Angelina Ballerina™
Angelina Ballerina is a little star with big dreams of becoming a prima ballerina. This feisty little mouse works hard to reach her goal and along the way, always learns from her mistakes. When little girls share in Angelina's experiences, they're inspired to go after their big dreams too. In addition to the critically acclaimed story books created by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig, Angelina Ballerina dances her way into the hearts of young girls weekly on PBS KIDS®.
Angelina Ballerina: Illustrator Bio
Helen Craig
Helen Craig was born in London in 1934. She moved to the country with her family before World War II. Many of the images from this country life have been incorporated her illustrations in the Angelina Ballerina books. Helen realized how important books her at a very young age: "I would almost enter the pictures and become so absorbed wait -- expecting the figures to move. Now that I am an illustrator myself, I try to pictures live for the children who look at them."
Helen Craig comes from a very artistic family: her great grandmother, Ellen Terry, celebrated actress; her grandfather, Edward Gordon Craig, was a famous stage designer innovative wood engraver; her father was a film director and her brother is a graphic At the age of 16, Helen became an apprentice to a commercial photographer in London, drawing for her own pleasure. She went on to set up her own photographic studio, working as a freelance potter and sculptor.
It was only when her son Ben, was born in 1965 that she experimented with ideas pictures books. She was inspired by Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, after for Ben. In 1970, Helen took her drawings to an editor at Macmillan Books. From her career as a children's illustrator took off.
Helen has now worked on over 60 children's book titles. The most famous are her for the Angelina Ballerina series written by Katharine Holabird.
Helen received an award from the Society of Authors (US) in 1977 for The Mouse won the Kentucky Bluegrass award for Angelina Ballerina in 1985; Angelina's was selected as the Child Study Association's 'Children's Book of the Year' in 1987; Angelina's Birthday won a category award at the British Book Design and Production Exhibition. Angelina has also been honored with several Platinum Oppenheim Toy Awards for Rose Fairy Princess in 2002, and Friends Forever and The Magic in 2004.
Helen lives in a cottage in Buckinghamshire, England.
