Illustrator & Author Profile
Guy Parker-Rees
15 Books
Guy Parker-Rees is a British children’s book illustrator and author known for bright, energetic picture books filled with movement, humor, and expressive animal characters. He has illustrated many popular books written by Giles Andreae and Tony Mitton, including titles such as Be Brave, Little Penguin, Elephant Me, Dinosaurumpus!, and Down by the Cool of the Pool. He is also the creator of the Dylan picture-book series, where he serves as both writer and illustrator.
Doctor Dylan is ready to help. With a busy bag of pretend-doctor energy, this cheerful stripy dog rushes from friend to friend, taking care of Purple Puss, Jolly Otter, and Titchy Chick.
But looking after everyone can be tiring, even for Dylan. This warm picture book uses pretend play to explore kindness, care, and the comfort of friends helping one another. Dotty Bug appears throughout the story, inviting readers to look closely and join in.
Dylan the Doctor is a bright, friendly story for children who enjoy animal characters, make-believe jobs, and gentle humor. Its simple emotional shape makes it especially appealing for readers learning about friendship and everyday ways to care.
6-8 Years
40 Pages
Dylan has opened a shop, and being in charge feels wonderfully exciting. He can arrange the goods, welcome his friends, and play shopkeeper all day long. Then Jolly Otter and Purple Puss decide they want to be shopkeepers too, and Dylan’s tidy pretend game suddenly becomes much harder to manage.
This cheerful picture book turns a simple game of shop into a funny story about sharing space, taking turns, and using imagination with friends. Dotty Bug appears on every page, giving readers a reason to spot, point, and participate.
Bright and playful, Dylan the Shopkeeper is a lively animal story for children who enjoy pretend play, friendly mix-ups, and books about everyday roles.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Dylan has a classroom to run, and this stripy dog is sure he can make school fun. He tries playing teacher with plenty of energy, but lessons do not go quite the way he planned. Before long, there are mix-ups, muddles, and one very splashy moment by the river.
This cheerful picture book invites you into Dylan’s world of pretend play, where trying a new job means learning by doing. Dotty Bug appears on every page, giving young readers a playful reason to look closely and join in.
Bright, busy, and full of movement, Dylan the Teacher is a funny school-themed story about imagination, confidence, and discovering that everyone has something special to share.
6-8 Years
35 Pages
Dylan is putting on his baker’s hat, and Jolly Otter’s birthday cake is the most important order of the day. Mixing, baking, and waiting all sound simple enough, but Dylan soon faces a very tempting problem: can he make something delicious without nibbling it himself?
This playful picture book turns a pretend baking adventure into a funny test of patience and friendship. Young readers can search each page for Dotty Bug, who encourages them to notice details and take part in the story.
With warm humor, lively artwork, and a cheerful birthday setting, Dylan the Baker is a sweet choice for children who enjoy animal stories, imaginative play, and books about food.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Shake, shudder, stomp: the dinosaurs are heading for the swamp. Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, and other prehistoric creatures thunder into a wild nighttime dance, each one adding its own enormous moves to the beat.
Dinosaurumpus! is a high-energy rhyming picture book that turns dinosaur names and sounds into pure read-aloud fun. The words bounce and boom, while the illustrations fill the pages with motion, color, and comical prehistoric personality.
Perfect for readers who love dinosaurs and noisy stories, this lively romp blends rhythm, imagination, and just enough dino detail to keep curious children engaged from the first stomp to the final hush.
6-8 Years
36 Pages
Frog is down by the pool, and he has a dance move to show off. Soon Duck, Horse, Pig, and more farmyard friends are splishing, splashing, flipping, flopping, wiggling, and waggling right along with him.
Down by the Cool of the Pool is a joyful rhyming picture book built for movement and read-aloud fun. The beat of the words makes it easy to clap, chant, and copy the animals as they turn a quiet pool into a lively dance party.
Tony Mitton’s energetic verse and Guy Parker-Rees’s exuberant illustrations create a bright animal romp for readers who love music, rhythm, silly sounds, and stories that almost dare you to get up and dance.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Apple trees, busy bees, giants in gardens, and one very cool kangaroo make the alphabet feel like a game. Each letter gets its own playful rhyme, inviting you to listen for sounds, spot matching objects, and notice how words begin.
K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo is a bright ABC picture book with bouncy language and busy illustrations that reward careful looking. The rhymes are simple enough for growing readers to join in, while the picture details give them extra words to discover on every page.
Cheerful, silly, and full of animal fun, this is a lively choice for children building confidence with letters, beginning sounds, and read-aloud rhythm.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
A dinosaur at dinner? A shark near your toothbrush? A tiger for a towel? This book has plenty of advice, and almost all of it begins with one important word: never.
In this funny rhyming bedtime story, a child imagines the wildest possible helpers for dinner, bath time, and getting ready to sleep. Each animal brings its own ridiculous trouble, turning ordinary routines into a parade of comic disasters.
Gareth Edwards’s playful verses and Guy Parker-Rees’s bright illustrations make Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner a lively read-aloud for children who enjoy silly animal stories. It is reassuring, energetic, and just right for ending the day with laughter.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
At the Elephant Games, every young elephant wants a name that shows off what makes them special. Some are strong. Some are noisy. Some seem to know exactly where they belong. Num-Num watches them shine and worries that he may not have a talent big enough to impress anyone.
Told in lively rhyme with bright, expressive illustrations, this picture book follows one little elephant as he searches for his own kind of courage. The story speaks gently to readers who have ever compared themselves to others or wondered what makes them important.
Warm, reassuring, and full of animal charm, Elephant Me celebrates self-worth, confidence, and the simple but powerful idea that being yourself is already something wonderful.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
In Drabsville, the chimpanzees live under gloomy rules. Their mayor wants everything gray, every house the same, and absolutely no fun. Then Chutney arrives with a tiny seed in a box, and one small act begins to change the whole town.
The Chimpanzees of Happytown is a rhyming picture book about color, freedom, kindness, and the way joy can spread through a community. The story has the bounce and humor of an animal tale, but it also gives readers a simple, memorable picture of standing up to unfair rules and caring for the place where you live.
Bright, hopeful, and full of movement, it is especially appealing to children who enjoy animal stories with a bigger message underneath.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Dave is a grizzly bear with a very big problem: his brother Clarence seems good at everything a bear is supposed to be. Clarence is strong, handsome, bold, and brave, while Dave feels small beside him.
But bravery does not always look like roaring the loudest or standing the tallest. As Dave worries about being different, he begins to discover that he may have a gift all his own.
With lively rhyme, bright illustrations, and a warm message about self-acceptance, Brave Dave is a joyful picture book for readers who have ever compared themselves to a sibling or friend. It gently reminds you that courage can mean showing the world who you really are.
6-8 Years
40 Pages
Meet Gerald the giraffe! He loves watching all the other animals dance at the lively Jungle Dance. The warthogs waltz, the rhinos rock and roll, and the lions tango! Gerald longs to join in, but his long legs and neck feel so clumsy, and he just can't seem to get his feet to move the right way.
He tries his best, but everyone laughs when he trips and tumbles. Feeling sad and discouraged, Gerald thinks giraffes just can't dance. But then, a wise cricket shares a secret: sometimes, all you need is different music to find your own special rhythm! Can Gerald discover the sound that helps his hooves move and sway?
This heartwarming story reminds you that it's okay to be different. With a little courage and the right beat, everyone can find their own way to shine and dance to their own tune!
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Pip-Pip wants to swim with the other penguins, but the water feels too scary. While everyone else splashes and plays, he stays on the edge, wishing he could be brave and not quite knowing how.
Be Brave, Little Penguin is a warm rhyming picture book about fear, encouragement, and trying something new. Pip-Pip’s worry is easy to understand, especially for children facing their own first steps, from swimming lessons to school challenges. The bright illustrations and gentle tone keep the story reassuring rather than heavy.
With its lovable penguin hero and clear emotional theme, this book is a comforting choice for readers who need a story about courage, patience, and finding confidence at their own pace.
6-8 Years
40 Pages
Noah’s boat is packed, noisy, and floating through a very long storm. At first, all the animals are safe aboard the ark, but crowded days can make even the liveliest creatures restless, grumpy, and ready for trouble.
Clever Noah has an idea: a creature cabaret that lets everyone perform, laugh, and shake off the gloom. The familiar Noah’s Ark story becomes a bright, rhyming animal show filled with music, movement, and comic energy.
All Afloat on Noah’s Boat! is a playful picture book for readers who enjoy animal stories, rhythmic language, and a lighthearted twist on a well-known religious tale. Guy Parker-Rees’s bold illustrations add extra bounce to Tony Mitton’s lively verse.
6-8 Years
32 Pages
Bong goes the bell, and the spooky countdown begins. At midnight, the rickety tower calls out a crowd of silly creatures: witches, ghosts, skeletons, trolls, and other night-time visitors ready to stomp, float, clatter, and creep.
Spookyrumpus is a lively rhyming picture book that makes Halloween more giggly than scary. The rhythm pulls you forward as each new group joins the parade, making it especially fun to read aloud or chant together.
With Tony Mitton’s bouncy verse and Guy Parker-Rees’s bold, comic illustrations, this is a monster-filled romp for readers who like playful spooks, counting, and noisy read-aloud fun without anything too frightening.
6-8 Years
30 Pages
