Satoshi Kitamura was born in 1956 in Tokyo. He says that when he was young he read comics and admits that these have had a great influence on his style. He says he was also influenced by anything visual from a tin of sardines to the fine art of the East and the West. He was not trained as an artist, but at the age of 19 began to do commercial work. From 1976-1979 he worked as a commercial artist in Japan, working as an illustrator for adverts and magazines. He moved to London in 1979 and worked mainly at designing greeting cards. He started illustrating for Andersen Press in 1981 after he had an exhibition of his work at the Neal Street Gallery in Covent Garden.

Angry Arthur, written by Hiawyn Oram, was published in 1982 to great acclaim. Satoshi Kitamura won the Mother Goose Award, presented annually to the most exciting newcomer to children's book illustration for Angry Arthur in 1983. Angry Arthur also won the Japanese Picture Book Award. UFO Diary was short listed for the Smarties Prize in 1989.

In 1999 Red Fox published the paperback edition of Goldfish Hide and Seek. This hilarious picture book tells the fishy tale of a loveable, eccentric goldfish seeking out his playmate, Heidi. Not content to limit the search to his goldfish bowl - which demonstrates true 'tardis' tendencies - he jumps outside and has a dance with Mr. Cat. Satoshi says of Goldfish Hide and Seek: 'The story is originally from my goldfish trying to commit suicide, jumping out of the fish bowl - I got the idea from that. It's about two fish in a fishbowl that play hide and seek. Although it's no ordinary fishbowl, for some reason there are lots of creatures in it . . .'

Satoshi Kitamura was the overall winner of the National Art Library Illustration Awards in 1999. Satoshi's Me And My Cat? was short listed for the Kurt Maschler Award, and won the Smartest Silver Award in 2000. Red Fox will publish Ned and the Joybaloo in June 2001.

'The bold, bright, beautiful style of Satoshi Kitamura stands out like a beacon.' T.E.S.

'There could be no better way to start than with Kitamura's wonderful illustrations.'
Observer

'Satoshi Kitamura has produced some of the most delightful picture books of the last dozen years.'
New York Times Book Review

'Kitamura's originality lies in the imaginative use he makes of the cartoonist's art. Deceptively simple, it is at the service of a remarkable sense of design and real gift for narrative.'
T.E.S.

Information Supplied by Red Fox