She later completed a degree course at Middlesex University in Ceramics and 3 Dimensional Design. Ray cites her art teacher at school as an influence on her decision to go to art school. Other early influences of Ray's include Lucy Boston, Brian Wildsmith, Arthur Rackham and Jan Pienkowski. I used to ‘go into’ those illustrations – imagined I was walking along that lane in Tom Kitten, or sitting amongst the foxgloves in Jemima Puddleduck or walking up the stairs of the doll’s house in The Tale of Two Bad Mice'. She was a scientist as well as an artist and I found that mixture of extremely detailed observation of the natural world and the pure fantasy of ‘dormice in bonnets’ captivating. One of Ray's most prominent influences is Beatrix Potter, of whom she says: She produced a total of thirty books at this time. Ray started making books at age five during a summer holiday, her first book which she still owns is called Mr Teddy and Mrs Teddy go for a picnic. Her interest in literature started at a young age with Alice in Wonderland being the first book she ever read. Jane Ray was born in Chingford, London and is the daughter of Donald Edwin and Barbara May, both teachers and musicians. She was also a nominee for the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava 2017. She won the 1992 Nestlé Children's Book Prize in the 6- to 8-year-old readers category for the Story of the Creation, published by Orchard Books ( OCLC 59929773), and has been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal several times. She is the writer and illustrator of some including Can You Catch a Mermaid? (Orchard Books), Ahmed and the Feather Girl (Frances Lincoln), and The Elephants Garden (Boxer Books). The first book Jane illustrated A Balloon for Grandad written by Nigel Gray, is included in 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. Jane Ray (born 11 June 1960) is an English illustrator of more than 70 children's books. JSTOR ( June 2015) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful.

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Hans Christian Andersen by Rumer Godden