Words and Pictures with Rebecca Ashdown
Award winning artist, author, tutor and creative soul
Rebecca Ashdown is an award winning, internationally published visual artist, author and maker of books. Her titles have been shortlisted for Kate Greenaway CILIP Medal, the Portsmouth Book Award, the Sheffield Book Award, the Stockport Children’s Book Award, the Hillingdon Picture Book Award.
In 2024 she gained 1st Prize for the Derby Children’s Picture Book Award and won the Readers Choice Picture Book award at the Diverse Book Awards.
Naomi worked with Rebecca to make their award winning picture book Thunderboots. They have a new picture book called The Hug Button publishing in July 2025 which they’re excited to share with the world.
Check out the video below where we chatted to Rebecca about creativity, her work teaching and how she became an illustrator.
You can find out more about Rebecca on her website, instagram and on Bluesky.
We have a free resource post for writers and illustrators here.
Naomi is also currently offering 3 hours of free picture book mentoring to an underrepresented writer. More details can be found here.
Why subscribe to Words and Pictures?
We’ll share everything we know about making books and how the industry works in a new post each Monday.
Every month we’ll hold a live session for community members to ask us anything and everything they want to know about writing, illustrating and getting published. Our next live chat is 8pm on Sunday 26th January.
There will also be free interviews every Friday with authors, illustrators and publishing professionals as they spill the ink about life behind the scenes making books.
Every month we’ll also highlight submission opportunities and exciting new releases in the world of children’s books.