MICHAEL CATCHPOOL is the author of ten picture books and a new 5+ chapter books series, with his wise and witty stories brought to life by illustrators including Rosalind Beardshaw, Alison Jay and David Roberts. New in 2026, the first in the Maple Street series, Jake in the Middle illustrated by Shanarama (Otter-Barry), is a Guardian Book of the Month. His latest picture book, SuperJoe Does NOT Say Sorry (Lantana), was a BookTrust pick and featured on Channel 5’s Milkshake! Story Den. A former primary school teacher and headteacher, Michael has a PhD for his research on children’s engagement with peer feedback and its effect on them as writers.
