John Shelley
Illustration, Norwich Norfolk United Kingdom
 
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Contact details
Tel: +44 (0)1603 455759
Brief Summary
John Shelley began his illustration career in London. From 1987 he lived in Tokyo, where his work has been used in everything from advertising to character merchandising and editorial, while his children's book illustrations have been published in countries around the globe.

Most of his work is based around hand-drawn pen and ink images, though techniques range from traditional line and watercolour to graphic images utilising computers.

Now once more based in the UK, he still maintains close ties with Japan and the US. 

Twitter / Instagram / Facebook : @StudioNIB
Clients
Advertising clients in Japan have included animated TV commercials for Mitsubishi Electric Group, Mitsubishi Real Estate and Harajuku Zelkova Avenue. Major Press Campaigns have included: Parco Dept Store, Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Sony, Mitsukansu, NHK, Coca Cola, Japan Railways East, Apple Japan, Suntory, Menicon, Kirin, Komatsu, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, O’s Town, Toyota, Family Mart, Keio Dept Store, Hankyu Dept Store, Kodak, Laox, Wacol, Heiwa, Orix, Tokyo International Car Show, Tokyo Pet Show, Sangenjaya Daidogei, Kikkoman, Nichiban, JTB, Pentel, etc.

Children’s Books
My publishers have ranged from Japan (Fukuinkan Shoten, Hyoronsha, Hayakawa Shobo, Tokuma Shoten, Hikari no Kuni, Kodansha etc) to UK (Andersen Press, Jonathan Cape, Scholastic, Egmont, Frances Lincoln) and the USA (Simon & Schuster, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Front Street, Charlesbridge, Holiday House etc).
Awards and Recognition
Commercial Awards
1986: Matrix Gallery Award, UK.
1988: Commercial Photo Ad of the Month Award for Parco Poster, Japan
1990: Dentsu Ad Award for Suntory Whisky Newspaper Ad, Japan
1992: Nikkei Environmental Ad Award, Japan
1995: Bronze Medal, NY ADC Show for Peace poster (AD: Shigeo Katsuoka)
1997: Yamamoto Design Award, for MJ 246 Logo, Japan.
2013: Mainichi Newspaper Award for World Map, Japan.
2014: Commercial Photo Ad of the Month Award for Mainichi Japan Map, Japan


Children's Book Awards
1989: Runner-up, Mother Goose Award, UK, for The Secret in the Matchbox (Andre Deutsch)
1989: Parent’s Choice Award, USA, for The Secret in the Matchbox (F,S & G)
1992: AISLE Read-Aloud Books Too Good To Miss, for The Secret in the Matchbox (F,S & G)

(No children's books released in the West between 1991 - 2002)

2005: Runner-up, Fantasy section, SCBWI Portfolio Review
2007: Shortlisted, Sakura Prize (Japan) for The Boat in the Tree (Front Street/Boyds Mills Press)
2007: Shortlisted, Cybils Award for The Boat in the Tree
2008: Nominated, Rebecca Caudill Award,  for MVP: Magellan Voyage Project (Front Street)
2009: Nutmeg Award (Connecticut, USA) for MVP: Magellan Voyage Project
2009: Highlights Award for feature What’s Big What’s Not, USA
2009: NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People for Family Reminders
2009: William Allen White Children's Book Award Master List, for Family Reminders
2009: NYSRA Charlotte Award Suggested Reading List, Intermediate grades, for Family Reminders
2009: Land of Enchantment Book Award, Children's Book Master Reading List, for Family Reminders
2014: Amazon Book of the Month for Stone Giant: Michelangelo's David and How He Came to Be, USA
2014: NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, for Stone Giant: Michelangelo's David and How He Came to Be (Charlesbridge)
2015: Bank Street CBC Best Children's Books of the Year, for Stone Giant: Michelangelo's David and How He Came to Be (Charlesbridge)
2016: Finalist, Cybils Awards, Elementary/Juvenile Non-Fiction, for Will’s Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk (Charlesbridge)
2017: Notable Children's Books in Language Arts Award, for Will’s Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk (Charlesbridge)
2018: Nominated, Towner Award, for Will’s Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk (Charlesbridge)

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