Philip Webb

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

WEBB, Philip (1952 - ) is a children’s book illustrator. He was born in England and spent his childhood in Hong Kong and Kenya, later moving to New Zealand and attending Waihi College. He worked for television as a graphic designer, contributing to such programmes as Play School and Join In. He worked for a time as a freelance commercial illustrator before becoming a fulltime children’s book illustrator.

Webb has illustrated numerous chapter books, short story anthologies and educational publications. His first picture book was Salmagundi (1985), written by Joy Cowley. Pat Quinn’s Dragor, illustrated by Webb, won a NZ Post Honour Award in 2000. He has also published a series of Christmas-themed books for London-based Usborne Publishing in 2007, including Stories of Santa, Stories of Snowmen, and Christmas Stories.

In his Scholastic Author Profile, Webb talks about the inspiration behind his illustrations in Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig (Scholastic, 2008), written by Diana Neild. He says, ‘Unlike Piggity, my name is short, and I never had problems fitting it onto artwork… I enjoyed illustrating Diana’s ‘family’. Being pigs, they were allowed to be a bit messy and clumsy.’ Scholastic has also published A Haunting Tale (1997), The Great Bamboozle (1997), and Hillhoppers Away (1995), each illustrated by Webb.

His illustration work for Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig is praised, ‘It is illustrated by Philip Webb who manages to show many different emotions on the faces of Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig’s eight siblings and on the faces of Mum Jig…and Dad who is a chef at a busy downtown café.’(Around the Bookshops, May 2008) Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig (Scholastic, 2008) won an Honour Award at the 2009 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, and was listed as as 2009 Storylines Notable Picture Book.

Webb’s numerous publications include Weird & Wonderful (2003), Claws and Jaws (2004), Mischief and Mayhem (2005), Hideous & Hilarious (2006), Dare and Double Dare (2007), and Showtime (2008), all published by Random House NZ. Saving Mr Spender (2006) and Quin Majik and the Marvelous Machine (2008) were published by Mallinson Rendel, while The Little Penguin Who Wouldn’t Eat his Dinner (2006) was published by Reed. Other titles include Prof. Ponsonby, McIntosh and the Wool Bug (Harper Collins 1994), The Dragon Feather (Shortlands, 1984) and The Lucky Feather (Shortlands, 1986).

Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig Goes to Dad’s Café (Scholastic, 2009), written by Diana Neild, is a follow-up to Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig. ‘Complemented beautifully by Webb’s humours illustrations, Neild’s faultless rhyme and imaginative text just trip off the tongue and begs to be read aloud to ages 3-7.’(The Children’s Bookshop, March 2009, Kilbirnie). The work has been recently listed as a finalist in the picture book category of the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Results will be announced in May.

Fly Pie, written by Joy Cowley and illustrated by Philip Webb, was published by Scholastic in 2010.