Children's author Sean Taylor has more than 60 books and a generous number of awards under his belt - including the Smarties Prize for When a Monster is Born, and Oscar's Book Prize for When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth.
Sean taught poetry in schools for decades, leading to a trio of poetry-themed books with Walker. Five Little Friends: A Collection of Finger Rhymes comes out in 2025. And at the close of 2024 You're a Poet - a book to encourage children to write their own poetry - was named one of Books for Keeps best books.
2024 also saw the last book in Sean's seasonal storybook series with ecologist Alex Morss. Autumn Feast follows Winter Sleep, Busy Spring and Wild Summer. All published by Quarto and illustrated by Cinyee Chiu.
Autumn Feast (under US title Fall Feast) was named one of the Bookstagang's best books of 2024.
The foolishly funny Natterjack Toad Can’t Believe It! with Kathyrn Durst (Walker 2024) publishes under the US title Natterjack Toad Makes A Mighty Crunch with Candlewick in 2025.
Sean started writing poetry as a teenager. Then in 1993, he came across a newspaper article which reported that a goat slaughtered by a cleric in Iran had been found to have teeth made of gold. He tried writing a story for children. It was called The Goat With The Golden Teeth. It won second prize in a competition run by The Independent and Scholastic Children's Books.
Since then Sean has focused on writing for young readers.
Sean really has written a lot of books. Funny books, like Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise, illustrated by Jean Jullien - winner of the Hampshire Picture Book Award and a Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book. Magical books like The Snowbear, a winter story illustrated by Claire Alexander, which the New York Times was keen on.
Funny Bums, Freaky Beaks, Busy Spring, Winter Sleep and Wild Summer are all nature storybooks. Co-written with ecologist Alex Morss, their blend of non-fiction and storytelling has proved a compelling combination for parents, teachers and children.
Sean also works as a storyteller, and has many years experience working with stories and poetry in schools. He's based in Bristol with his wife and two sons.