Kes Gray

{{Infobox artist

| name = Kes Gray

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1960}}

| birth_place = Chelmsford, England

| nationality = British

| known_for = Children's Literature

| notable_works = Oi Frog!

| awards =

}}

Kes Gray (born 1960) is a British author of children's books.

Life and work

Gray attended Great Baddow Comprehensive, then graduated from the University of Kent with an honours degree in English and American literature.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/kes-gray/|title=Kes Gray|website= Fantastic Fiction}}

He is one of the UK's bestselling writers for children, with over two million copies of his stories sold.{{Cite web|url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/171237/kes-gray|title=Kes Gray|website=Penguin Books|date=20 February 2025 }} He is known for the award-winning Daisy picture books, illustrated by Nick Sharratt, the chart-topping Oi! series illustrated by Jim Field and a collaboration with the athlete Mo Farah.{{cite news |title=Ooooh... The bike accident that changed Kes Gray's life |url=https://www.eadt.co.uk/things-to-do/21582160.ooooh-bike-accident-changed-kes-grays-life/ |access-date=14 October 2024 |work=East Anglian Daily Times |date=7 August 2016 |language=en}} The Oi! series books were narrated as audiobooks by comedian and actor David Mitchell, {{cite web | url=https://xigxag.co.uk/audiobook/oi-frog-and-friends-collection-9781444959079/ | title=Oi Frog and Friends Collection }} who also narrated Gray's books, How Many Legs? and Quick Quack Quentin.

=Awards=

Gray was listed as one of the top ten children's authors in the UK in 2003.{{Cite web|url=https://www.booktrust.org.uk/authors/g/gray-kes/|title=Gray, Kes |website=BookTrust}} As well as the awards listed below, he has been shortlisted for the British Book Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/kes-gray/|title=Kes Gray|date=May 14, 2019|website= Hachette}}

2020: winner in the Favourite Characters category, Sainsbury's Children's Book Award, for {{cite book |title=Oi! See It, Say It! |date=25 June 2020 |publisher=Hachette Children's |isbn=978-1-4449-5685-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zqaAygEACAAJ }}{{cite web |title=Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards 2020 |url=https://www.booktrust.org.uk/what-we-do/awards-and-prizes/current-prizes/sainsburys-childrens-book-awards/sainsburys-childrens-book-awards-2020/ |website=www.booktrust.org.uk |access-date=14 October 2024}}
2017: winner in the Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book category, Laugh Out Loud Book Awards (aka "the Lollies"), for {{cite book |title=Oi Dog! |date=28 July 2016 |publisher=Hachette Children's |isbn=978-1-4449-2897-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qDPFCgAAQBAJ }}{{cite web |title=The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2023 - Past winners |url=https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/lollies/winners |website=Scholastic Shop |access-date=14 October 2024 |language=en}}
2001: winner in the Picture Book category, and overall winner, Red House Children's Book Award, for {{cite book |title=Eat Your Peas |date=2000 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |isbn=978-0-7894-2667-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9TO7yWDrXJQC }}{{cite web |title=The Children's Book Award {{!}} 2001 {{!}} Awards and Honors {{!}} LibraryThing |url=https://www.librarything.com/award/133.0.0.2001/The-Childrens-Book-Award-2001 |website=LibraryThing.com |access-date=14 October 2024 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Children's Book Award {{!}} Past Winners 1981 - 2017 |url=http://childrensbookaward.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Past-Winners.pdf |access-date=14 October 2024}}{{cite news |title='Harry Potter' is pipped for award |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/harry-potter-is-pipped-for-award-9172151.html |access-date=14 October 2024 |work=The Independent |date=9 June 2001 |language=en}}

Stage adaptation

In 2019, Hughes and Pins & Needles Productions adapted Gray and Field's children's book series Oi Frog and Friends for the stage.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/shows/oi-frog-friends/|title=Oi Frog & Friends!|website=Nimax Theatres|language=en-GB|access-date=2023-08-30}} The script was developed and written by Richy Hughes, Emma Earle, Zoe Squire and Luke Bateman, with lyrics by Hughes. The production premiered at Frensham Heights School in October 2019,{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/frensham/posts/10156536610498233|title=Oi Frog & Friends! Comes to Frensham|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2023-08-30}} before going on to a critically acclaimed run at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/dec/09/oi-frog-and-friends-review-lyric-theatre-london|title=Oi Frog and Friends! review – a wild time for fans of rhyme|first=Chris|last=Wiegand|date=December 9, 2019|newspaper=The Guardian}} In 2020, the show was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Family Show.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2020/olivier-awards-2020-the-nominations-in-full/|title=Olivier Awards 2020: the nominations in full|last=Masso|first=Giverny|date=2020-03-03|website=The Stage|language=en-US|url-access=subscription}}