About the Author

Andy grew up in the country. He ran a bit wild until his parents caught him and suggested that it might be a good idea if he learned to read. After that, whenever his poor parents could get him to sit still, he would draw on pieces of paper. He showed some drawings to a college and they said he could practice drawing there if he liked. Next he showed some of his pictures to an animation company, who also did comic-strips. Andy drew comic-strips. Then he showed them to book publishers who asked Andy to draw books for them. They even paid him to do it! One or two of the braver ones asked him to have a go at writing, too! Sometimes Andy has ideas. Once Andy had half an idea. Luckily, the person who had the other half of the idea ran an animation company. So Andy's half an idea was turned into an animation series. When Andy isn't writing or drawing, he makes large, mournful landscapes and sometimes large, mournful people buy them to put on their walls. Andy lives in a big city, called London, with his wife, Mary, who is also a writer, and his two children, Matilda and Tabitha. They all make Andy laugh and Andy makes them laugh right back. When not writing, or drawing, or making landscapes, Andy can be seen cycling about the place and staring off into space. If you didn't know him better, you might think there was nothing in his head at all.

Andy grew up in the country. He ran a bit wild until his parents caught him and suggested that it might be a good idea if he learned to read. After that, whenever his poor parents could get him to sit still, he would draw on pieces of paper. He showed some drawings to a college and they said he could practice drawing there if he liked. Next he showed some of his pictures to an animation company, who also did comic-strips. Andy drew comic-strips. Then he showed them to book publishers who asked Andy to draw books for them. They even paid him to do it! One or two of the braver ones asked him to have a go at writing, too! Sometimes Andy has ideas. Once Andy had half an idea. Luckily, the person who had the other half of the idea ran an animation company. So Andy's half an idea was turned into an animation series. When Andy isn't writing or drawing, he makes large, mournful landscapes and sometimes large, mournful people buy them to put on their walls. Andy lives in a big city, called London, with his wife, Mary, who is also a writer, and his two children, Matilda and Tabitha. They all make Andy laugh and Andy makes them laugh right back. When not writing, or drawing, or making landscapes, Andy can be seen cycling about the place and staring off into space. If you didn't know him better, you might think there was nothing in his head at all.

Reviews

"Andy Ellis's When Lulu Went to the Zoo is the rhyming story of a crusading four-year-old who climbs into cages at the zoo and sets the animals free. A delightful wish-fulfilment fantasy with a message about how captivity 'makes the life go out of the llamas' ears', and spiky, eventful, exuberant cartoons in ink and pretty watercolours."
--The Sunday Times--Newspaper