About
Nicola was born in Swaziland and has lived in Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Kenya, Scotland, England and California. After earning a BA(Hons) First Class in Illustration from Edinburgh College of Art and a Masters in Printmaking from UAL, she now works from her sunny studio in Los Angeles. Nicola is the creator of Open Very Carefully, which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2014 and has been published in 19 languages. Her clients include Bloomsbury, Macmillan, Nosy Crow, Scholastic, and Walker Books.
Nicola has always loved creating stories. She wrote her first picture book at aged 5; a fractured fairy tale that made its way into her school library. Her illustrations are character driven, and full of humour and love. In her free time she is an amateur Muay Thai fighter.
Awards
LOLLIES Book Award 2023 - Wee? It Wasn’t Me! by Clare Helen Welsh (Winner)
Reading Agency Summer Reading Challenge 2020 Pick - Bad Cat! by Nicola O’Byrne
Shrewsbury Bookfest Picture Book Award 2018 - Dear Dinosaur by Chae Strathie (Winner)
Bookbug Picture Book Prize 2018 - Winner - Gorilla Loves Vanilla by Chae Strathie
Red House Children’s Book Award 2014 - Pick of the Year - Open Very Carefully (Winner)
Stockport Children’s Book Prize 2014 - Open Very Carefully (Winner)
Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2014 - Best Picture Book - Open Very Carefully (Winner)
Oldham’s Brilliant Book Award 2014 - Open Very Carefully (Winner)
Publications
Open Very Carefully (a book with bite) by Nicola O’Byrne, words by Nick Bromley, Nosy Crow, 2013
Two Little Bears, by Suzi Moore, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Bloomsbury, 2013
My Little Star by Mark Sperring, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Bloomsbury, 2014
Use Your Imagination (but be careful what you wish for), by Nicola O’Byrne, Nosy Crow, 2014
The Last Book Before Bedtime by Nicola O’Byrne, Nosy Crow, 2016
The Great Dragon Bake Off, by Nicola O’Byrne, Bloomsbury, 2016
Gorilla Loves Vanilla by Chae Strathie, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Scholastic, 2016
What’s Next Door? by Nicola O’Byrne, Nosy Crow, 2017
Dear Dinosaur by Chae Strathie, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Scholastic, 2017
Where’s Home, Daddy Bear? by Nicola O’Byrne, Walker Books, 2018
Dear Dinosaur, T. Rex on Tour, by Chae Strathie, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Scholastic, 2018
The Rabbit, The Dark, and the Biscuit Tin by Nicola O’Byrne, Nosy Crow, 2018
Dear Santasaur by Chae Strathie, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Scholastic, 2019
POO! Is That You? by Clare Helen Welsh, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Macmillan Children’s Books, 2020
What the Animals Saw by Louise Greig, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Red Shed, 2020
Bad Cat! by Nicola O’Byrne, Nosy Crow, 2020
Dear Spookysaur by Chae Strathie, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Scholastic, 2021
Wee? It Wasn’t Me! by Clare Helen Welsh, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Macmillan Children’s Books, 2021
Slime? It’s Not Mine! by Clare Helen Welsh, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Macmillan Children’s Books, 2022
Dear Chocosaur by Chae Strathie, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Scholastic, 2023
I am Oliver the Otter by Pam Ayres, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Macmillan Children’s Books, 2023
I am Hattie the Hare by Pam Ayres, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Two Hoots, 2024
The Rabbit, The Cloud, and the Rainy Day, by Nicola O’Byrne, Nosy Crow, 2025
I am Emily the Barn Owl by Pam Ayres, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Two Hoots, 2025
I am Dandy the Dormouse by Pam Ayres, illustrated by Nicola O’Byrne, Two Hoots, 2026
