Experiencing the story

“Even tiny children looking at a picture book are using their imaginations, gleaning clues from the images to understand what is happening, and perhaps using the throwaway details which the illustrator includes to add their own elements to the story.” – Philip Reeve

Born in England on this date in 1966, Reeve is the author/illustrator of some 40 children's books, and perhaps best known for his Mortal Engines Sci-Fi/Fantasy series.

A one-time bookshop worker and aspiring playwright, he also provided cartoons for many books including those in the kid-favorite series’ Horrible Histories and Murderous Math.  But success blossomed with his move into writing/illustrating his own books, beginning with the clever Buster Bayliss’ series that included such titles as Night of the Living Veg, Day of the Hamster, and Custardfinger. 

Since writing the 4-book Mortal Engines novels, he has collaborated on several other books and also authored the bestselling Young Adult sci-fi novel Railhead. 

He is a strong advocate for libraries and programs for young readers.   “I still feel, as I did when I was six or seven, that books are simply the best way to experience a story.”

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