Child's Play

Paul Adshead

As a child, only two things really interested me: wildlife and art. I was fascinated by nature and loved drawing and painting the creatures I saw around me. I was also an avid reader.

I started to write and illustrate professionally during the mid 1980’s. My first book, called “A Peacock on the Roof” told the true story of my pet family of peacocks. My second book, “The Chicken that could Swim” told another true story and was nominated for the Kate Greenaway award for illustration. Due to the enormous popularity of the hidden puzzles in these two books, I soon became known for creating complex picture Puzzle books, starting with Puzzle Island- which went on to sell over a million copies. This was followed by more puzzle books: “One Odd Old Owl”, “The Red Herring Mystery” and “Around the World with Phineas Frog.” In between, I branched out into writing short novels for children. “The Secret Hedgehog,” “Trilby” and finally, “The Incredible Reversing Peppermints” which was nominated for the Redhouse Children’s Book Award.

See books by Paul