Kathryn Simmonds is a poet, and now author of three picture books. Be My Sunflower came out with Walker Books in 2024. And coming in 2025 - Twenty Bears with Bloomsbury, and Trouble at the Bug Hotel (Walker).

She has written all sorts of things – stories for radio, questions for quiz machines, books of poems, sketch comedy, a novel, and now, at long last, picture books.

Kathryn's debut Be My Sunflower, with Rosalind Beardshaw for Walker, is the moving story of Vernon - a seed who is happy in his packet, and reluctant to grow into anything at all, thank you. And this will be the first of many from Kathryn.

Kathryn's second picture book Trouble at the Bug Hotel, is also for Walker. An extremely funny book, it stars Branwell the solitary bee and is set in a bug hotel. Illustrated with vintage panache by Tor Freeman.

And according to Bloomsbury, her next book - Twenty Bears - will be "the funniest counting book of the year". Illustrated by Alison Brown - of I Love You Night and Day.

Kathryn’s husband is also a writer and they have too many books in their house. She loves the beach, but is afraid of seagulls. Life can be difficult.

Kathryn is represented by The Catchpole Agency for children's books.