Flora Mary McDonnell, as the daughter of an

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

also known as Lady Flora McDonnell (born 7 November 1963) is an

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

, and prize-winning

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

of children's books.

Early life

McDonnell is the eldest daughter of

Alexander McDonnell, 9th Earl of Antrim Alexander Randal Mark McDonnell, 9th Earl of Antrim, (3 February 1935 – 21 July 2021), known as Alexander Dunluce, was a Northern Irish landowner, peer, artist, and art restorer. He lived mostly at his ancestral home, Glenarm Castle, County ...

, the sister of the 10th Earl, and a niece of the artist

Hector McDonnell The Hon. Hector John McDonnell (born 1947) is a Northern Irish painter, etcher, and author, specializing in architectural art, landscape, and portrait work. Early life A younger son of Randal McDonnell, 8th Earl of Antrim, by his marriage to the ...

.Susan Morris, ed. '' Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019'' (2019)
p. 1554
/ref> McDonnell was educated at

St Mary's Shaftesbury St Mary's School was an independent Roman Catholic day and boarding school for girls, founded in 1945 in a rural setting near Shaftesbury, England. The school had a sixth form and was a member of the Girls' Schools Association. After operating ...

, an independent Roman Catholic girls’ school

Gresham's School Gresham's School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent Day school, day and boarding school) in Holt, Norfolk, Holt, Norfolk, England, one of the top thirty International Bac ...

, a mixed independent school in Norfolk, and

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth-oldest college of the un ...

,Flora McDonnell
sulisfineart.com, accessed 17 August 2021 from 1982 to 1984, then at the

City and Guilds of London Art School Founded in 1854 as the Lambeth School of Art, the City and Guilds of London Art School is a small specialist art college located in central London, England. Originally founded as a government art school, it is now an independent, not-for-profit ...

from 1984 to 1989. McDonnell began her children's book career in 1994 with publishing ''I Love Animals'' (1994). Since then, she has published many children's books and collaborated with authors and poets. She married Dr Thomas Pennybacker in 2003, and they have one son, born in 2004. She is currently based in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Awards

*''The Mother Goose Award'' for first time published children's book illustrator (1995)

Publications

Children's books

*''I Love Animals'' (Walker Books, 1994) *''I Love Boats'' (Walker Books, 1996) *''Flora McDonnell's ABC'' (Walker Books, 1998) *''Splash!'' (Candlewick Books, 1999) *''The Mermaid's Purse'' oems_by_Ted_Hughes,_illustrated_by_Flora_McDonnell.html" ;"title="Ted_Hughes.html" ;"title="oems by Ted Hughes">oems by Ted Hughes, illustrated by Flora McDonnell">Ted_Hughes.html" ;"title="oems by Ted Hughes">oems by Ted Hughes, illustrated by Flora McDonnell(Knopf Books, 2000) *''The Cat and the Cuckoo'' [by Ted Hughes, illustrated by Flora McDonnell] (Roaring Brook Press, 2003) *''Sparky'' (Candlewick Books, 2004) *''Giddy up! Let's Ride!'' (New Line Books, 2006) *''Out of a Dark Winter's Night'' (Thames and Hudson, 2020)

Other

*''Threads of Hope'' d. Flora McDonnell(Short Books, 2003)

References

*Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, (1999), volume 1, page 90.
Flora McDonnell at walkerbooks.co.uk
* List of notable Old Greshamians
Descendants of William the Conqueror

Flora McDonnell - About at FloraMcDonnell.comFlora McDonnell - Books at FloraMcDonnell.com
1963 births Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford Daughters of Irish earls English children's writers Living people People educated at Gresham's School People educated at St Mary's School, Shaftesbury {{UK-noble-stub