JENNY HALE

Jenny Hale is an established illustrator and author of children's picture books, with twenty titles and hundreds of thousands of copies in print. Her illustration styles range from naïve and cute to detailed watercolour realism. Jenny often hides characters and little jokes in her pictures for children to find.

A voracious reader, Jenny wrote fantasy stories from the age of 10. Her adult writing career was restricted to advertising copy until her fifth picture book, a maze book about a princess's quest. In 2009 Jenny returned to her writing roots with Jatta, a dark fantasy which explores the torment of a princess werewolf who cannot control her bloodlust. Commenting on Jatta Jenny says "We're so lucky, living our normal lives in an equal, decent society. But what if we were dumped in some dark place where we had to kill to survive? Could we? What innocence would we lose along the way? Jatta places young people in truly disturbing situations, watches them foul things up, lets their plans go disastrously wrong, and lets them discover their limits for themselves."

Before publishing, Jenny spent eighteen years as an advertising illustrator and copywriter. She lives with her husband and writes from a long marble table overlooking Sydney's bushland.

Excerpt from Sun-Herald review (19−07−09)
...as the wolf inside (Jatta) stirs, it brings with it violence, bloodshed and heartache. These wolf transformations are particularly chilling...
Yet even when not in her wolf suit, Jatta is more than a match for her enemies who often underestimate her. Intelligent yet naïve, determined yet fragile, weak yet deadly. Jatta is all of these. As such, she is a complex character, beautifully flawed, riddled with contradictions and, thus, a delightfully enticing heroine. Arthmael, who knows and loves his sister best sums her up perfectly, "You know, Jay, you look like a kid, you cry like a girl, but you think like a wizened old soul."
... From the front cover, with its striking image of the Jatta-wolf, through to the cast of tormented characters, the multifarious layers of plot, and the sweeping majesty of Hale’s sumptuous landscapes, readers will be captivated.

Excerpt from Weekend Australian review (27−06−09)
This is a cut above much of the teenage fantasy genre... there are ingenious plot twists and some convoluted ethical issues, but no sign of a heavy hand. A final bonus is some humour, albeit rather dark.

More information on Jenny Hale can be found on her website: http://www.jatta.com.au/index.html

Click here for a list of Jenny Hale's published books

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