Andy Stanton

Jeremy Strong says that popular children’s author Andy Stanton is ‘far too clever and funny and should be locked away in a very dark place that nobody can find’. Stanton is a London-born English graduate (well, almost) who has dabbled in every job from cartoonist to NHS lackey to stand-up comedian. Still based in North London, he has produced a whole series of the adored Mr Gum books, which are heavy with awards (including Blue Peter Book Awards and a Roald Dahl Funny Prize Award). His most recent is Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree, a tale packed with legendary beasts and caterpillars called Graham – and a big cherry tree with weird secrets. As Stanton’s website asks: ‘what dark secrets are hidden in that tree, where the leaves grow thick and green? Polly intends to find out, and she intends to find out by finding out. What will she find out? Read this book and you’ll find out!’.

Stanton has been interviewed on his writing, and can be watched storytelling and being interviewed and in a Meet the Author video.