Born  in 1931

Died in 1976

Jill never intended to be a writer.  She trained as an opera singer. But she got ill, so she started on a journalism course, and by the third lesson decided she wanted to write for children.  So she did!

It did not come easily.  Her first story, The Bus who went to Church, was rejected by sixteen publishers before it was accepted for a picture book.  Several other picture books followed until she felt a need to stretch herself further.  She wrote five short stories about a hen wanting to visit an aunt and her chicks.