Ian Beck (b. 1947)
Ian Beck was born in Brighton and graduated from Brighton College of Art in 1968. He subsequently started to write and illustrate children’s books after the birth of his first child. Over the years he has produced a large number of beautifully illustrated picture books, for the most part published by Oxford University Press and Doubleday.
His book of lullabies, Hush-a-Bye Baby won a Distinguished Mention in the 1991 W.H.Smith Illustration Awards and The Nutcracker was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2002. His work has not only been found in books; he is known for his wonderfully original illustration cover for Elton John’s Yellow Brick Road album. He is married to Emma the daughter of Reynolds Stone, and is brother-in-law to the illustrator Phillida Gili.