Michael Roche BA (Hons), PGCE, MEd.

As the founder of Photobooks Ltd I wanted to develop resources that would make learning fun. My books have at least 12 photographs of the children looking happy, sad, puzzled and surprised transformed into illustrations along with their name. A number of the books are related to the National Curriculum whilst others simply make reading and learning fun.

I have worked in education for the last 15 years and whilst studying for a Masters Degree in Education I developed resources that encourage children to learn and give them a positive experience of learning. The range of books I have developed motivate children to learn faster and more easily because they themselves are a part of the book. I developed the idea of having different children's illustrations in the books eight years ago. I found that personalised books help children enjoy learning and reading. Children will enjoy these books and learn from them without even realising it.

Vicky Barron - Illustrator, Writer, Artist, Designer
e-mail:vickyb_email@yahoo.co.uk
Graduated from Colchester Institute with an Art & Design BA Honours Degree.

"I enjoy all aspects of art, craft and design, with an interest in continually developing and creating new work. I have an interest in many areas including: illustration/animation, writing, jewellery-making, costume design, prop-making and abstract canvas art.

Past local exhibitions and volunteer work in the children's section of my local library (creating large-scale art displays) rekindled my childhood interest in writing and illustrating children's stories. Creating a story through the visualisation of words and the insight of pictures is one of my favourite, and most loved ongoing projects. And I couldn't live without it!"

Janice Rider - Illustrator. The Shy Ballerina
e-mail:baggis@postmaster.co.uk

Janice Rider is an artist, costume designer and illustrator - She spent 12 years at BBC Birmingham where she designed costumes for many television drama productions including Angels, Empire Road, Juliet Bravo, All Creatures Great and Small, Nanny, Shalom Salaam, The Ritz, Macbeth on the Estate.

Since going freelance in 1989 she has designed features for Room to Rent, Proud Beggars and Almost Adult, as well as children's programmes for Ragdoll Ltd including Brum, Boohbahs (Storyworld), and most recently Blips.

Janice has degrees in Drama and Fine Art and as a practising artist has exhibited widely. She divides her life between Birmingham and Cairo with her film-maker husband Khaled, her son Adam and tabby cat Cakey.