Howard, Paul 1967–

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Howard, Paul 1967–

Personal

Born April 1, 1967, in Stevenage, England; son of Edward (an engineer) and Una (a civil servant) Howard; married Alison Millar (a documentary film director), June 17, 1994; children: Samuel, two other children. Education: Attended Hertfordshire College of Art and Design, 1985-86; Leicester Polytechnic, B.A. (with first-class honors), 1989. Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Family activities, swimming, running, reading, socializing, cinema.

Addresses

Home and office—Belfast, Northern Ireland. Agent—Images of Delight, 3 Hurle Crescent, Bristol BS8 2SX, England.

Career

Illustrator and editor. British Aerospace, Stevenage, England, business apprentice, 1983-85; Natural History Museum, London, England, worked in exhibitions and maintenance, 1989-90; illustrator, 1990—. Walker Books, London, member of editorial staff.

Member

British National Trust.

Awards, Honors

Primary English Award, 1996, for A Year in the City by Kathy Henderson; Best Book to Read Aloud Blue Peter Award, 1999, for The Bravest Bear Ever by Allan Ahlberg; Sheffield Children's Book Award, 2003, for Full, Full, Full of Love by Trish Cooke; British Book Trust Early Year's Award, 2006, for Look at You by Henderson.

Illustrator

Jan Morrow, School for Witches, Longman (London, England), 1991.

Audrey Randall and Terry Cash, The Fireworks Display, Longman (London, England), 1991.

Sheila Mallinson and Bob Seberry, Dizzy, the Cat Burglar, Longman (London, England), 1991.

Ann Sawyer, Peter and His Mouse Friends, Longman (London, England), 1991.

Catherine Storr, Finn's Animal, Heinemann (London, England), 1992.

Kathy Henderson, Jim's Winter, Walker Books (London, England), 1992.

Susan Hill, Friends Next Door, Walker Books (London, England), 1992.

Susan Hill, A Very Special Birthday, Walker Books (London, England), 1992.

Lisa Bruce, Jazeera's Journey, Methuen (London, England), 1993.

Gillian Cross, The Tree House, Methuen (London, England), 1993.

Amy Hest, Rosie's Fishing Trip, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1994.

Jan Mark, Taking the Cat's Way Home, Walker Books (London, England), 1994.

Lisa Bruce, Nani's Holiday, Methuen (London, England), 1994.

Gillian Cross, What Will Emily Do?, Methuen (London, England), 1994.

Martin Waddell, John Joe and the Big Hen, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1995.

Lisa Bruce, Jazeera in the Sun, Methuen (London, England), 1995.

Helen Cresswell, A Game of Catch, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1995.

Dick King-Smith, The Invisible Dog, Viking (New York, NY), 1995.

Penelope Lively, Staying with Grandpa, Viking (New York, NY), 1995.

Rita Phillips Mitchell, One for Me, One for You, Walker Books (London, England), 1995.

Dick King-Smith, Treasure Trove, Viking (New York, NY), 1996.

Kathy Henderson, A Year in the City, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1996.

Anne Fine, Care of Henry, Walker Books (London, England), 1996.

Lucy Daniels, Hamster Hotel, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1996.

Lucy Daniels, Puppy Puzzle, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1996.

Lucy Daniels, Kitten Crowd, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1996.

Lucy Daniels, Rabbit Race, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1996.

Gene Kemp, Dog's Journey, Collins (London, England), 1996.

Alison Morgan, Granny and the Hedgehog, Red Fox (London, England), 1996.

Jenny Nimmo, The Witch's Tears, Collins (London, England), 1996.

Richard Brown, Atul's Christmas Hamster, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1996.

Phyllis Arkle, The Village Dinosaur, Puffin (London, England), 1996.

Lucy Daniels, Chick Challenge, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1997.

Lucy Daniels, Guinea-Pig Gang, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1997.

Lucy Daniels, Mouse Magic, Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1997.

Lucy Daniels, Pony Parade, Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1997.

Lucy Daniels, Gerbil Genius, Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1998.

Lucy Daniels, Lamb Lessons, Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1998.

Lucy Daniels, Duckling Diary, Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1998.

Lucy Daniels, Doggy Dare, Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1998.

Lucy Daniels, Cat Crazy, Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1998.

Lucy Daniels, Pet's Party, Hodder & Stoughton (London), 1998.

Allan Ahlberg, Mockingbird, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1998.

Michael Rosen, editor, Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1998, published as The Walker Book of Classic Poetry and Poets, 2009.

Jan Mark, Lady Long Legs, Walker Books (London, England), 1998.

Gene Kemp, The Wishing Tower, Collins (London, England), 1998.

Joan Lingard, Tom and the Tree House, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1998.

Allan Ahlberg, The Bravest Ever Bear, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 1999.

Lucy Daniels, Hedgehog Home, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999.

Lucy Daniels, Donkey Derby, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999.

Lucy Daniels, Frog Friends, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999.

Lucy Daniels, Bunny Bonanza, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999.

Lucy Daniels, Ferret Fun, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999.

Lucy Daniels, Rat Riddle, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999.

Lucy Daniels, Foal Frolics, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999.

Lucy Daniels, Cat's Cradle, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999.

Rita Phillips Mitchell, There's More to a Banana, Walker Books (London, England), 1999.

Joan Lingard, The Egg Thieves, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 1999.

Jenny Nimmo, Esmeralda and the Children Next Door, Houghton (Boston, MA), 2000.

Joan Lingard, River Eyes, Hodder & Stoughton (London, England), 2001.

Ursula Moray Williams, Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 2001.

Jenny Nimmo, The Strongest Girl in the World, Egmont Children's (London, England), 2001.

Ursula Moray Williams, Gobbolino the Witch's Cat, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 2001.

Ursula Moray Williams, The Further Adventures of Gobbolino and the Little Wooden Horse, Kingfisher (New York, NY), 2002.

Geraldine McCaughrean, One Bright Penny, Viking (New York, NY), 2002.

Trish Cooke, Full, Full, Full of Love, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2003.

Jill Tomlinson, The Cat Who Wanted to Go Home, new edition, Egmont (London, England), 2004.

Jill Tomlinson, The Aardvark Who Wasn't Sure, new edition, Egmont (London, England), 2004.

Jill Tomlinson, The Hen Who Wouldn't Give Up, new edition, Egmont (London, England), 2004.

Gina Wilson, Grandma's Bears, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2004.

Jill Tomlinson, The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, new edition, Egmont (London, England), 2004.

Jill Tomlinson, The Gorilla Who Wanted to Grow Up, new edition, Egmont (London, England), 2004.

Jill Tomlinson, The Otter Who Wanted to Know, new edition, Egmont (London, England), 2004.

Kathy Henderson, Look at You!: A Baby Body Book, Candlewick Press (Cambridge, MA), 2006.

Ian Whybrow, The Magic Shoebox Farm, HarperCollins (London, England), 2007.

Vivian French, Chocolate, Walker Books (London, England), 2007.

Sidelights

Paul Howard is a British-based illustrator whose work is a feature of numerous books for young children. Since his first illustration projects appeared in 1991, Howard's colorful acrylic paintings have been paired with stories by writers ranging from Allen Ahlberg and Dick King-Smith to Lucy Daniels and Jan Mark. Writing that "happiness and comfort overflow in [Trish Cooke's] … cozy tale of domestic bliss," a Kirkus Reviews commentator noted that in Full, Full, Full of Love Howard's "inviting illustrations capture the complex expressions and postures" of the story's characters. The "soft watercolor-and-crayon illustrations" the artist creates for Gina Wilson's Grandma's Bears "radiate … warmth," according to a Publishers Weekly contributor, while in Geraldine McCaughrean's rural-themed One Bright Penny "Howard's watercolors are pleasingly straightforward, homey, and detailed" according to School Library Journal contributor Liza Graybill. Ilene Cooper predicted in Booklist that "the sheer exuberance" of the young characters Howard casts in Kathy Henderson's Look at You!: A Baby Body Book "will make everyone, young and old, smile." In School Library Journal, Linda Zeilstra Sawyer also had praise for his contribution to Henderson's picture book, writing that Howard's "oversize pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are warm and soft, with perfectly captured body movements and facial expressions."

Howard once told SATA: "Illustrating children's books is a privilege. I am extremely lucky. I fell into the children's book world when an old friend gave me the job of illustrating some children's educational books. From then on, I was hooked. I never realized how much variety there was within children's books until then.

"I try to treat every story with an appropriate illustrative ‘style,’ rather than stamp everything I do with the same look. I enjoy the challenge of this and, although obviously restricted by my own stylistic limitations, I love the variety.

"When in the early stages, I love sorting out the pace of a story, finding its peaks, and working this through until I am satisfied. A book is a tactile object, and you do not know if it works unless you continuously keep a check by dummying rough pencil sketches into a book, just to feel the pace in the turn of each page.

"My work for Michael Rosen's anthology The Walker Book of Classic Poetry and Poets is a portfolio of my work. It captures all sides of me. I am a stickler for research and immersed myself in the poetry completely. It was a gift project. My ultimate aim was to give young people (and adults, for that matter) an extra dimension to the poems alone. It was a daunting prospect with such powerful words, but if my pictures give an extra hint at the meaning of the poems and a flavor of the period in which they were written, then for that, in itself, I can feel proud.

"I find American illustration for children quite fascinating in that it seems to be either photo-realist or amazingly creative and wild. I love Lane Smith's work, and William Joyce's, and the humor of Mark Buehner.

"For anyone wishing to illustrate children's books, I would say that if you believe you are talented enough and keep at it, you will find a way through somehow. Enjoy it and it will show through, and someone will discover your talents."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 1, 2002, Connie Fletcher, review of One Bright Penny, p. 509; February 1, 2005, John Peters, review of Grandma's Bears, p. 966; February 15, 2007, Ilene Cooper, review of Look at You!: A Baby Body Book, p. 76.

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2002, review of One Bright Penny, p. 1395; December 15, 2002, review of Full, Full, Full of Love, p. 1847; November 15, 2004, review of Grandma's Bears, p. 1094.

Publishers Weekly, October 7, 2002, review of One Bright Penny, p. 72; November 25, 2002, review of Full, Full, Full of Love, p. 66; January 3, 2005, review of Grandma's Bears, p. 54; March 12, 2007, review of The Strongest Girl in the World, p. 58.

School Library Journal, February, 2003, Liza Grabill, review of One Bright Penny, p. 115; February, 2003, Marlene Gawron, review of Full, Full, Full of Love, p. 103; December, 2004, Rosalyn Pierini, review of Grandma's Bears, p. 124; March, 2007, Linda Zeilstra Sawyer, review of Look at You!, p. 173; July, 2007, Kathleen Meulen, review of The Strongest Girl in the World, p. 76.