Lara Jones

Lara Kate Jones (1975 – 26 March 2010) was a British artist, children's author and illustrator. She is best remembered for her Poppy Cat series of children's books, which have been published in 20 languages and sold more than two and a half million copies.

In 2012, a major award was set up in her name by Macmillan Children's books, called The Lara Jones Illustration Award, with a prize of £500 for the best illustration for a children's book by a new illustrator. So far there have been four winners.

Early life Lara Kate Jones was born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England, and spent her childhood in Shropshire.

The recently published Poppy Cat's First Word Book has been highly praised by pre-school magazine for containing more than 50 words that toddlers can learn.

Jones illustrated numerous other books, including her own picture books, I Love Hugs and I Love My Potty. Other books illustrated by Jones include Mermaid Poems (Clare Bevan), Mermaid Stories, Fairy Poems and Fairy Stories (all published by MacMillan), as well as Babies Can by Ian Whybrow and Pip and the Edge of Heaven by Elizabeth Liddle (Lion, 2002). Her final book was I Want a Mini Tiger, written by Joyce Dunbar and published by Macmillan Books. Jones also had other projects in the pipeline, notably a book with Orchard Books, for which she had done initial drawings.

Personal life While at college, Jones met fellow artist Shaun Clarke, whom she married in 2003; they had two children. On 26 March 2010, she died at the age of 34 from melanoma.