Chae Strathie grew up in the beautiful World Heritage village of New Lanark in central Scotland. When he left school he moved to Edinburgh to study film and photography. He dropped out after a year, but shortly after leaving college, he landed a job as a reporter with Scottish newspaper institution, The Sunday Post – home of ‘Oor Wullie’ and ‘The Broons’. He has been one of the Sunday Post’s lead feature writers for many years. And no, he doesn’t sit on a bucket. Or wear dungarees. He is currently commissioning editor for Living magazine.

His first picture book, ‘My Dad’, was published by Meadowside in 2008, followed a year after that by ‘The Tickle Tree’, illustrated by Poly Bernatene. He then moved to Scholastic and has now written over twenty picture books and young fiction titles, many of them award-winners. From the ‘The Loon On The Moon’, illustrated by Emily Golden which won the respected Dundee Picture Book Awards; to Scottish Children’s Book Awards award-winner, ‘Jumblebum’, illustrated by Ben Cort; to his most recent picture books with fabulous illustrator, Nicky O’Byrne, ‘Gorilla Loves Vanilla’ (a Bookbug prize-winner!) and the  ‘Dear Dinosaur’ series – every one of them is full of fun and wonderful to read aloud.

His latest series doesn’t involve making things up – it’s the ‘So You Think You’ve Got It Bad…’ series superbly illustrated by Marisa Morea and published by Nosy Crow in conjunction with the British Museum; it compares and contrasts the lives of children now, and in the distant past.

His most recent picture book is ‘Pinkie and Boo!’ with illustrator, Francis Martin (Little Door Books) which introduces two brand new characters – Pinkie who loves being the smallest in her family until a BABY comes along and her new toy monkey, Boo who is full of ‘super-brilliant’ ideas…

Chae’s popular live events are a brilliantly entertaining mash-up of reading, singing, drawing, fun and daftness.  He plays guitar and harmonica with enthusiasm and some skill!

He lives in Dundee, where he is the Commissioning Editor for Living Magazine.