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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Dragons Love Underpants
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.clairefreedman.co.uk/
CITY: Essex
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
LAST VOLUME: SATA 373
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in England; married; husband’s name Michael.
EDUCATION:Attended secretarial college.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Children’s writer. Worked variously as a secretary for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a buyer-in-training at Harrods (department store), a dental nurse, and a production assistant for a printing company.
AVOCATIONS:Sailing, walking, traveling.
AWARDS:Richard & Judy Book Club Award, 2007, for Aliens Love Underpants; Sheffield Children’s Book Award, 2014, for Spider Sandwiches.
WRITINGS
Work represented in anthologies, including 365 Stories and Rhymes: Tales of Magic and Wonder, Parragon (Bath, England), 2016. Author’s works have been translated into several languages, including Afrikaans, Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Portuguese, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, and Welsh.
Aliens Love Underpants and Monstersaurus were adapted as stage plays.
SIDELIGHTS
British Author Claire Freedman has written dozens of stories for young readers that, paired with colorful illustrations by a range of artists, are consistently cited for their humorous plots and gentle life lessons. Freedman’s children’s books range from warm-hearted friendship and family-centered tales like Oliver and Patch, My Grandparents Love Me, and I Love You, Baby! to humorous stories such as the award-winning Aliens Love Underpants, Don’t Wake the Yeti!, and Spider Sandwiches. She also produced a picture-book retelling of one of her favorite books from childhood, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, that comes to life in colorful full-page illustrations by Shaw Davidson.
While writing for young children, Freedman often employs young animal characters as a way to illustrate human feelings and relationships. In Where’s Your Smile, Crocodile?, for example, Kyle the crocodile wakes up grumpy and none of his friends can cheer him up, no matter how silly they act. When the grouchy young croc meets a lion cub that is lost, he must improve his attitude in order to comfort the frightened creature. A Kirkus Reviews contributor noted the “worthwhile lesson” in Freedman’s tale here. Gooseberry Goose centers on a young gosling that wonders if the time he spends practicing his flying will leave him unprepared when winter arrives. “Readers will be captivated by this irrepressible gosling’s infectious charm,” predicted Martha Topol in a School Library Journal review of Gooseberry Goose, and a Publishers Weekly contributor cited Freedman’s “vivacious and assured storytelling.”
In Dilly Duckling, another animal-centric picture book, a young waterfowl grows worried when she loses a feather while playing. A Kirkus Reviews contributor described Dilly Duckling as “a breezy look at the changes of growing up.” Oops-a-Daisy! shares another gentle story about growing up, and here, Daisy the rabbit is frustrated because she takes a tumble whenever she tries to hop. With the help of several encouraging friends, Daisy soon gains the confidence she needs to accomplish her goal. A Publishers Weekly critic predicted that Freedman’s “crisp, descriptive prose, and evocative nonsense phrases” in Oops-a-Daisy! will engage readers.
One of many stories featuring bears, Freedman’s picture book Follow That Bear If You Dare! comes to life in colorful artwork by Alison Edgson. Armed with a copy of The Best Book of Bear Hunting, Hare and skeptical friend Rumbly Rabbit take to the woods in search of the elusive ursus, but their mission ends in a surprising confrontation. A book-loving bear stars in Bear’s Book, and the animal’s efforts to overcome writer’s block are captured in mixed media artwork by Alison Friend. In Booklist, Connie Fletcher praised Follow That Bear If You Dare! as “exciting and funny,” and Ieva Bates characterized Edgson’s “large and clear” illustrations as a “cheerful” antidote to the tension-building tale.” Depicted while overcoming setbacks with the help of caring friends, the star of Bear’s Book embodies a “helpfulness and … budding creativity [that] make him a positive role model,” according to a Kirkus Reviews writer.
Another story of friendship, Squabble and Squawk finds best buddies Yellow Hen and Piglet engaged in a disagreement. Their confrontation casts a pall over the farmyard until Duck, Sheep, and Cow find a way to reconcile the two friends. Leonie Shearing’s “lighthearted” illustrations “fit nicely with the simple story about friendship,” concluded a Kirkus Reviews writer in appraising Freedman’s child-centered tale.
In My Grandparents Love Me, an endearing inter-generational story by Freedman, a young zebra describes the wonderful experiences he has during a visit with his grandma and grandpa. A writer in Kirkus Reviews applauded the tale, explaining that “the simplicity of the message of shared love is evident.” In The Great Snortle Hunt, Freedman follows the adventures of four animal friends that summon the courage to visit the Snortle, a creature with a frightening reputation. Writing in Books for Keeps, Valerie Coghlan applauded the book’s surprise finale, noting that it “gently shows without telling, that you can’t make assumptions about Snortles—and perhaps people.”
Hushabye Lily finds a young bunny having trouble falling asleep, until Mother Rabbit assures her that the nighttime farm yard noises she hears are all part of a long lullaby. A Publishers Weekly contributor commented on the “lilting prose” Freedman uses in telling this simple bedtime tale. Another story designed to soothe, Good Night, Sleep Tight, begins as Grandma Bear tries to convince a little cub to fall asleep. She finds success when she recounts reassuring stories of the cub’s parents, and these soon lull him off to dreamland. “Freedman’s … language, with its familiar words and rhythms, resonates with security and affection,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor.
Freedman also features bedtime themes in A Kiss Goodnight: A Collection of Lullabies, in which her animal cast is rendered in pastel-toned illustrations by Sophy Williams, and she casts a gentle nighttime spell in the picture book Snuggle up, Sleepy Ones. Her story in I Love You, Sleepyhead highlights several animals familiar to young children, and the nighttime focus shifts to hard-working trucks in Beep Beep Beep, Time for Sleep! The “flowing cadences of [Freedman’s] … rhyming couplets will lull young sleepyheads pleasantly into la-la land,” predicted a Kirkus Reviews contributor in reviewing Snuggle up, Sleepy Ones, and a Publishers Weekly critic wrote that her “rhymes have a comforting lilt.” The “crisp and accessible verse” in Beep Beep Beep, Time for Sleep! provides “the perfect complement to [Richard] Smythe’s bright and blocky illustrations,” asserted another Kirkus Reviews writer, the critic praising Freedman’s imaginative vision of how hard-working construction vehicles “take the exit ramp off to bed” at the close of a busy day. “Brightly colored illustrations, onomatopoeia, and [a] rhyming text carry the story,” asserted Emily E. Lazio in praise of the truck-themed bedtime tale for School Library Journal.
A young and boisterous monster named Max takes center stage in the picture books Dragon Jelly and Spider Sandwiches. In the first tale, the green-haired protagonist celebrates his birthday by hosting a party for several friends that features an eyeball cake and the titular treat. Spider Sandwiches focuses on Max’s love of gross foods, everything from beetle biscuits to cockroach curry. “Freedman’s rhyming text matches the rollicking party action,” a contributor to Kirkus Reviews noted of Dragon Jelly. Writing in School Library Journal, Tanya Boudreau called Spider Sandwiches “a humorous introduction to eating habits and preferences.”
In Oliver and Patch, Freedman describes the budding relationship between a lonely youngster and the lost dog he befriends. Unhappy after moving from the country to the city, Oliver spots a small, disheveled canine on the streets and takes him home, naming him Patch. Although boy and pup soon become fast friends, Oliver knows that Patch’s real owners must be worried and decides to reunite the dog with its people. According to Books for Keeps reviewer Katie Clapham, Oliver and Patch “is sensitive and moving, and is wrapped up neatly with an uplifting ending.”
Freedman’s picture-book story in Aliens Love Underpants is illustrated by Ben Cort and concerns a group of extraterrestrials that visits Earth in order to plunder undergarments. The equally silly companion book, Dinosaurs Love Underpants, provides a humorous hypothesis that addresses dinosaur extinction as well as the ancient creatures’ love of fancy but uncomfortable briefs. Dubbed “a comic delight” by Booklist contributor Andrew Medlar, Dinosaurs Love Underpants incorporates a rhyming “homage to underpants” that will engender a “giggle” from children, according to School Library Journal contributor Gay Lynn Van Vleck.
Also illustrated by Cort, Pirates Love Underpants follows a crew of determined buccaneers as they search for a legendary gold-plated pair of unmentionables. “Rhymed stanzas tell this silly story, which will elicit giggles” from young audiences, asserted Angela J. Reynolds, reviewing Freedman’s entertaining picture book in School Library Journal.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 1, 2001, Shelley Townsend-Hudson, review of An Ark Full of Activities, p. 1676; December 15, 2003, Carolyn Phelan, review of Good Night, Sleep Tight, p. 753; March 1, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of Dilly Duckling, p. 1194; June, 1, 2008, Connie Fletcher, review of Follow That Bear If You Dare!, p. 87; December 1, 2009, Andrew Medlar, review of Dinosaurs Love Underpants, p. 48.
Books for Keeps, July, 2012, Valerie Coghlan, review of The Great Snortle Hunt; March, 2015, Katie Clapham, review of Oliver and Patch.
Horn Book Guide, spring, 2011, Patricia Riley, review of Ten Christmas Wishes, p. 27; spring, 2014, Shoshana Flax, review of Pirates Love Underpants, p. 29; spring, 2015, Hannah Rodgers Barnaby, review of Spider Sandwiches, p. 30; spring, 2016, Nell Beram, review of Dragon Jelly, p. 31.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2001, review of Where’s Your Smile, Crocodile?, p. 1212; July 15, 2003, review of Good Night, Sleep Tight, p. 963; August 1, 2003, review of Hushabye Lily, p. 1016; December 15, 2003, review of Dilly Duckling, p. 1450; May 15, 2005, review of Snuggle up, Sleepy Ones, p. 588; October 1, 2006, review of New Kid in Town, p. 1013; October 15, 2006, review of Squabble and Squawk, p. 1070; April 15, 2007, review of One Magical Day; April 15, 2007, review of A Kiss Goodnight: A Collection of Lullabies; April 15, 2008, review of I Love You, Sleepyhead; September 15, 2009, review of On This Special Night; December 1, 2009, review of Dinosaurs Love Underpants; July 15, 2013, review of Pirates Love Underpants; June 15, 2014, review of Spider Sandwiches; August 1, 2015, review of Dragon Jelly; June 1, 2016, review of My Grandparents Love Me; February 1, 2017, review of Beep Beep Beep, Time for Sleep!; June 15, 2017, review of I Love You, Baby!; August 1, 2017, review of Don’t Wake the Yeti!; April 1, 2019, review of Bear’s Book.
Magpies, November, 2001, review of Where’s Your Smile, Crocodile?, p. 27.
Publishers Weekly, August 20, 2001, review of Where’s Your Smile, Crocodile?, p. 78; June 2, 2003, review of Hushabye Lily, p. 50; October 6, 2003, review of Good Night, Sleep Tight, p. 82; November 10, 2003, review of Gooseberry Goose, p. 60; February 9, 2004, review of Oops-a-Daisy!, p. 79; June 20, 2005, review of One Magical Morning, p. 75; June 27, 2005, review of Snuggle up, Sleepy Ones, p. 61; October 26, 2009, review of On This Special Night, p. 56.
School Librarian, spring, 2002, review of Tiggy Tiger Brave Explorer, p. 18; spring, 2004, Janet Fisher, review of Going on the Loose, p. 19; fall, 2004, Joyce Banks, review of Oops-a-Daisy!, p. 131; summer, 2005, Emma Doman, review of By My Side, Little Panda, p. 74.
School Library Journal, November, 2001, Patti Gonzales, review of Where’s Your Smile, Crocodile?, p. 122; November, 2003, Andrea Tarr, review of Hushabye Lily, p. 93; December, 2003, Linda M. Kenton, review of Good Night, Sleep Tight, and Martha Topol, review of Gooseberry Goose, both p. 113; January, 2004, Sally R. Dow, review of Night-Night, Emily! p. 98; April, 2004, Judith Constantinides, review of Dilly Duckling, p. 110; May, 2004, Be Astengo, review of Oops-a-Daisy!, p. 110; May, 2005, Sheilah Kosco, review of One Magical Morning, p. 83; July, 2005, Sally R. Dow, review of Snuggle up, Sleepy Ones, p. 72; June, 2007, Jayne Damron, review of A Kiss Goodnight, p. 96; June, 2008, Julie Roach, review of I Love You, Sleepyhead, p. 102; August, 2008, Ieva Bates, review of Follow That Bear If You Dare!, p. 89; October, 2008, Mara Alpert, review of The Christmas Angels, p. 94; October, 2008, Virginia Walter, review of A Magical Christmas, p. 93; September, 2009, Laura Stanfield, review of When We’re Together, p. 122; October, 2009, Eva Mitnick, review of On This Special Night, p. 79; January, 2010, Gay Lynn Van Vleck, review of Dinosaurs Love Underpants, p. 74; August, 2013, Angela J. Reynolds, review of Pirates Love Underpants, p. 73; June, 2014, Tanya Boudreau, review of Spider Sandwiches, p. 78; April, 2017, Emily E. Lazio, review of Beep Beep Beep, Time for Sleep!, p. 126.
ONLINE
Claire Freedman website, http://www.clairefreedman.co.uk/ (May 23, 2021).
Writers & Artists, https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/ (March 15, 2017), author interview.*
I’ve been a writer for over 28 years now, but it wasn’t planned!I left school at age 16, and because I really didn’t know what else to do, I spent a year at secretarial college. I figured out there was always going to be a job going for a secretary.However, apart from a short stint at the B.B.C. as possibly the worst secretary ever, I changed direction and started working at Harrods, London as a trainee buyer.A couple of years later I discovered the cut and thrust of retailing really wasn’t for me. I took on various other jobs, including working as a dental nurse (which incidentally didn’t cure my fear of dentists!) and as a production assistant in a reprographic and printing company.I began to write after joining a creative writing class. I had no success with article writing, or short stories, or fiction, but the first children’s story I wrote, for a magazine called Twinkle, was accepted for publication. Hooray!!!Things snowballed and a lot (yes lots and lots) of hard work later I now write full time and have over 100 books published. I still go to the same writing class and we have become a big happy family of writers!For me, writing is the best job ever. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I love to create worlds for young children to enjoy and escape into – whether the stories are educational, bedtime, problem solving or just plain good fun.It’s also very exciting to see the first picture roughs, as my wonderful, talented illustrators bring the text to life.I live on the Essex coast with my husband Michael, just a minutes walk to the seafront. At long last I have an office to write in, with room for all my books and bits of scribbled on papers!I still find that a bracing walk (it gets freezing when the East wind blows from the North Sea!) or gentle stroll when the weather is warmer, is great for clearing my head and mulling over story ideas.In my spare time I love walking along the sea path and eating out at our favourite beach-side cafe. I also enjoy shopping for clothes (I am very girly but not everything is pink!) and catching up with my friends. I am thinking of joining a dance class or zumba to keep fit!If I could be anywhere in the world I would be with Michael on a beautiful sandy beach near St Ives, in Cornwall. We’d be eating a Kelly’s Cornish Ice cream (32 flavours to choose from, and I haven’t tried them all – yet!!) and cooling our toes in the Atlantic surf. Cream teas and Cornish pasties would probably feature too! Heaven!Anyway – that’s enough of my day-dreaming. Back to work...!
Q&A with Claire Freedman – Dragons Love Underpants
Today, we are thrilled to welcome a very special guest to our blog—Claire Freedman, author of the bestselling Aliens Love Underpants series. Claire joins us as part of our exciting blog tour celebrating the release of her hilarious new picture book, Dragons Love Underpants.
In Dragons Love Underpants, Claire introduces us to a fiery new adventure that promises to be as heartwarming and hilarious as its predecessors. But what inspires these quirky stories? How does Claire dream up her hilarious scenarios? And what can aspiring young writers learn from her journey? We’ll dive into all these questions and more in our Q&A.
Your Underpants series has been a huge hit with kids. What inspired you to create such a fun and whimsical series?
When I wrote the first book, Aliens Love Underpants, I certainly didn’t envisage it would turn into a series, or become so popular with children. I’m always searching for new characters, and with aliens you really have free rein to do whatever you want with them. I love writing humour, so I decided to make my aliens ridiculously silly and funny. By teaming the crazy aliens with underpants, I asked myself, why would aliens come to Earth? The answer was to steal our underpants, of course! From there the story almost wrote itself.
How do you come up with the hilarious situations? Do you have a special process for brainstorming these ideas?
Coming up with the germ of an idea is quite easy for me, but fleshing the ideas out in ways that are new, fresh and exciting is the hardest part of writing. I generally spend a lot of time thinking before putting pen to paper. Then when ideas start to come together (hopefully!) or characters appear, I jot down my ideas or dialogue. It’s only when I have the whole story mapped out in my head that I can begin to write properly. If I’m writing about a particular animal, for example a duck, I’ll surround myself with pictures of ducks and duck environments to get into the feel of the book.
Illustrations play a big role in your books. How did you and Ben Cort collaborate on bringing your new book, Dragons Love Underpants, to life? What do you enjoy most about working with Ben?
I am just so grateful that my editor and the art director at Simon & Schuster decided to choose Ben as the illustrator for our books, right from the very start! I really couldn’t imagine anyone else illustrating our Underpants series. Ben really ‘got’ the book right from the start. With Dragons Love Underpants, I knew I could rely on Ben’s brilliant work. I couldn’t wait to see his rough drawings and was of course delighted with his interpretation of the text. We don’t really cross over on our work – I write, Ben illustrates. We have worked together a fair amount over the years, and get on very well indeed. In fact, it’s so much nicer to do an event together than on my own.
How do you think children’s books can impact a child’s imagination and creativity?
Reading and being read books has a significant positive influence on children in so many ways. Picture books are generally the first step into reading, and a well written, engaging and imaginative book can foster a lifelong love of reading – and often writing too – which has to be a good thing. Even if the child has yet to learn to read, there’s so much fun to be had just from the illustrations. Picture books are often a shared experience, so there’s plenty of opportunity to spark a child’s imagination through discussing what’s going on in the story. I know I was inspired by books at a very early age.
Do you have any tips for young aspiring writers or illustrators who want to create their own stories?
Here are a few tips…
Write about what excites and interests you – then that excitement will spill over into your writing.
Ask yourself the question: what if…? You can make something very ordinary into something very exciting. What if you woke up and… heard a loud growl, saw a monster tapping on your window, found a dinosaur under the bed, discovered you were on another planet? The ‘what if’s’ can be as crazy and wild as you like, and will help ideas and plots flow more easily.
Try putting two very different characters together who have opposite traits to their usual expectation. Perhaps a shy huge whale and a bold tiny fish, or a clumsy character with someone who likes order. Good characters help make good plots.
When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing? Do you have any hobbies or interests that influence your work?
I like making things, like personal birthday cards or gifts for friends, and also sewing clothes. I don’t have a lot of time for major projects but I enjoy getting the sewing machine out and getting creative. I have also fallen in love with gardening, as I get so absorbed in potting out plants and deadheading, I totally forget everything else. I love walking and, of course, reading – giving myself time off to read a great novel is total bliss! And if I’m in the mood, some home baking is relaxing, and I get to eat the results. I’m not sure that my hobbies influence my work, but they do give my brain a much-needed rest!
What has been the most rewarding part of your journey as an author so far?
I’ll never forget when Aliens Love Underpants won the Sheffield Picture Book Prize, years back. Ben and I were in the audience and a video showed children reading our book, some of the children actually bent over double with laughter. I was so amazed that our book caused such enjoyment – that was so lovely! Meeting children is one of the most rewarding parts of the job for me. I often ‘virtually visit’ schools via the internet – it’s so convenient for all, and I still get huge pleasure seeing children giggle and having fun hearing me read and talk with them. It’s very special.
Just for Fun
Tea or coffee? Tea
Paper books or e-books? Paper books
Cake or chocolate? Tough one! You really want me to choose? Chocolate.????
Write or type? Write
Poetry or prose? Poetry
Hot or cold? Cold
Freedman, Claire DRAGONS LOVE UNDERPANTS Aladdin (Children's None) $18.99 8, 5 ISBN: 9781665968645
Who knew dragons fancied scanties?
In days of yore, dragons soar through the skies sporting colorful underpants. Unfortunately, their drawers don't last long due to the dragons' penchant for breathing fire. The Kingdom of Pantasia, ruled by "pants-mad King Top-Bot" (referring to the British term for underpants), is never in short supply of shorts. Storming in to purloin its vast stores, the scaly beasts terrorize the villagers and even beat back the king's knight, Sir Y-Front (referring to another British term). Worse, they make "brief" work of the king, flying off with him and threatening to "scorch him on the rear" unless they receive "piles of pants." Happily, resourceful Princess Tilly has a plan that results in a brilliant solution--"METAL pants!" (Inflammable, don't you know?) The dragons are so overjoyed--"These pants will last FOREVER!"--that they release the king. Afterward, that esteemed royal throws a grand feast, attended by everyone, including the dragons, now wearing their fancy new drawers. Told in rollicking (though uneven) verse, this U.K. import mines some mild laughs from the subject of undies; it might even persuade youngsters who are still in diapers to be fierce like dragons and take that step. Use of the Briticismspants andY-Front might perplex little ones this side of the pond, but the energetic images of the colorful dragons in their oversize, patterned underwear make up for that point. Human characters are diverse.
Goofy antics for those who delight in bathroom humor.(Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Freedman, Claire: DRAGONS LOVE UNDERPANTS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A837325695/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5632f0b2. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
A Magical Christmas
Claire Freedman, author
Gail Yerrill, illustrator
Tiger Tales www.tigertalesbooks.com
9781589252363, $9.99, Board Book, 22pp https://www.amazon.com/Magical-Christmas-Claire-Freedman/dp/1589252365
Synopsis: It's Christmas, and the air is full of whispers and giggles. But what is the magic of Christmas that everyone is so excited about? That's what Little Mouse wants to know! A sparkly winter wonderland awaits in this enchanting celebration of all those things that make Christmas special!
Critique: The collaborative project of author/storyteller Claire Freedman and artist/illustrator Gail Yerrill, "A Magical Christmas" is as fun and magical board book that is a perfect choice for family, daycare center, preschool, Kindergarten, and community library Christmas themed board books for children ages 2-5.
Editorial Note #1: Claire Freedman (https://clairefreedman.co.uk) lives on the Essex coast close to Southend-on-Sea. When not writing, Claire spends her time sailing and walking in the countryside.
Editorial Note: Gail Yerrill (www.gailyerrill.co.uk) loves illustrating characters, mainly working in watercolour, but also using pattern and typography. She has illustrated children's books for Parragon, Macmillan, Little Tiger Press, Alligator books and more. She also illustrated for Harrods and a simple animated story for the BBC.
Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"A Magical Christmas." Children's Bookwatch, Dec. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A822840352/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=43e6e9d1. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.