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CollectionAges 2–7Picture Books

Catherine Rayner

A universe by Catherine Rayner

Award-winning Scottish picture-book illustrator with a 20-year run of animal-led books and a recent early-reader series for newly-independent readers.

  • Series

    1

  • Books

    14

  • Best for

    2–7

  • Status

    Ongoing

At a glance

Primary creator
Catherine Rayner
First book
Augustus and His Smile · 2006
Tone
Warm, Gentle, Cosy, Heartwarming
Overall sensitivity
Low

The shape of it

The shape of this universe.

Catherine Rayner is a Scottish picture-book illustrator and author whose work has won the Kate Greenaway Medal (Harris Finds His Feet) and been shortlisted multiple times. The picture books are mostly animal-led, bears, foxes, hares, lions, crocodiles, drawn in loose watercolour with unusually expressive faces and a strong feeling for body language and weight. The texts tend to handle small emotional registers (loneliness, worry, sharing, sleep) without being didactic. The Molly, Olive and Dexter early-reader series extends her work into chapter format. Strong, consistent, gallery-quality across two decades.

Award-winning Scottish picture-book illustrator with a 20-year run of animal-led books and a recent early-reader series for newly-independent readers.

Primary themes

Tone palette

  • Warm
  • Gentle
  • Cosy
  • Heartwarming

The series

One way in.

SpinoffSpinoff

Molly, Olive and Dexter

Best for 5–7s ready to read short illustrated chapters, gentle, friendship-led, very safe.

Books

4 of 4

Ages

5–7

Status

Ongoing
Open series
  • Warm
  • Gentle
  • Cosy
Cover of Molly, Olive and Dexter
Cover of Molly, Olive and Dexter: The Guessing Game
Cover of Molly, Olive and Dexter: You Can't Catch Me!
1 more in the series

Cultural footprint

A shelf of evidence.

What Catherine Rayner has done

  • Major award winner

Cultural ubiquity

3/ 5

Well-known to people who know the room.

Sensitivity

Low, and collection-wide.

LowCollection-wide

Across the collection

All 14 books.

Cover of Molly, Olive and Dexter
Book 1Molly, Olive and Dexter
Cover of Molly, Olive and Dexter: The Guessing Game
Book 2Molly, Olive and Dexter: The Guessing Game
Cover of Molly, Olive and Dexter: You Can't Catch Me!
Book 3Molly, Olive and Dexter: You Can't Catch Me!
Cover of Molly, Olive and Dexter: Who's Afraid of the Dark?
Book 4Molly, Olive and Dexter: Who's Afraid of the Dark?
Cover of Augustus and His Smile
Augustus and His Smile
Cover of Harris Finds His Feet
Harris Finds His Feet
Cover of Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit
Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit
Cover of Iris and Isaac
Iris and Isaac
Cover of Norris, the Bear Who Shared
Norris, the Bear Who Shared
Cover of Solomon Crocodile
Solomon Crocodile
Cover of Smelly Louie
Smelly Louie
Cover of Arlo The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep
Arlo The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep
Cover of Five Bears
Five Bears
Cover of Victor, the Wolf with Worries
Victor, the Wolf with Worries

About the creator

Catherine Rayner.

Catherine Rayner

Both

Catherine Rayner: Kate Greenaway-winning British picture-book maker (Augustus and his Smile, Arlo the Lion, Molly, Olive & Dexter) — watercolour, emotionally observant, a reliable bedtime shelf staple for ages 2–6.

More from Catherine Rayner →
Last reviewed · June 2026How we recommend

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