Lucy Cousins had her first Maisy book published by Walker soon after leaving college. Now Maisy has become one of the best-loved characters in children's books, recognized the world over. Lucy won the BolognaRagazzi Prize for Maisy's House in 1997 and the Smarties Book Prize in 2002 for Jazzy in the Jungle. Lucy has over 21 million books in print, including picture books, sticker books, cloth books, colouring books, board books, pull-the-tab and lift-the-flap books. Says the author-illustrator, "I get more pleasure and inspiration from walking around a primary school than from any art gallery." She lives in Hampshire with her partner and four teenage children.