I LOVE a non-fiction project, and this one has been a dream. The research! The details! I got to create the brilliant BUILDERBOTS team, who will show you how to create your very own planet…

What would you do if you could build your very own planet?

Make a mighty mountain?
Invite the most incredible animals?
How about having an icy waterfall or a super space ocean?
Don’t forget to choose a shiny star for your planet, too!

Packed with facts about our amazing planet – from the wildlife that lives here to its part in the solar system – this is the perfect book for budding explorers, ecologists and astronauts!

Written by the brilliant Moira Butterfield and published by Ladybird.

A beautiful educational project published in 2025. I loved illustrating such a very kind and inclusive book. I especially enjoyed researching the rich and varied cultures for the big street party spread, and getting to include gorgeous everyday details such as the community garden and the school friendship bench.

So Many Ways to Be Curious is book to nurture curiosity, critical thinking skills, empathy and resilience.

Nurturing curiosity early in a child’s life leads to young people and adults who are problem solvers, open-minded, creative, empathic, resilient, and continually questioning the world around them. In 'So Many Ways to Be Curious', children are encouraged to ask questions, explore, observe, and use their imagination to create; they will also learn to listen to differing points of view and perspectives — all crucial skills for leading an empowered life full of curiosity!

Written by Jayneen Sanders and published by Educate to Empower publishers

Loved illustrating this ROARsome title for Scholastic!

This little dinosaur is on a MISSION - a mission to find a T-Rex. All the other little dinosaurs are a little bit scared, but our little dinosaur sets out to meet one and on the way, asks everyone, Excuse me, are you a T-Rex? No-one we're introduced to is a T-Rex, but we do get to meet a chindesaurus, a plateosaurus, a stegasaurus, a bracheosaurus, a diplodocus, a bactrosaurus, a hadrosaurus, a velociraptor (eek!), a triceratops, an argentinasaurus, an ankylosaurs and - eventually - a T-Rex!

I am thrilled to be the illustrator for the fantastic Flying Fergus series, written by Olympian superstar Sir Chris Hoy and fabulous children's author Joanna Nadin.

Flying Fergus is an action-packed series of cycling adventures featuring nine-year-old Fergus Hamilton and his friends. Fergus is part of his Grandpa’s cycling squad, the Hercules Hopefuls, who are setting their sights on cycling success. They’re out to prove that with hard work and determination, you can accomplish your dreams - it's not just about having the latest, flashiest 'Sullivan Swift' bike. Fergus also makes an incredible discovery about his own trusty second hand bike, when he accidentally pedals backwards....

The first book was published in 2016, followed by a further nine adventures in the series, and a non-fiction accompanying title called On Your Bike.

Chris, Joanna and I are all on social media and always happy to hear from a Flying Fergus fan! As a team we did dozens of events, as well as being featured on The One Show, Blue Peter, This Morning and CBBC Book Club. A project we’re all very proud of.

Some visual notes on pregnancy, babies, toddlers, and the general joy and chaos that comes with family life!

KAPOW!!

I was delighted to collaborate on two SUPER picture books with the brilliant children’s author Kate Thompson and Trigger publishing. Superheroes Don’t Get Scared… Or Do They? was published in 2021, followed by Superheroes Always Fight Back… Or Do They? in 2023.

I loved illustrating these book. They both have heartwarming messages about bravery and kindness at their core, but Kate doesn’t lose any humour or fun getting that message across. The rhyming text has a beautiful rhythm and the punchy, comic book style feel to the design is really engaging for young readers. Plus I got to design dozens of brilliant and bonkers Superheroes!

Praise for the books:
“A picture book masterpiece! Beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written, it's a message every family and every child will be able to relate to, delivered through plenty of action and with a fun cast of characters ... This dynamic, accessible and empowering story is truly impressive. It will show little readers that kindness is the most amazing superpower and it's all you need to save the day... and change the world!” Clare Helen Welsh, Children's Author and Founder of Books That Help

“I absolutely love this fun, brilliantly illustrated book.” Elizabeth Dale, children's book author

“Super bright, super joyful, super message.” Lu Fraser, Award-Winning, Bestselling Author of The Littlest Yak

Meet Horace and Harriet!! Stars of a young fiction series written and illustrated by me.

Published by Oxford University Press, four books hit the shelves throughout 2018, starting with Horace & Harriet: Take on the Town.

Lord Commander Horatio Frederick Wallington Nincompoop Maximus Pimpleberry the Third (or Horace, for short) has been a statue in Princes Park for hundreds of years. But after suffering endless pranks, graffiti and mountains of pigeon poo, Horace has had JUST ABOUT ENOUGH.

He decides it's time to get off his pedestal. Surely he can find a better home? One suitable for such a fine commander? Assisted by his new friend Harriet (she's seven and a quarter years old and definitely NOT a statue) Horace tackles modern life in his quest to find the perfect place to live. 

Prepare for a lot of statue puns and hilarious slapstick adventures throughout the series!

Oxford University Press say: 'Horace and Harriet are Captain Pugwash and Tom the Cabin Boy for today's generation! In her author/illustrator debut, Clare Elsom has created highly designed layouts and a stylish limited-colour palette. There is humour and heart in the relationship between the pompous Horace and the resourceful Harriet that children will love.'

Horace & Harriet: Take on the Town (March 2018)

Horace & Harriet: Every Dog Has its Day (March 2018)

Horace & Harriet: The Sports Spectacular (July 2018)

Horace & Harriet: Friends, Romans, Statues! (November 2018)

You can buy the books here

Delighted to show you DOGS: Understanding Your Very Best Friend - written by pet expert Dr John Bradshaw, published by Andersen Press and illustrated by me!

Join Rusty, the terrier, as he goes about his day with his family. Discover how Rusty sees and mostly smells the world around him. Rusty uses his amazing nose to recognise his friends – human and dog! – it tells him where to find something tasty to eat and how to get back to his owner.

Find out how Rusty’s family make him feel loved and safe, when he meets new people and other dogs, or is left at home alone.

After a day with Rusty, you’ll know exactly how to be your dog’s best friend.

Published in October 2021

2024 Lollies Award Winner for non-fiction!!

Following on from DOGS, this is the second book from pet expert Dr John Bradshaw and published by Anderson Press - this time it’s all about CATS!

Follow Libby as she goes about her daily life using her amazing nose and memory. A wonderful way for children to learn about their feline friends.

Loved illustrating all those beautiful cats!

I was asked to illustrate the gorgeous new series from children's bestselling superstar Holly Webb, starting with Sophie's Squeaky Surprise, released in August 2016, and followed by Marshmallow Magic and Peril in Paris in 2017.

The Furry Friends series follows Sophie, a little girl who has just moved from London to Paris. Sophie is a bit unhappy about starting a new school in a completely different country... but after she makes friends with Josephine, a macaroon-eating, tutu-wearing guinea pig, things suddenly become a lot more fun!!

The series was a delight to illustrate - I was able to explore some fun character design for the guinea pigs, draw lovely decorative elements for the covers, and also delve into images of Paris for the setting of the book. Divine!
 

Sample artwork for a picture book I've written about a little girl called Evie who is scared to make the plunge into the deep end.

Scribbles, character designs, story ideas, observations, personal projects and general odds and ends!

Illustrating my love of fossils for the Jurassic Coast’s fossil hunting hotspot town of Lyme Regis.

This image featured in a 2025 exhibition of my work with the Lyme Regis Museum and is available as a print, greetings card and A5 postcard from the museum giftshop or here

Perfect for fossil fans, and to keep handy as you’re hunting on the beach!

The Great Dodo Comeback is new young fiction title by Fiona Sandiford and published by Usborne. Full of exotic wildlife, fantastic adventure, mad professors, delightful dodos and brilliantly devious villains. A joy to illustrate!

Leni LOVES birds. So when two feather-brained professors visit her island home on a mission to bring back the dodo, she jumps at the chance to help them. But the famous bird has been extinct for over 300 years - and Sugar King Benny Shoober will stop at nothing to keep it that way. Can Leni and the squabbling professors achieve the impossible?

Published June 2020.

I created some visual diary cartoons about the realities of parenting a child with eczema, for World Atopic Eczema Day.

I’m always keen to raise awareness of the complexities and hidden issues that come alongside skin conditions.

I really enjoyed this quick, reportage style, and the limited palette.

If you follow my social media, you may know that I’m a bit of a dino fan.

Throughout 2020 I illustrated a ‘Fringe’ Dinosaur A-Z, showcasing some lesser known of our extinct friends. I posted a new dinosaur every few weeks with some accompanying information. Look out for the #fringedinosaur hashtag!

A2 poster available from clareelsom.bigcartel.com

I worked on a lovely project with local client House of Marbles, providing some character illustrations to feature in an activity booklet which accompanies their new brass rubbing trail. 

It’s a great museum, full of games and marble runs, with a beautiful glass centre and a dangerously delicious cafe! Definitely worth a visit if you ever find yourself in Devon.

I was asked to illustrate Story Quest, a new project from the National Literacy Trust.

Story Quest is a series of FREE story trails set in the Burslem and Tunstall areas of Stoke-on-Trent,. There are six different stories and maps to discover, packed full of summer holiday activity ideas, with each one exploring a different local area.

The stories are written by children’s author Joanne Owen, and I was asked to illustrate the adventures of Josh, football mad Yasmin, Grandpa Matt and Valient the dog, as they lead Story Questers around their local neighbourhoods.

This involved illustrating narrative images, but also six huge maps full of local icons and landmarks. It was wonderful to get to know the different areas so well (and thank goodness for satellite image searches!!!)

You can download the stories, find out more about the project and the activites they are running throughout the summer here: www.storyquest.org.uk

I've collaborated on several projects with Gibsons Games, including a TFL jigsaw, Crunch Bunch and Woodland Creatures mini jigsaw sets, a fresh Woodland Creatures look to the classic Snakes & Ladders and Ludo compilation, and very fun card games called Three Frogs More and Chicken Out!

All have been designed by the talented Helen Davies of Porridge Design.

Two of the products have gone on to win industry awards, so I think we've hit on a winning team - hopefully there will be more projects together in the future!

Presenting The Last Chocolate Chip Cookie by Jamie Rix!
A gorgeous picture book I worked on with Piccadilly Press. I had lots of creative freedom to create large scale colour spreads filled with patterns and textures.

Jack wants to eat the last chocolate chip cookie, but his mum reminds him he must offer it to everybody else before he takes it. Jack dutifully starts offering the cookie to EVERYBODY, and when he offers it to an alien the adventures really start...

The book is cheeky and funny, and has a surprise ending which is guaranteed to make you smile!

A charming series with Scholastic USA about a group of friends tackling their first year at school. Each book addresses a strong school or seasonal theme - from the (not so) scary first day, to Halloween and Thanksgiving, to graduating into the second grade.

The series has done phenomenally well in the US, selling around 800,000 copies so far!!!

Written by Judy Katschke and designed by Carla Alpert.

World Book Day 2018 was a very exciting time for the Flying Fergus team, as we partnered with the World Book Day Award.

£20,000 of books were up for grabs, as well as a visit to the winning school from me, Joanna Nadin and Sir Chris Hoy. 

We received hundreds of entries, and it was EXTREMELY hard to choose a winner. You can see all the winning entries on the World Book Day website

I also had great fun designing and illustrating the logo for the competition, which was then used across the website and a range of promotional adverts for the competition.  

Thanks so much to all the entrants, and to World Book Day for letting me be a judge!

A series of black & white cartoons, characters, observations and scribbles, first published as ‘A Daily Scribble’ on social media.

Love working in this quick and naïve style!

I regularly work on the brilliant Araştırmacı Çocuk magazine in Turkey.

I have illustrated themes for them as diverse as astrology, cinema history, gardening, weather, nutrition and detective work!

Meet Sparky! The star of a series by Ruby Nash.

Sparky is bouncy, cuddly, clumsy but definitely NOT magical. One day he is accidentally whisked away on a broomstick to Mrs Mothwick's Magic Academy... will he be allowed to stay??

There are now three books out in the series from Red Fox/Random House Children's Books: Sparky at Magic School, Sparky's Bad Spell and Sparky's School Trip. 

I illustrated the brilliant Spies in Disguise: Boy in Tights, written by Kate Scott and published by Piccadilly Press. This was followed by Boy in a Tutu and Boy in Heels.

We were all super proud to see Boy in Tights win the Lancashire Fantastic Book Award in 2015!

I recently illustrated Charlie and the Aztecs, an Oxford University Press reading tree story by Tom Jamieson. 

On a school trip to a museum, Charlie suddenly finds herself transported back in time to an Aztec village! She arrives on the day of a sports contest, and is furious to find that girls aren't allowed to enter the contest. Undeterred, she enters the contest in disguise... but can she win it, and will she find a way home?

This was a great story to illustrate and it gave me the opportunity to do a lot of research into Aztec history. There are lots of high energy images, and tons of colour and pattern in the clothing.

Little, Brown Books approached me to illustrate a fantastic series called Maisie Mae.

Maisie loves pink and glitter and wants to live in a girly paradise... but unfortunately she has FIVE stinky brothers to deal with!

Three books came out in 2014, which follow Maisie's adventures and antics with her troublesome brothers. Here are the covers and some of my favourite illustrations from the books.

An eight-book box set series with a gang of puppy pals for the lovely people at Scholastic USA.

I was selected to illustrated a wonderful project created by tennis guru Judy Murray, called Set4Sport.

Set4Sport is a nationwide campaign to get parents and children to be more active together and play games which can be created from things laying around the house – inspired by the games that Judy would play with Andy and Jamie.

The illustrations are used in a free book, with images to accompany each of the 16 game instructions. The images are also used on a website and mobile phone app, as well as featured in a travelling Set4Sport roadshow on banners, leaflets, posters, billboards, sports equipment and even on the side of a van!

A fantastic project to be involved with, that continues to grow.

Throughout 2012 I illustrated a whopping 8 book educational series called Zak Zoo, written by talented Justine Smith and published by the lovely people at Orchard Children's Books. 

It was great fun to engage with the characters over such a long series - especially when you're illustrating a whole jungle full of anthropomorphic animals!