Rob Scotton smiling in round glasses and a brown leather jacket, with autumn leaves behind him Seymour the mouse, Rob’s assistant, cheering in the corner of the photo

Rob, with an assistant

author & artist

A little about Rob.

Rob Scotton is the bestselling author and illustrator behind Splat the Cat, Russell the Sheep and Max and Moonbean. He studied Illustration at De Montfort University, and lives and paints in Rutland, England, with his wife Liz, who is also an artist.

Splat began with a neighbour’s cat, a garden fence and a rather undignified landing. Seymour has been along for the ride since the very first book.

the long version

From sketchbook to bookshelf.

Rob’s characters have a knack for finding adventure in everyday life, particularly when everyday life isn’t going quite according to plan.

His own adventure in picture books began at a New York licensing show in 2004, when HarperCollins editor Maria Modugno spotted some of his character artwork. A conversation about a collection of images featuring a sheep named Russell, a cat named Splat, a pup called Max and the worlds they might inhabit led to a publishing home for his creations.

The inspiration for Splat was most unexpected. While mowing the lawn, Rob watched a neighbour’s cat lose its balance on a fence and land with considerably less elegance than cats generally advertise. The word “Splat” sprang to mind, the lawn was temporarily forgotten, and a character began to take shape. Inspiration, it turns out, is all around.

With expressive faces, wayward fur and a fondness for visual mischief, Rob’s illustrations bring humour to the things that can feel enormous when you’re small: starting school, making friends, finding courage and getting something wrong. His characters may have paws or wool, but their feelings are reassuringly familiar.

Beyond books, Rob’s artwork has appeared on everything from greeting cards to ceramics and textiles, while Splat has ventured into his own animated television series. Quite a journey for a cat whose first significant move was falling off a fence.

The story so far.

  1. art school

    Studied Illustration at De Montfort University.

  2. Russell the Sheep

    His debut picture book, inspired by the sheep in the fields around his studio.

  3. 2008: Splat the Cat

    Splat’s first day at Cat School, with Seymour hiding in his lunchbox.

  4. a whole library

    Dozens of Splat books since, up to Splat the Cat and the Obstacle Course in 2021. See them all