Lauren Child grew up in Marlborough, Wiltshire. She is the middle of three sisters and both her parents are teachers. She went to Art School in Manchester and London and has had a variety of jobs from waitressing to designing exotic, elegant lamp shades and working as an artist’s assistant to Damien Hirst.

Lauren burst on to the children’s books scene in 1999 with two picture books, I WANT A PET and CLARICE BEAN – THAT’S ME. Her fresh and very funny books were an instant hit and in 2001 she was awarded the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for I WILL NOT EVER NEVER EAT A TOMATO, the first book to feature the now hugely popular Charlie & Lola.

In 2002 THAT PESKY RAT won the Gold Smarties Award in the 6-8 year category. Lauren also published her first novel in the same year, UTTERLY ME, CLARICE BEAN, which was a runaway success and has been sold in many foreign editions. A second novel, CLARICE BEAN SPELLS TROUBLE was published in 2004, and the third, CLARICE BEAN, DON'T LOOK NOW was published in Autumn 2006.

Quentin Blake selected Lauren for inclusion in the Magic Pencil Exhibition (British Library), a gathering of the very best of current British children’s illustrators - including Tony Ross, Angela Barrett and Raymond Briggs - that has been touring the world since 2002.

2005 saw the launch of the first 26-part animated series CHARLIE & LOLA on CBBC, produced by Tiger Aspect. A second series was launched in 2006, and a third is currently in development. Rights to the TV series have been sold in over 30 countries.

Lauren has always been keen on children’s TV, especially the American shows from the 60s and 70s and is still inspired by them. She loves designing and making things and finds it exciting to see her drawings turned into objects. Other favourite things include the cinema, TV matinees starring Cary Grant, Alastair Cooke’s letter from America, small Italian cars, handbags, cardigans, travelling and being picked up from the airport. She enjoys looking round people’s houses, whether public or private, and since childhood has been passionate about dolls’ houses. This passion inspired Lauren's stunning retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA on which she has worked with photographer Polly Borland.

2007 has seen the launch of four new CHARLIE & LOLA board books, NUMBERS, OPPOSITES, COLOURS and THINGS. Two more board books will follow in 2008.

A new edition of PIPPI LONGSTOCKING, illustrated by Lauren, has just been published by OUP.

Pippi Longstocking is nine years old. She has just moved into Villa Villekulla where she lives all by herself with a horse, a monkey, and a big suitcase full of gold coins. The grown-ups in the village try to make Pippi behave in ways that they think a little girl should, but Pippi has other ideas. She would much rather spend her days arranging wild, exciting adventures to enjoy with her neighbours, Tommy and Annika, or entertaining everyone she meets with her outrageous stories.

Pippi thinks nothing of wrestling a circus strongman, dancing a polka with burglars, or tugging a bull's tail!

Generations of children have fallen in love with Pippi Longstocking. Just like Tommy and Annika, readers are instantly charmed by her warmth and sense of fun.

Astrid Lindgren's children's classic first appeared in 1945. Astrid once commented, 'I write to amuse the child within me, and can only hope that other children may have some fun that way, too.' When she was growing up, Lauren Child loved Astrid Lindgren's books. She remembers: 'I discovered Pippi when I was about eight years old and found her completely inspiring.' Known and loved as the creator of some equally feisty little girls - notably Clarice Bean and Lola - Lauren has brought her own inimitable style to this beautifully-illustrated edition of Pippi Longstocking.