Amanda Hall is a multiple award-winning contemporary British illustrator of over two dozen books, which have sold over 600,000 copies around the world.
Her most recent book for Wisdom Tales is Song of the Raven: An Inuit Tale of Harmony with Nature. Amanda explains that the story "is based on Raven myths from Alaska, intricately woven from themes that are part of ancient Inuit mythology, belief, and culture." This tale of hope is about remembering the truth in the ancient Inuit wisdom of the raven, which teaches us to respect each other, and Nature.
Earlier, Amanda contributed the magically warm and engaging illustrations to Little Bear: An Inuit Folktale — despite the very cold and unfamiliar setting! Dawn Casey wrote the text. Amanda and Dawn previously collaborated on the children’s book Babushka: A Classic Folk Tale for Christmas, another book about kindness. Little Bear is a lyrical retelling of an Inuit folktale that celebrates the relationship between a human being and a wild animal and will touch the hearts of readers young and old, and Amanda Hall’s illustrations capture the traditional spirit of the place, the people, and the animals. The Foreword to the book says this: “In the spiritual world of the Inuit, all beings – both living and nonliving — have souls that deserve the same respect and treatment.” Amanda’s illustrations and Dawn’s text amply display that respect in a way that will be very clear to young readers.
In the art world, Amanda Hall is particularly renowned for her wonderfully decorative and colorful children’s books both in America and Great Britain, with co-editions in 24 other countries. Amanda regularly exhibits her original artwork at the Chris Beetles Gallery in London, and her e-commerce website (www.amandahall-illustration.com) sells copies of her signed books, wall mural wallpapers, and original illustrations. Among her titles are Out of This World, Brother Giovanni’s Little Reward, and The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau.
While Amanda mainly enjoys illustrating other writers’ texts, often working in close collaboration with the author, she has also written and illustrated her own picture books. These include The Stolen Sun: A Story of Native Alaska and The Foolish Husbands.
Amanda has been recognized for her unique style and the excellence of her art through the awarding of the Silver US Parents’ Choice Award for the illustrations that she contributed to Madhur Jaffrey’s children’s book Robi Dobi: The Marvellous Adventures of an Indian Elephant. Other recognitions came when The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau, (written by Michelle Markel) was included in About.com’s Best Illustrated Children’s Books of the Year 2012, and when it also won the Parents’ Choice Gold Award Spring 2013 in the category “Picture Books.”
Amanda Hall lives with her musician partner in Cambridge, England.