Gerald Rose was born in Hong Kong. When the Second World War started, his father became a prisoner of war, and Gerald and his mother were interned in a civilian camp, which was where he saw his first live tiger.Gerald studied at Lowestoft School of Art and the RA schools. Frustrated by the dearth of good illustrated books for children, his wife, Elizabeth, helped him to write and illustrate a number of books. Gerald won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1960 for Old Winkle and the Seagulls and won the Premio Critici in 1979 in Erba, Italy for 'Ahhh!' Said Stork. Gerald now lives in Hove, East Sussex.