Rachel Merriman Biography (1971-) - Sidelights

British illustrator Rachel Merriman first entered the world of children's literature by providing the pictures for The Tale of Tobias, a retelling of an ancient Hebrew story from the Apocryphal Book of Tobit. Author Jan Mark hewed closely to the original story, which tells of the righteous Tobit, his son Tobias, Tobias's loyal dog, and the angel Azarias. The tale itself is bleak, as Tobit suffers numerous afflictions, but "the levity of the artwork balances the gravity of the events," Jennifer Brabander commented in Horn Book.

Merriman has also illustrated two books by Catherine Friend, Funny Ruby and Silly Ruby. These two earlyreader texts, written in very short, simple sentences, feature the adventures of a hapless sheep named Ruby. Merriman's illustrations for Funny Ruby "are done in a simple, colorful, childlike style," remarked Adele Greenlee in School Library Journal, while Christina F. Renaud noted in the same periodical that Merriman adds "bright illustrations" to Silly Ruby, complementing Friend's short text.

Merriman once told SATA: "I don't think I ever chose to be an illustrator. I feel as though illustration chose me. I read fiction and drew continually as a child, making my own miniature books, casting myself and my best school friend as central characters. I suppose I've never really grown up.

"Beatrix Potter and E. H. Shepard were favorites when I was a very young child, and I still return to them now as something to aspire to in terms of draftsmanship. Modern picture books have a much stronger 'design' bias, which is also something I enjoy enormously."