This illustration for Puss in Boots, the Story of a Sneaky Cat, published in 1981, is typical of Tony Ross's style. A well-known illustrator of children's books, he has produced over 50 books since 1976. He combines humour with a lively use of line and colour. Although there is a strong sense of colour in his work, line is the most important element and he judges the quality of his work from its ability to hold its own as a black and white line drawing: 'if it doesn't work in line it's no good. To me colour always comes second'. He used the same pen for 20 years because its bluntness produced the scratchy finish he sought. His work has an international appeal and has been adapted for television animations, his best known characters being Dr Xargle and Towser.