Joan Rankin - writer and illustrator of children's books

Joan Rankin was born on 24 June. Her Zodiac sign is thus Cancer, a water sign. This is important to her as feelings predominate in her life.

When Joan was three years old, her grandmother told her mother that she was going to be a famous artist. This prediction was based on a drawing which Joan had done and interpreted for her grandmother. Joan doesn’t think much of the drawing but recognises the importance of the prediction which was repeated throughout her childhood and influenced the direction of her life.

Joan began creating books when she was still a child. Most of all, she loved drawing animals. She explains that “they are non-racist and don’t get offended when drawn doing silly things”. She wrote and illustrated many four-page books to amuse her family.  

At the age of eighteen, she even presented her future husband with a book. It was an illustrated story about his dog.

Joan married her husband when she was 21 and they had three daughters. They’ve lived in the same house throughout their marriage.

Joan wrote and illustrated continuously. She did twelve books before getting published.

Joan recognises the influence of many artists, illustrators, cartoonists and writers on her work. She reads widely and has an extensive collection of books which she refers to frequently. As a youngster, she loved that classic magazine, Punch, and especially enjoyed the work of Ronald Searle whose energy is reflected in her own work. The quirky sense of humour that appears in her illustrations can perhaps be traced back to the influence of Searle as well as the eccentric cartoonist and musician, Gerard Hoffnung, among others.

Joan was taught by well-known South African illustrator, Katrien Harries. She studied under Sidney Goldblatt,a  well-known South African artist , for several years. While studying under him, she explored a wide range of techniques, mediums and subject matter. She freely expresses her gratitude for his mentorship.

Numerous sketchbooks record her playfulness and fearless exploration of new ideas and techniques.

Joan has worked in commercial and fine art. She uses oils, acrylics, crayons and pencil. She has worked in woodcutting, scraper board, calligraphy and puppet making. She has also expressed her creativity through weaving and pottery.

Although she had been working in various art fields for some time, Joan’s first children’s book was only published when she was in her forties. This was The far-away valley by Jenny Seed. Since then she has been published over and over. Her books have been published in South Africa as well as overseas. She loves the look of her stories in exotic languages such as Chinese. She has illustrated books for other South African authors such as Niki Daly, Phyllis Savory, Dianne Hofmeyr, Wendy Hartmann and Dianne Stewart.

Joan won the HAUM Daan Retief Publishers Competition for children’s book illustration in 1986, the Katrien Harries Award for Children’s Book Illustration in 1991 and the Oppenheim toy portfolio gold award in 2003. In 2010 she was nominated for the MER award.

Joan has participated in exhibitions in Barcelona, Bratislava, Sarmede, Italy, New York and Japan.

She lives with her husband and family in Johannesburg.

Joan Rankin’s titles include:

As Writer and illustrator

Come Quickly, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1996.

Fat Paws and Pit Wit, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1996.

First Day, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2002. Oh, Mum!, Red Fox (London, England), 2002.

Hurry! Hurry!, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1996.

Let's Make a House, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1999.

Peter's Dulcie Duck, Anansi (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Scaredy Cat, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 1996.

Sorry, I Lost the Baby, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1996.

The Little Cat and the Greedy Old Woman, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 1995.

Wow! It's Great Being a Duck, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 1998.

You're Somebody Special, Walliwigs!, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 1999.

As ILLUSTRATOR

Kathleen Arnot, Five Zulu Tales, Anansi (Cape Town, South Africa), 1992.

Elana Bregin, Bert the Crusher, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1995.

Alyssa Satin Capucilli, McTats and Her Houseful of Cats, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2001.

Anne Clulow, Bubble Gum Mess, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Anne Clulow, Help!, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Anne Clulow, Pepper Pig and the Bad Rats, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Anne Clulow, Pepper Pig and the Robber, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Anne Clulow, Pepper Pig, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1993.

Renee Deatlefs, Ask Patricia, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1989.

Judith Garratt, The Beautiful Chinese Balloon, Knowledge Unlimited (Sandton, South Africa), 1993.

Judith Garratt, The Green Umbrella, Knowledge Unlimited (Sandton, South Africa), 1993.

Judith Garratt, Titch and Mitch Go to France, Knowledge Unlimited (Sandton, South Africa), 1993.

P. Grobbelaar, The House with the Seven Doors, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1988.

Jay Heale, Storyland, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1991.

Dianne Hofmeyr, Hic Hic Hiccups, R.E.A.D. (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1993.

Dianne Hofmeyr, The Magical Mulberry Blanket, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1991.

Teddy Knoetze, The Samurai without a Sword, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1988.

Ian Macdonald, The Dancing Elephant, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1990.

Lindi Mahlangu and Lungi Maseka, Scary Footsteps, R.E. A.D. (Johannesburg, South Africa), 1993.

M. Margoles and S. Hoffenberg, Mandu and the Forest Guardian, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1987.

Mitzi Margoles, King Fob, Knowledge Unlimited (Sandton, South Africa), 1994.

Mitzi Margoles, Ten Are Too Many, Human & Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), 1990.

John Mathibe, John and the Porcupine, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1994.

Lindi Nkululeko, Three Fat Cats, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, England), 1998.

Julius Oelke, chronicler, From the Heart of the Fire: Folk Tales and Legends, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1995.

Diane Pitcher, Catch Me a River, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1990.

Phyllis Savory, The Little Wise One: African Tales of the Hare, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1990.

Max Sed, Princess, setshameki sa dibaesekapo!, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1994.

Jenny Seed, Old Grandfather Mantis: Tales of the San, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1992.

Jenny Seed, The Far-Away Valley, translated by H. J. M. Retief, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1987.

Jenny Seed, The Wind's Song, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1991.

Moira Thatcher, Tselane, Tafelberg (Cape Town, South Africa), 1986.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, Daan Retief (Pretoria, South Africa), 1989.

Karma Wilson, A Frog in the Bog, Margaret K. McElderry (New York, NY), 2003.