Winner of the Whitbread Children's Book Award, 2004, 1994, 1987; winner of the Carnegie Medal, 1988; awarded the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, 1989; winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year award, 2000 and Blue Peter 'Best Book to Keep Forever' award, 2001; Michael L. Printz Award, 2008; British nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, 2004. Associate of the Royal College of Art; Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts; Fellow of the Royal Society ofPainters, Etchers and Engravers.