Janet and Allan Ahlberg Fact Cards

Allan Ahlberg was born on 5th June 1938 in Croydon. His family were very poor.
Janet Hall was born on 21st October 1944 and brought up in Leicester.
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Janet and Allan met when they both enrolled in a teacher training college in Sunderland. Janet started illustrating children’s books in 1972. Their joint work began in 1976, when Janet asked Allan to write a story.
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Janet and Allan’s Mirst published books were The Old Joke Book, The Vanishment of Thomas Tull and Burglar Bill.
Janet won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1978 for Each Peach Pear Plum.
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The Ahlbergs’ greatest success was The Jolly Postman. It was Mirst published in 1986 and has sold over six million copies!
The Jolly Postman was considered to be very innovative at the time,
as it used actual envelopes, containing letters and cards.
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The Jolly Christmas Postman earned Janet her second Greenaway award and the Jolly Pocket Postman was
also produced later.
The Ahlbergs went on to produce books for babies and toddlers, including Peepo! and The Baby’s Catalogue.
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For older children, they followed their earlier success with the Funnybones and Happy Famillies series. Allan also wrote the poetry book Please, Mrs Butler.
Sadly, Janet Ahlberg died of breast cancer in 1994. Allan wished they had not been so busy and gone on a family holiday together. ©
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Allan has now had over one hundred and forty books published!
Allan and Janet’s daughter Jessica is now an illustrator, like her mum. She has illustrated some of Allan’s books!
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In 2012 Allan and Jessica collaborated on a movable picture book called The Goldilocks Variation.
Allan writes his children’s books in his garden shed.
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Allan insists on taking an afternoon nap every day. He puts his pyjamas on and gets into bed for a snooze. Allan supports West Bromwich Albion Football Club.
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Allan’s hobbies include reading, listening to music, running, swimming, going to the cinema and talking to his cat. In 2014 Allan turned down the Book Trust Lifetime Achievement Award because he was unhappy with the company that sponsored it.
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www.teachingideas.co.uk
Images: © ThinkStock