He was born in London in 1955, but was raised in Ireland. He started writing at age five, and discovered his passion for illustration at sixteen. She studied Graphic Design at the Chelsea School of Art and later became a student of Quentin Blake at the Royal College of Art. She has published more than sixty books, including her well-known series of illustrated albums on a toy called Blue Kangaroo. In 2012 she began posting the adventures, discoveries and social relationships of her dog Plum on her blog, which she has compiled in several highly successful books.