Art supplies on a table including brushes, paints, and illustrated artwork featuring a girl with red hair riding a golden dragon, surrounded by pink and purple clouds and stars.

Welcome to my little world

A woman with long brown hair and green eyes smiling. She is wearing a white blouse with red embroidery and large hoop earrings. In the background, there is a bookshelf with colorful books, a large green leafy plant, and a bouquet of pink and peach flowers.

Hello, I'm Rachael! I'm a British illustrator based in Merseyside, UK, and I bring whimsical artwork to beloved childhood stories. I've illustrated over 50 children's books, been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, and had one of my biggest pinch-me moments illustrating new titles for the legendary Dame Jacqueline Wilson, a genuine childhood dream come true.

FIND OUT MORE
Flat lay of greeting cards, stickers, envelopes, and stamps with floral and folk art designs, including children holding flowers, purple and blue flowers, and decorative letter stickers on a wooden surface.

Once a month, a little piece of magic
arrives at your door. I'd love for you to be part of it!

The Whimsy Folk Post

JOIN THE WHIMSY FOLK
Book cover titled "The Secret Garden Revisited" by Anthea Simmons, featuring a girl with blonde hair in a red and white striped shirt opening a green, vine-covered gate, surrounded by colorful flowers and birds.
Book cover for 'The Primrose Railway Children' by Jacqueline Wilson, illustrated by Rachel Dean, featuring three children outdoors with a cloudy sky and a bird flying nearby.
Cover of the book titled "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, with illustrations of four women with different hair colors and styles, surrounded by floral and decorative elements, part of the Oxford Children's Classics series.

Children's books

Have a browse through my colourful and
character-filled books! I hope you find a story that
feels like it was made for you.

LET'S EXPLORE
A colorful illustration of a girl with red hair riding a golden dragon through a starry sky with pink clouds.
Children dressed in animal costumes performing on a stage with a green curtain and star decorations.
A woman with closed eyes and a peaceful expression, surrounded by flowers and purple feathers, with a background of swirling purple and brown lines.

Illustrations

Take a look through my artwork, a mix of whimsical
characters, nature, and everyday wonder.

BROWSE GALLERY
Illustration of a girl with butterfly wings standing on a tree stump, surrounded by butterflies, mushrooms, and insects in a whimsical outdoor scene.
Watercolor illustration of a girl with long orange hair and a boy with purple hair holding hands, both with peacefully closed eyes, surrounded by swirling pastel colors.
Colorful depiction of a woman riding a large, golden dragon through clouds and stars at night.

I'm so excited to share my print collection,
Moments of Magic, with you.
Each one is ready to find a new home.

Shop

SHOP NOW
Bookshelf with various colorful books and a green potted plant on a wooden surface.

The Middle Grade Grown-Ups is having
a little rest right now. If it makes a comeback,
you'll be the first to know.

Book Club

JOIN IN
A person with red nail polish wearing rings with large stones types at a white computer keyboard, and their hands are positioned above the keys. Next to the keyboard on a wooden surface are several worn paintbrushes and four tubes of acrylic paint in green, orange, red, and white. There is a sheet of paper showing a color chart with swatches of different colors and their corresponding codes.

Artist Blog

Over on my Substack, I write about the real stuff. Creative inspiration, honest reflections, and the ups and downs of life as an illustrator.

A woman with brown hair reading a book titled "The Secret Garden Rewilded" in a library or bookstore, with shelves of colorful books in the background.

Newsletter

Join my newsletter for creative adventures, works-in-progress, new art, and book recommendations, landing in your inbox each month.

Client Testimonials

Designer at Penguin Random House UK

Simple black and white illustration of a penguin inside an oval border.

Emily Smyth

“Every project with Rachael is an absolute dream! She’s fantastically creative, always punctual and an expert at bringing stories to life. Truly a joy to collaborate with!”

Danielle Ravenport

A black-and-white image of a man holding a guitar, standing in front of a black background.

Designer at Bloomsbury

“Rachael is an absolute dream to work with, she is full of creativity, has really fun ideas and illustrates characters and animals with so much humour and individuality that brings all the scenes to life throughout her books. It’s always a pleasure to work with her and I thoroughly enjoyed working on The Thames and Tide Club series together.”

Children’s Fiction art director, Simon & Schuster UK

Silhouette of a person walking with a cane, wearing a hat and coat, in a black and white style.

Jesse Green

“Working with Rachael on Nicola Baker’s Whistledown Farm Adventures series has been a real delight. On top of being extremely talented and illustrating the cutest farm animals I’ve ever seen, she’s also a pleasure to work with and is always receptive to feedback. I’m looking forward to working with Rachael again.”