Adams, Pam 1919-

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Adams, Pam 1919-
(Pamela Adams)

PERSONAL:

Born 1919, in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Education: Attended Swindon Art College and Central School of Art, London.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Child's Play, Ashworth Rd., Bridgemead, Swindon SN5 7YD, England.

CAREER:

Author and illustrator. Worked as a graphic artist for various advertising agencies during the 1950s and 1960s. Military service: Royal Air Force, worked as a driver during World War II.

WRITINGS:

AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR; CHILDREN'S BOOKS

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1973, new edition, 2003.

I Thought I Saw, illustrated with Ceri Jones, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1974.

This Old Man …, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1974, new edition, 2003.

Old Macdonald Had a Farm, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1975,new edition, 2003.

Old MacDonald, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1978.

The Child's Play (Swindon, England) Museum, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1979.

Mrs. Honey's Hat, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1980, new edition, 2000.

Wally Whale and Friends, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1981.

(With Michael Twinn) The Lady Who Loved Animals, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1981.

The Gingerbread Man, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1981.

Noah's Ark, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1981.

If I Weren't Me … Who Would I Be?, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1981.

Baby Bubbles, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1981.

Froglet's Bathtime, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1981.

Dolly Dolphin's Play School, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1981.

Tingaling, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1981.

Owl's Number School, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1983.

The Ocean, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1984.

The Fairground, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1984.

Ups and Downs, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1985.

The Frog, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1985.

The Green-Eyed Monster, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1985.

The Red-Eyed Monster, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1985.

The Helpful Shoelace, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1987.

(With Michael Twinn) Rabbit's Golden Rule Book, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1988.

Ten Beads Tall, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1988.

Who Cares about Elderly People?, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1989.

Who Cares about Disabled People?, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1989.

What on Earth?, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1989.

Magic Shoelaces, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1989.

On a Cold and Frosty Morning, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1990.

Six in a Bath, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1990.

Child's Play Day Dreams: An Imagination Book, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1990.

The Mystery Express, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1990.

Who Cares about Law and Order?, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1991.

Playmates, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1991.

Mr. Lion's I-Spy ABC, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1992.

Mrs. Honey's Dream, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1992.

Mrs. Honey's Holiday, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1992.

Mrs. Honey's Glasses, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1992.

Lift the Lid, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1995.

Great Pal Mouse, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

First Day, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

First Noel, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Gloria, Hosanna in Excelsis!, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Sing a Song of Sixpence, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1998.

Croaky, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1999.

Lucky, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1999.

There Was an Old Lady, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1999.

Prehistoric Pals: Tyrannosaurus, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2002.

Prehistoric Pals: Diplodocus, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2002.

Prehistoric Pals: Stegosaurus, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2002.

Prehistoric Pals: Triceratops, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2002.

Elephant, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2004.

Tiger, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2004.

Penguin, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2004.

Panda, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2004.

Other books include The Old Lady Who Swallowed the Sea, 2006.

ILLUSTRATOR:

This Is the House that Jack Built, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1972, published as The House that Jack Built, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2000.

A Book of Ghosts, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1974.

Angels, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1974.

The Best Things, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1974.

What Is It? Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1975.

How Many?, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1975.

Same and Different, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1975.

Letters and Words, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1975.

Magic, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1978.

I-Spy ABC, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1978.

Day Dreams, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1978.

Oh Soldier, Soldier, Won't You Marry Me?, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1978.

There Were Ten in the Bed, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1979.

All Kinds: Who Cares about Race and Colour?, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1989.

Yogesh Patel, Magic Glasses, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1995.

(With Annie Kubler and Tina Freeman) The Farmer in the Dell, Child's Play (Auburn, ME), 2001.

ILLUSTRATOR; BY MICHAEL TWINN

Alf 'n Bet, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1992.

Alf 'n Bet Learn Their ABC, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1992.

Alf 'n Bet's Handwriting Book, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1993.

Emily Elephant and Her Friends, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1995.

Henry the Helpful Elephant, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1995.

Away in a Manger, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

ILLUSTRATOR; "POCKET PALS" SERIES BY MICHAEL TWINN

Pocket Pal: Bunny, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1995.

Pocket Pal: Frog, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1995.

Pocket Pal: Kitten, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1995.

Pocket Pal: Puppy, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1995.

Pocket Pal: Chameleon, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Pocket Pal: Earwig, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Pocket Pal: Fox, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Pocket Pal: Koala, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Pocket Pak: Mouse, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Pocket Pal: Panda, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Pocket Pal: Pony, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Pocket Pal: Python, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1996.

Pocket Pal: Dolphin, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Pocket Pal: Penguin, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Pocket Pal: Polar Bear, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Pocket Pal: Seahorse, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

ILLUSTRATOR; "GREAT PALS" SERIES; BY MICHAEL TWINN

Great Pals: Seahorse, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Great Pals: Penguin, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Great Pals: Polar Bear, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Great Pals: Dolphin, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Great Pals: Bunny, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Great Pals: Panda, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Great Pals: Kitten, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Great Pals: Puppy, Child's Play (Swindon, England), 1997.

Several of Adams's books have been translated into Welsh and Gaelic.

SIDELIGHTS:

Pam Adams has been a children's book author and illustrator since the 1970s, producing more than a hundred titles distributed by the international publisher Child's Play in both her native England and the United States. Author Michael Twinn, the founder of Child's Play and Adams's frequent collaborator, commented on his partnership with Adams in an interview with Marianne Adey in Carousel: "Although she had never worked on children's books before, her attractive art work, sense of humour and great versatility soon made her an invaluable member of the team." Adams's first self-illustrated book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, is based on the folk song about a woman who swallows a fly, then a spider to catch the fly, then a bird to catch the spider, and so forth, each time consuming a larger animal to catch the smaller one that preceded it. Child's Play's 1973 edition of There Was an Old Lady was one of the first books to incorporate holes in the pages as part of the book's design. Adams used the same method to create versions of This Old Man …, based on the traditional children's counting song; and Old Macdonald, which highlights farm animals and the sounds they make.

Adams has also produced many other self-illustrated titles. Even in her eighties, the hardworking Adams continues to create children's books that, like her first, contain "bright, clear colours, appealing shapes and attention to detail," qualities that have "made her pictures instantly successful with children," according to Adey.