Susan Varley is a British illustrator and author of children's picture books. Her best known book is ''Badger's Parting Gifts'', a story which aims to be a gentle introduction to old age and bereavement for young children. She both wrote and illustrated the book, and it was awarded the Mother Goose Award in 1985.

Early life

Born in 1961 in

Blackpool, England Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

, Varley studied graphic design and illustration at

Manchester Polytechnic Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education ...

Career

''Badger's Parting Gifts'' was Susan Varley's first book, it was published by

Andersen Press Andersen Press is a British book publishing company. It was founded in 1976 by Klaus Flugge, and was named after Hans Christian Andersen "because it is easier to pronounce and spell than Flugge". Random House has a holding in the company and a ...

in 1984. A traditional picture book, it seeks to introduce old age and death to young children through a cast of anthropomorphised woodland characters. It won the 1985 Mother Goose Award, an award for the "most exciting newcomer to British children's book illustration". The judges commented that Varley's treatment of the difficult subject of grief was "just distanced enough" for young children "and in no way mawkish". Some booksellers however reportedly refused to take it at the time, because of the subject matter. ''Badger's Parting Gifts'' is still in print, and in 2019 a 35th anniversary edition was released in partnership with the charity Child Bereavement UK. It continues to be cited by grief counsellors, teachers and journalists as an effective book to facilitate discussions about death and grief with children. Varley has also illustrated other authors' books, including '' The Monster Bed'' by

Jeanne Willis Jeanne Willis (born 5 November 1959) is an English author of several children's books, including '' The Monster Bed'' (1986) and the '' Dr. Xargle's Book of...'' series (1988–2004). Willis was also a contributor to the authorised Winnie-the-Poo ...

, ''Two Small Pandas'' and ''Lovely Old Lion'' by Julia Jarman, ''The Spring Rabbit'' by Joyce Dunbar, and ''Captain Small Pig'' by Martin Waddell.''The Monster Bed'', about the illustrator All are published by Andersen.Andersen Press: Susan Varley
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Personal life

Varley is married, with one daughter. She lives in England.

Selected works

* ''Badger's Parting Gifts'', Andersen Press, London 1984

References

1961 births English children's book illustrators English women children's book illustrators English children's writers English women children's writers Living people {{UK-illustrator-stub