Meeting Gillian Dolby: An illustrator who brought Ladybird’s ‘The Big Pancake’ to life.

Meeting Gillian Dolby: An illustrator who brought Ladybird’s ‘The Big Pancake’ to life.

Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery had the pleasure of welcoming Gillian Dolby (née Hurry) inside The Wonderful World of Ladybird Book Artists exhibition—surrounded by the nostalgic charm of classic illustrations that have delighted generations.

Gillian, from Oundle, grew up with Ladybird books and not long after graduating from art school was successful in illustrating one of the beloved Ladybird books in the early 1980s. Her illustrations brought a fresh and modern look to The Big Pancake, a reimagining of Robert Lumley’s original version. Tasked with updating the book’s visuals to reflect contemporary fashion and figures, Gillian embraced the opportunity with complete artistic freedom. She drew inspiration from her own life, even incorporating details such as an interpretation of her brother’s Orton Longueville Grammar School uniform into one of the outfits of the seven hungry boys in the story.

Gillian’s creative process involved working with watercolour inks and watercolour crayons, carefully planning each element of the story to fit within the allocated text space per page. Nowadays, however much of this type of work is done digitally through advances in technology. While just one page of a Ladybird book would take days of intricate work, seen in the fine details of each original illustration shown by Gillian, modern tools allow artists and designers to complete projects more efficiently—though the skill and dedication remain just as important.

Beyond Ladybird, Gillian built a successful career illustrating for other renowned publishers, including Usborne, Oxford University Press, and even European publishing houses. She also did work for the National Trust and Mitchell Beazley. After a couple of years, she secured an agent who opened the door to a whole variety of projects.

When asked how it feels to know that her books are still loved today, she shared, "It's nice that things go on, and lovely to see ‘The Big Pancake’ book can still be bought online!"

And for young illustrators just starting their careers? Her advice is simple: "Just keep at it! Early in my career, I had to book five or more interviews with publishers at a time, traveling to each one to show my work. Sometimes you pick up work, sometimes you don’t, but when you do, it’s really exciting—so just keep going!"

Her illustrations inside The Big Pancake remain cherished pieces of children's literature, telling the delightful tale of seven hungry boys, their mother, and the mischievous pancake that just won’t stay put!

Visit The Wonderful World of Ladybird Book Artists at Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery to step back in time and celebrate the timeless magic of these classic illustrations and the artists behind them. The exhibition is free to visit and on until 31 May 2025.

The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists