Robin Lawrie is a Scottish-born artist and children's book illustrator.[1] Throughout his career, he has illustrated books by C. S. Lewis,[2][3] Prue Leith[4] and Enid Blyton.[5] He has written and illustrated several children's books of his own about building motorways,[6] car mechanics,[7] building kit cars,[8] rally drivers,[9] and mountain biking.[10]

Early publications

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His early work included books that sought to introduce children to the mechanical processes behind vehicles such as airplanes and cars. His first book Under the Bonnet; How Cars Work and How to Keep Them Working was published by Abelard-Schuman in 1970.[11] The following year Ready for Take-off: How an Aeroplane Flies and How it is Flown[12][13] was released in the autumn of 1971.[13][11][14]

Illustration styles

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Robin Lawrie has illustrated in several different styles, including black and white line drawings[15][16] as seen in the 1979 poetry collection Buying a Heart By George MacBeth.[16][17] He is also known for his pencil and watercolor style found in Dreams: the story of Martin Luther King, Jr [18] which utilises white space.[19]

Career highlights

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Robin Lawrie gained notability in the children's book market in 1985 when he illustrated a book of fairy tales by Danish Author Hans Christian Andersen and retold by Robert Mathias.[20] In December 1993 he illustrated an abridged graphic novel edition of C. S. Lewis's, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe[21] for American publishing house: Harper Collins, in the style of an Edwardian Comic Book, framing the pages with decorative borders.[22] Later, in 1994 he illustrated two separate editions of Frances Hodgson Burnet's Children's Novel, The Secret Garden, for Parragon[23] and Puffin publishing respectively.[24] In the same year he also illustrated Peter Pan by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie; the cover and illustrations portrayed the lost boys as silhouettes.[25]

Notable works

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Book jackets

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  • Enid Byton The First Green Goblin.[35]
  • Enid Blyton Josie, Click, & Bun & Little Tree House.[36]
  • Enid Blyton The Second Green Goblin Book[37]
  • Enid Blyton More about Josie Click and bun[38]

References

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  1. ^ Walsh, Mick (February 2012). "Robin Lawrie - Educating youngsters in motor sport lore". Classic and Sports Car. 30 /11: 46–47.
  2. ^ Wilton, Shirley (August 1995). "Lion the witch and the wardrobe abridged and illustrated by Robin Lawrie product review". School Library Journal. 41, 8: 142 – via ebscohost.
  3. ^ Dempsey, Dianne (1993). "Putting children in the picture". Sunday Age (Melbourne, Australia). December 19, 1993 Sunday Late Edition: 7.
  4. ^ Prue, Leith (1983). Cooking for friends. Sevenoaks: New English Library. ISBN 0-450-05371-7. OCLC 12475862.
  5. ^ Turner, Judy (2003). "Picture book highlights". The Bookseller.
  6. ^ Robin, Lawrie (1974). Motorway monsters : how motorways are built and the machines that build them. London: Abelard-Schuman. ISBN 0200721739. OCLC 16304534.
  7. ^ Robin, Lawrie (1973). Under the bonnet: how cars work and how to keep them working. London: Abelard-Schuman. ISBN 0-200-72051-1. OCLC 497900325.
  8. ^ Robin, Lawrie (1987). Katy's kit car. London: Hamilton. ISBN 0241121396. OCLC 16474260.
  9. ^ Robin, Lawrie (2011). Welsh speed kings. Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 9781845273538. OCLC 755066545.
  10. ^ Robin, Lawrie (2016). Chain Reaction (The Chain Gang, 1). Lawrie, Christine. Isleworth, UK: Mms Publishing. ISBN 9781842347607. OCLC 973306799.
  11. ^ a b Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1973: Title Index. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 1975.
  12. ^ Robin, Lawrie (1971). Ready for take-off : how an aeroplane flies and how it is flown. London: Abelard-Schuman. ISBN 0200717995. OCLC 16195950.
  13. ^ a b Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1973: January-June. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 1975.
  14. ^ "The guardian and the observer; Briefing". The Observer. 25 March 1973. ProQuest 476134373.
  15. ^ Owen, Maureen (20 January 1996). "Teenage Stories; "No short measure"". Times [London, England].
  16. ^ a b Thompson, Anthony (February 1979). "Buying a Heart". Hollins Critic. 16 (1): 18–20. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  17. ^ MacBeth, George (1978). Buying a heart. [Great Britain]: Omphalos Press. ISBN 0906139007. OCLC 16444253.
  18. ^ Murray, Peter (1999). Dreams: the story of Martin Luther King, Jr. Lawrie, Robin. [Plymouth, MN]: Child's World. ISBN 1567662234. OCLC 33335279.
  19. ^ Mcguire, Megan (1999). "Preschool to Grade 4: Nonfiction". School Library Journal. 45/8: 148 – via EBSCO.
  20. ^ Robert, Mathias (1985). The stories of Hans Andersen. Lawrie, Robin; Andersen, Hans Christian. Hamlyn. ISBN 0600309096. OCLC 59252504.
  21. ^ Lewis, C. S. (1993). The lion, the witch and the wardrobe. Lawrie, Robin. London: Lions. ISBN 0001854747. OCLC 59890912.
  22. ^ Wilton, S (August 1995). "Grades 3-6: Fiction". School Library Journal. 41 (8): 142 – via Education Research Complete.
  23. ^ Hodgson Burnett, Frances (1994). The Secret Garden (Mini Classic). Parragon Plus. ISBN 9781858137582.
  24. ^ a b Burnett, Frances Hodgson (1994). The secret garden. Lawrie, Robin. London, England: Puffin Books. ISBN 0140366660. OCLC 31525035.
  25. ^ Barrie, J. M. (1993). Peter Pan. London: Diamond Books. ISBN 026166056X. OCLC 85959659.
  26. ^ Snow White and the seven dwarfs. Lawrie, Robin. London: Hamlyn. 1984. ISBN 0600308146. OCLC 12461257.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  27. ^ Grahame, Kenneth (1983). The wind in the willows. Lawrie, Robin. London: Puffin. ISBN 0140366857. OCLC 31710598.
  28. ^ Noble, Barnes &. "The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Robin Lawrie |, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®". prerelease.barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  29. ^ "The Secret Garden, a book review by Chua Wan Xuan". Gathering Books. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  30. ^ Barrie, J. M. (1993). Peter Pan. Avonmouth, Bristol: Paragon Book Service. ISBN 1858135761. OCLC 222404803.
  31. ^ "The Open University".
  32. ^ Burnett, Frances Hodgson (2012). A little princess. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1627889902. OCLC 973757562.
  33. ^ Koralek, Jenny (1996). A treasury of stories from the brothers Grimm. Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm; Lawrie, Robin. London: Kingfisher. ISBN 1856973522. OCLC 60266571.
  34. ^ "Muddy Mayhem by Robin Lawrie, Christine Lawrie | Waterstones". www.waterstones.com. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  35. ^ Blyton, Enid (1992). The first green goblin book. Crompton, Paul, 1956-. Red Fox. ISBN 009993700X. OCLC 60092265.
  36. ^ Blyton, Enid (1994). Josie, Click and Bun and the little tree house. Wheeler, Dorothy M. London: Red Fox. ISBN 009999710X. OCLC 31077776.
  37. ^ Blyton, Enid (1993). The second green goblin book. London: Red Fox. ISBN 0099937107. OCLC 60102747.
  38. ^ Blyton, Enid (1996). More about Josie, Click and Bun. Wheeler, Dorothy M. London: Red Fox. ISBN 009937191X. OCLC 34410203.