CHILDREN’S STORIES
Hilary was keen to write and illustrate stories for children; she produced a mock-up of the first few pages of a book about a little pink dragon called Pongo and sent it to the publisher Noel Carrington.
He was not keen about Pongo (another children's story about a dragon had recently been published) but asked if Hilary would produce an illustrated book of stories based on Pantomime tales.
This became Hilary's first published book, although a letter from her mother written in January 1942 suggests that she was not entirely enamoured of the project: "Hilary's Puffin book is due out any day, but she hates it and says it's terribly bad…
EARLY DAYS
…She has had a new book about a brave little taxi who longs to be a fire engine accepted by the publisher."
TRANSATLANTIC ARTS
Noel Carrington, who became a good friend commissioned Hilary to write and illustrate three illustrated children's stories for his own imprint Transatlantic Arts.
The first of these was "Maggie the Streamlined Taxi" published in 1943.
The next in the series "Monty's New House," was published in 1945.
"Freddie and Ernest, The Dragons of Wellbottom Poggs" the third in the series, came out in 1946
Bantam Picture Books
“The Bantam Picture Books were published during the darkest days of WW2, at a time of paper shortages and rationing.
They were the brainchild of Noel Carrington who commissioned the cream of the available illustrators for these little books.”
Joe Pearson, Design for Today
Hilary wrote and illustrated two stories for the Bantam series; one based on the story of Noah’s Ark and the other of her own creation, about two rabbits who panic when they think their burrow is going to get flooded
