Shirley Hughes is probably one of the most well known children's book illustrators of the time. She is particularly recognisable for the books she writes and illustrates for younger children, which possibly explains why I hadn't recognised her style in the cover of Collins' paperback edition of Cargo of Horses. Fortunately Margaret Gill, one of this site's 'readers', recognised her work and pointed it out to me.

Illustration for the cover of Cargo of Horses published 1955

book illustration by Shirley Hughes for Adventure on Rainbow Island

I managed to find an Armada paperback edition of Adventure on Rainbow Island by Dorothy Clewes. This was first published by Collins in 1957, two years after the paperback edition of 'Cargo' appeared. Luckily the Armada edition has some of the original illustrations by Shirley Hughes. By comparing the drawings, particularly the depiction of hair and hands on the drawings, I'm convinced that Margaret is right and that the lovely wrapper drawing is indeed the work of this artist.

I have ordered a copy of a recent autobiographiocal book of hers - A Life Drawing which I'd hovered over a few times in my local bookshop. When it arrives, I shall add more information about the artist.

She was born in West Kirby, near Liverpool and studied drawing and costume design at Liverpool School af Art, going on to the Ruskin School at Oxford.
She was given introduction to various London publishers and started illustration work really in the early 1950s. Her first 'written and illustrated' book for young children appeared in 1960, and her name is now most associated with these.

Awards:
Kate Greenaway Medal 1977 for Dogger
Eleanor Farjeon Award for Services to Children's Literature 1984
OBE for Services to Children's Literature 1998