Petr Horácek grew up in the Czech Republic where he studied painting at the Academy of Fine Art. His first picture books Strawberries are Red and What is Black and White? were published in 2001 and he received the Books For Children Newcomer Award in the same year. Petr has written and illustrated  numerous picture books including bestsellers Blue Penguin, and Puffin Peter, that was shortlisted for the prestigious Kate Greenaway Award. His books have sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide.

Petr loves going into schools and making art with children and encouraging them to paint and draw. He believes that good picture books don’t just teach children to be readers, but develop a child’s imagination and teach them to be observant and investigative too.

His latest books are The Star Whale (Otter-Barry Books) and Tiny Owl’s Scary Day (Walker Books), both published Autumn 2023.