Elizabeth "Lucy" Cousins (born 1964)[1] is a British author and illustrator of children's books. She is best known for her books featuring Maisy Mouse, referred to as the Maisy Series published from the 1990s onwards, from which the TV series Maisy was created in 1999. A new animated adaptation My Friend Maisy is currently in the works and will be released in 2025.[2][3]
Lucy Cousins | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Children's book writer and illustrator |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Royal College of Art |
| Notable works | Maisy Books |
Early life and education
editCousins, whose parents were also artists, was interested in children's books from an early age. But it took until the end of six years in art college for her to decide that she wanted to create children's books. Cousins received BA Honours in graphic design from the Faculty of Arts and Architecture at Brighton Polytechnic.[4] She then attended the Royal College of Art, where she met artist Quentin Blake, who encouraged her work.[4] She developed her sense of design and colour at the Royal College of Art.[5]
Work
editCousins' books are aimed at preschool-aged children and younger or older.[4]
Her work, especially the character of Maisy Mouse, is a successful publishing brand, with books printed in 27 different languages and over 27 million copies of her books in print.[6] The series is known as the Maisy Series.[7]
Apart from the Maisy books, Cousins has also published other children's books, such as Jazzy in the Jungle (2002) and one about Noah's Ark.[8]
Recognition
editHer board books, designed especially for toddlers, are considered among the best, according to Horn Book Magazine.[9]
The Carnegie Library listed Maisy's First Colors as a 2013 pick for their Best Books for Babies list.[10]
Cousins' character, Maisy, was featured on a postage stamp published by the U.S. Postal Service in their 2006 Favorite Children's Book Animals Series.[11]
Cousins won a Booktrust Best Book Award in 2014 for Peck, Peck, Peck.[12]
She received Mathical Honors for Count with Maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep!.[13]
Bibliography
edit- Maisy Goes Swimming. Walker. 1990. ISBN 0744504287.
- The Little Dog Laughed. Dutton. 1993. ISBN 9780525445739.
- Noah's Ark. Candlewick Press. 1993. ISBN 9781564022134.
- Maisy's ABC. Walker Books. 1994. ISBN 9780744532296.
- Za-Za's Baby Brother. Candlewick Press. 1995. ISBN 9781564025821.
- Maisy's Bedtime. Candlewick Press. 1999. ISBN 9780763608842.
- Maisy Makes Gingerbread. Candlewick Press. 1999. ISBN 9780763623692.
- Maisy Dresses Up. Candlewick Press. 1999. ISBN 9780763608873.
- Maisy's Pool. Candlewick Press. 1999. ISBN 9780763608866.
- Count With Maisy. Candlewick Press. 1999. ISBN 9780763623692.
- Maisy Takes a Bath. Candlewick Press. 2000. ISBN 9780763610821.
- Maisy Drives the Bus. Candlewick Press. 2000. ISBN 9780763610838.
- Doctor Maisy. Candlewick Press. 2001. ISBN 9780763616120.
- Maisy Cleans Up. Candlewick Press. 2002. ISBN 9780763617110.
- Maisy Makes Lemonade. Candlewick Press. 2002. ISBN 9780763617288.
- Maisy Goes Camping. Candlewick Press. 2004. ISBN 9780763623692.
- Hooray for Fish!. Candlewick Press. 2005. ISBN 9780763627416.
- Maisy Goes to the Library: A Maisy First Experience Book. Candlewick Press. 2005. ISBN 9780763626693.
- Sweet Dreams, Maisy. Candlewick Press. 2005. ISBN 9780763628741.
- Maisy, Charley, and the Wobbly Tooth. Candlewick Press. 2006. ISBN 9780763629045.
- Maisy Goes to the Hospital. Candlewick Press. 2007. ISBN 9780329825485.
- Maisy Big, Maisy Small. Candlewick Press. 2007. ISBN 9780763634063.
- Maisy Goes to the Museum. Candlewick Press. 2008. ISBN 9780763638382.
- Maisy's Animals/Los animales de Maisy. Candlewick Press. 2009. ISBN 9780763645175.
- Maisy's Clothes/La ropa de Maisy. Candlewick Press. 2009. ISBN 9780763645182.
- Maisy's Toys/Los juguetes de Maisy. Candlewick Press. 2009. ISBN 9780763645205.
- Maisy Goes to Preschool: A Maisy First Experiences Book. Candlewick Press. 2009. ISBN 9780763642549.
- Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales. Candlewick Press. 2009. ISBN 9780763644741.
- I'm the Best. Candlewick Press. 2010. ISBN 9780763646844.
- Maisy Goes on Vacation. Candlewick Press. 2010. ISBN 9780763647520.
- Maisy Goes to the City. Candlewick Press. 2011. ISBN 9780763653279.
- Create With Maisy. Candlewick Press. 2012. ISBN 9780763661229.
- Maisy Goes On a Sleepover. Candlewick Press. 2012. ISBN 9780763658830.
- Maisy Learns to Swim. Candlewick Press. 2013. ISBN 9780763664800.
- Maisy's First Numbers. Candlewick Press. 2013. ISBN 9780763668051.
- Peck, Peck, Peck. Candlewick Press. 2013. ISBN 9780763666217.
- Maisy Plays Soccer. Candlewick Press. 2014. ISBN 9780763672386.
- Maisy Goes to the Movies. Candlewick Press. 2014. ISBN 9780763669508.
- Hooray for Birds!. Walker Books Ltd. 2017. ISBN 9781406380613.
- Maisy's Town: A First Words Book. Candlewick Press. 2022. ISBN 9781536224436.
References
edit- ^ "Cousins, Lucy 1964–". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/09/bbc-kids-trustbridge-announce-maisy-animated-series-project/
- ^ https://kidscreen.com/2024/09/05/trustbridge-and-bbc-studios-collaborate-on-my-friend-maisy/
- ^ a b c Phinney, Margaret Yatsevitch (24 January 2003). Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. Literary Reference Center, EBSCOhost. p. 201. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ Gershowitz, Elissa (9 February 2015). "Five Questions for Lucy Cousins". The Horn Book. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ "Walker Books Snaps Up Lucy Cousins Licensing". Bookseller (5366): 10. 23 January 2009. ISSN 0006-7539. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ "Maisy". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "About Maisy At the Farm, Lucy Cousins". Baker & Taylor Author Biographies. 3 January 2000. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ Horning, Kathleen T. (1997). "Board Books Go Boom". The Horn Book Magazine. 73 (2): 155–160. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ "2014 Best Books for Babies List Released by Carnegie Library". The Pittsburgh Reporter. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ Springen, Karen (22 August 2013). "U.S. Postal Service Celebrates Children's Books". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ Baggott, Sophie (2 July 2014). "Six Winners of Booktrust Best Book Awards Unveiled!". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ "Mathical Book Prizes 2021" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 February 2021.
