Ann James has been illustrating children’s books for over 20 years. Two of her recent picture books, Little Humpty and Shutting the Chooks In were short listed for the 2004 Children’s Book Council Awards. In 2003 Anne was awarded the Dromkeen Medal for services to Children’s Literature.

Ann’s first picture book for children was A Pet for Mrs Arbuckle; written by Gwenda Smyth it
was published in 1980.  Since then she has illustrated over 50 children's books, including Robin Klein's Penny Pollard series, The Midnight Gang and The Midnight Feast by Margaret Wild and Libby Gleeson's Hannah series

Her love of animals and children inspire her work and her passion for play is evident in the range of media that she experiments with in her illustrations. Ann represents the Society of Book Illustrators on the Committee of Management of The Australian Society of Authors.

Ann and partner Ann Haddon have been running Books Illustrated at Gasworks Arts Park since 1993. It is a gallery dedicated to children's book illustration. It is also a specialist children's bookshop. Both are trained teachers and this interest is reflected in an education program, which explores illustration and visual narrative for all ages.