Eric Hill author page

Eric Hill biography

Eric Hill (1927–2014) was a British children’s author and illustrator best known as the creator of Spot, the puppy at the centre of his lift-the-flap picture books. He began his artistic career as an art studio messenger, then worked as a cartoonist and became an art director at a leading advertising agency.

In 1978, Hill made up a bedtime story about a small puppy, and the character Spot was created. Where’s Spot? was published in 1980 and its success led Hill to become a full-time author. The book used a lift-the-flap format that became central to the early Spot books.

Hill’s Spot books were written and illustrated for very young children, with simple stories and interactive flaps. Later Spot titles include Spot’s First Walk, Spot’s Birthday Party, Spot at the Beach and Spot Visits His Grandparents, extending the character into everyday experiences familiar to preschool readers.

Hill was appointed OBE in 2008 for services to children’s literacy.