Yvonne Gilbert

[1] While much of her career since then has focused on illustrating the covers and interiors of popular books, Gilbert has also designed series of stamps produced by the Royal Mail depicting Christmas themes and Arthurian mythology.

"[2] Gilbert spent a brief amount of time at an art college in Liverpool studying graphic design, before "stumbling" upon her career as a professional artist.

They featured scenes from Arthurian mythology,[5] and were meant to celebrate the quincentenary of the publication of Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.

[7] Her 1994 series depicted young children dressed up as various Nativity characters including the Three Wise Men and the Virgin Mary.

[9] In 2004, The Journal reported that Gilbert "has progressed to become one of the best selling British illustrators in the USA, well known for the fairytale quality of her work seen mostly in children's books.

[14] Gilbert has provided artwork for many other children's books, including A Visit from St. Nicholas,[15] and Vivien French's A Christmas Star Called Hannah, both published in 2000.

[17] Publishers Weekly opined that Gilbert's "idealized images of the long-lashed heroine and luminous landscapes echo the unabashedly sentimental strains of Joel's song.

The Columbia Daily Tribune called her contributions "breathtaking,"[22] and the Cape Cod Times praised her artwork, declaring in a review that "the absolute beauty of this book is in the illustrations by Anne Yvonne Gilbert.

[26] In 2010, she provided the illustrations seen in an abridged, young adult version of Bram Stoker's Dracula, as told by author Nicky Raven.

[27] Gilbert produced the "traditional fairy tale type" illustrations for Jodi Picoult's first young adult novel Between the Lines, published in 2012.

[11] She draws many of her works with coloured pencils,[30] despite calling them "such an unreliable medium," in part because she dislikes the mess associated with using paint, ink, or clay.