Mikey Please author page

Mikey Please biography

Mikey Please is an English writer, director, animator, and illustrator whose work includes award-winning films and picture books for children. An alumnus of the Royal College of Art, he gained early recognition with his graduation short The Eagleman Stag, which won the 2011 BAFTA for Best Short Animation. In 2014 he co-founded Parabella Studios with Dan Ojari to develop short films and long-form projects.

Please co-wrote and co-directed Aardman Animations’ stop-motion special Robin Robin for Netflix (2021), which was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 94th Academy Awards. The story was adapted for young readers as the picture book Robin Robin, written by Dan Ojari and Mikey Please and illustrated by Briony May Smith.

His picture book debut as both author and illustrator, The Café at the Edge of the Woods (HarperCollins, 2024), presents a fable-inflected tale for early elementary readers. The title was named the Overall Winner of the 2025 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

Across media, Please’s work blends character-centered storytelling with distinctive visual craft. He was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2023. His projects for children continue to appear in classrooms and libraries through film study, read-alouds, and independent reading.