Kes Gray is a 42 year old dad of 3.

Sparky comics, football stickers, birds eggs, fishing rods, Timpo cowboys and indians and a Johnny Seven `One Man Army' toy gun were the major influences in his early life.

After realising that all the Captain Scarlett and Thunderbirds jobs were taken, Kes opted for a career in advertising.

In a career spanning twenty years he has written many television advertising campaigns, most notably for Carling Black Label, Prudential and NSPCC.

Kes loves to write and in 1997 a one month sabbatical produced his first and most acclaimed picture book to date, EAT YOUR PEAS. Published in 2000 it became the first picture book in ten years to win the coveted overall prize at the 2001 Federation of Childrens Book Awards. The same year it won the overall prize at Sheffield , was picture book category winner at Stockport and the Experian Big 3 Awards. In 2002 EAT YOUR PEAS was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award.

Following the success of EAT YOUR PEAS Kes has developed a series of Daisy books with Nick Sharratt (REALLY REALLY, YOU DO! and YUK!) Recent additions to his picture book list are OUR TWITCHY, CLUCK O'CLOCK, BILLY'S BUCKET, BABY ON BOARD and VESUVIUS POOVIUS. Kes also writes young fiction for Oxford's Treetops schools reading series.

Kes is keen to challenge. Challenge publishers with unconventional texts, challenge parents with surprising content and challenge children with whatever it takes.

Blame Captain Scarlett.

It's Daisy's birthday and she's having a special birthday treat! Mum has invited her best friends, Gabby and Dylan, on a trip to the zoo - and, best of all, Mum has arranged for Daisy to go into the actual penguin cage with the actual zoo keeper and feed actual penguins! Real actual penguins! With actual beaks and everything!!

Trouble is, Daisy doesn't just feed the penguins, she 'adopts' one to take home and everything...

Praise for DAISY AND THE TROUBLE WITH LIFE:
'Perfect for confident readers' - The Bookseller