Lion Hudson (London, England), 2007.

Jesus and His Friends ("My Very First Bible Stories" series), Lion Hudson (London, England), 2007.

Margaret Mayo, Roar!, Carolrhoda Books (Minneapolis, MN), 2007.

Sidelights

An artist whose work has appeared in British periodicals as well as in gallery shows, Alex Ayliffe is particularly well known for her work in picture-book illustration. Her detailed cut-paper collage art, which incorporates bright, clear colors in a one-dimensional image, is inspired in part by her many travels away from her native England to locations in Europe, Africa, and Australia. Ayliffe's original picture books include Slither, Swoop, Swing, which illustrates how snakes, bats, monkeys and other kinds of animals move, and Boo Barney, which depicts a rambunctious toddler's busy day.

Among the writers with whom Ayliffe frequently collaborates is Margaret Mayo, author of Dig Dig Digging, Emergency, and Choo Choo Clickety-Clack! Praising Dig Dig Digging as a "vibrant" picture book, a Publishers Weekly critic noted that Ayliffe's "brightly colored" illustrations feature "just enough detail … to satisfy young enthusiasts." Focusing on rescue vehicles in Emergency!, the illustrator imbues his "big, blocky, brightly colored shapes" with energy and excitement, according to a Kirkus Reviews writer. In Publishers Weekly a critic dubbed Emergency! "a potent combination of timely subject matter and a bright, upbeat presentation." Carolyn Phelan called the work "graphically strong" in her Booklist review, adding that Ayliffe's use of rounded shapes "reinforces the reassuring message" in Mayo's text. "An engaging subject and bold, colorful illustrations guarantee [Emergency!] … an enthusiastic audience," concluded School Library Journal critic Lisa Dennis.

Working with James Riordan, Ayliffe brings to life the nocturnal life of a tabby cat in My G-r-r-r-reat Uncle Tiger, which benefits from "humor-imbued, color-drenched paper-cutting," according to a Publishers Weekly critic. The artist's "bright illustrations have a flat, childlike quality that fits the youngsters' active imaginations" in Pirates Ahoy!, a story by Hilary McKay that focuses on a series of "let's pretend" adventures. In My Very First Prayers, one of many collaborations between Ayliffe and British writer Lois Rock, the illustrations "of smiling, round-faced children" contribute to a "charming" and "gentle" picture book.

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 1997, Carolyn Phelan, review of Something Special, p. 1720; January 1, 1998, Susan Dove Lempke, review of The Busy Building Book, p. 819; January 1, 1999, Lauren Peterson, review of Where's Bear?, p. 889; January 1, 1999, Kathleen Squires, review of Not Again, Anna!, p. 887; August, 1999, Ilene Cooper, review of Island in the Sun, p. 2060; May 15, 2000, Connie Fletcher, review of Pirates Ahoy!, p. 1748; January 1, 2001, Gillian Engberg, review of Let's Go Anna!, p. 967; May, 2002, Hazel Rochman, review of Dig Dig Digging, p. 1598; August, 2002, Carolyn Phelan, review of Emergency!, p. 1974; October 1, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of Very First Prayers, p. 334; February 15, 2005, Ilene Cooper, review of Choo Choo Clickety-Clack!, p. 1079; January 1, 2008, Abby Nolan, review of Roar!, p. 88.

Horn Book, September-October, 1995, Maeve Visser Knoth, review of Swim, Number Nine Duckling, p. 625.

Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2002, review of Dig Dig Digging, p. 574; August 15, 2002, review of Emergency!, p. 1229; March 15, 2005, review of Choo Choo Clickety-Clack!, p. 354; November 1, 2006, review of My Very First Christmas, p. 1134; August 15, 2007, review of Roar!

Publishers Weekly, August 21, 1995, review of My G-r-rreat Uncle Tiger, p. 64; February 10, 1997, review of Something Special, p. 82; November 9, 1998, review of Where's Bear?, p. 75; May 10, 1999, review of Island in the Sun, p. 66; April 8, 2002, review of Dig Dig Digging, p. 225; August 5, 2002, review of Emergency!, p. 71.

School Library Journal, June, 2000, Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, review of Pirates Ahoy!, p. 120; March, 2001, Martha Link, review of Let's Go Anna!, p. 208; May, 2002, Alice Casey Smith, review of Dig Dig Digging, p. 141; October, 2002, Lisa Dennis, review of Emergency!, p 120; January, 2004, Linda L. Walkins, review of My Very First Prayers, p. 121; January, 2005, Bina Williams, review of My Very First Bedtime Storybook, p. 97; May, 2005, Julie Roach, review of Choo Choo Clickety-Clack!, p. 92; October, 2006, Lisa Falk, review of My Very First Chirstmas, p. 100; November, 2006, DeAnn Okamura, review of Faraway Farm, p. 116.