Ann James was an art teacher and moved into designing and illustrating education publications while establishing herself as a children’s book illustrator.

She represents illustrators on the Committee of Management of The Australian Society of Authors, and manages their website, The Style File– an online showcase of Australian book illustrators.

Ann continues to illustrate and write in her studio upstairs at Books Illustrated. Some of the books she has illustrated include, The Penny Pollard series; the Hannah series; The Midnight Gang; Shutting the Chooks In; Little Humpty; The Way I Love You; Lucy Goosey; Sadie & Ratz, the Audrey of the Outback series and Chester and Gil.

You can see some of Ann’s books on our Bookshop page.

Ann Haddon was a teacher librarian in primary schools for 18 years – setting up the Junior School Library at Yarra Valley Grammar School before collaborating with Ann James to establish Book Illustrated in 1988.

She is actively involved in children’s literature, including the Children's Book Council of Australia, for many years being an executive member and President of the Victorian branch and Vice President of the National CBCA Executive in 2007 & 2008.

Books Illustrated began as a gallery for children's book illustration in a colonial cottage in South Melbourne. This cottage was the setting for one of Ann James’s early picture books Finding Jack.

Celebrating the boom in publishing for children in Australia at that time, the first exhibition in 1988 was The Not-So-Shortlist Exhibition featuring illustrations from books entered into the 1988 Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards.

This exhibition went on to be an annual exhibition in our program for the next twenty years!

The small gallery soon became a hub for children’s book illustrators and the decision was made to create the Society of Book Illustrators. The inaugural meeting was held at Books Illustrated in 1988.

With over nine exhibitions a year, and the support of children’s literature enthusiasts, the gallery soon outgrew the cottage.

In 1993 Books Illustrated moved again, to Gasworks Arts Park, in Albert Park. Here, in the two- storey historic gatehouse building, we established a specialist children’s bookshop downstairs with gallery and Ann James’s open studio upstairs.

Originally the Gasworks, this precinct was developed to celebrate and promote art and artists. A large park planted with native trees is surrounded by studios occupied by artists who work in a range of disciplines.

For over 15 years we were involved in Gasworks Arts activities with a community arts focus, and were pleased to integrate children’s literature and arts into the programs. Books Illustrated’s own education and workshop programs developed and an audience beyond the children’s literature community was introduced to Australian books and illustration.

Our exhibitions started to extend beyond our walls to Australian Regional galleries and overseas venues, particularly in Asia, with exhibitions promoting Australian picture books and their creators in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China.

New Directions

Making the decision to refocus our activities to extend and expand our touring exhibition program, we moved back to 300 Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park in May 2008 and then to 74 Mills Street, Albert Park in 2016.

We continue to curate and develop exhibitions and displays that showcase and celebrate the depth and excellence of contemporary picture books in Australia - many are available to tour to venues in Australia and overseas.

At our showroom, visitors can view and purchase original book illustrations, limited edition prints and the books that these illustrations are from (many signed by the illustrators and authors) or purchase on line.