Jan Pienkowski was born in Warsaw in 1936. After creating his first book at the age of eight, Jan went on to excel in his chosen field of design, working in such diverse areas as television, theatre and greetings cards.

Published in 1968, A Necklace of Raindrops was the first of several wonderful collaborations between Jan and Joan Aiken - and it was also the very first book Jan illustrated.

For over forty years, he has also worked on the Meg and Mog books. He has since twice won the Kate Greenaway Medal for Illustration, and has created many instantly recognizable classics.