Ron Brooks was born in 1948 in Gippsland, Victoria (Australia). He studied Illustration in Melbourne and obtained the Children’s Book PictureCouncil Picture Book Award in 1974 with his very first picture book, The Bunyip of Berkeley Creek, by Jenny Wager. Since then, he has illustrated many other internationally acclaimed books for children.
Oscar and the midnight cat, also writen by Jenny wager, was awarded with several important prizes.
He works not only as an illustrator but also as a teacher, a publisher, a designer, an artist and a sculptor.
He likes working on that kind of texts that moves you and that supports values such us respect and confidence.
SOME OF THE OBTAINED AWARDS
- The Childrens Book Council Picture Book of Year Award
- The Visual Arts Board Award
- The ABPA Design Award
- The New South Wales Premier's Award
“Oscar and the midnight cat” is a wonderful book.
Using a naturalist style, Ron Brooks creates a private world around two characters: Mrs Rose and her dog, Oscar. This world will be altered with the arrival of a cat. The simple text just highlights a turn of events that is defined by the sequence of pictures, which are full of beauty and deep aesthetic sensitivity. These pictures are perfect for a story so beautiful and simple like this one is, with a focus on the ability to share. To sum up, it is an indispensable picture book (Antonio Ventura in Babar).