Aileen Paterson
Encyclopedia
Aileen Paterson is a Scottish
writer and illustrator, best known for her series of children's books about Maisie the kitten, beginning with Maisie Comes to Morningside
the title deliberately echoing 'Cotton comes to Harlem' by Chester Himes
.
Born in the Fife town of Burntisland
, she then moved to Kirkcaldy
, before gaining a place at Edinburgh Art College where she specialised in pottery.
Maisie, the heroine, wears a kilt
and Fair Isle
jumper. She lives in a flat in Morningside
, the famous genteel suburb in Edinburgh
. Aileen Paterson has created a world where almost everyone is feline. There's a belligerent budgie and the occasional horse, but no dogs or humans. However, the illustrations are of real places, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paris or New York, the latter title 'Maisie Bites the Big Apple' featuring the Marc Chagall
murals in the Metropolitan Opera House
.
Maisie is a brave, adventurous kitten exploring a world that ultimately reinforces the good things in life such as friendship, food, fun, community and football. The wit and finely tuned social observation engages adults as much as children.
Several stories have been turned into an animated series called Meeow starring Stanley Baxter
and her latest book sees Maisie investigating strange goings-on in Edinburgh's Botanic Gardens.
Aileen Paterson lives with an aristocratic Cornish Rex
called Genghis. She has 5 grown-up children and 6 grandchildren. Her interests include reading, gardening, crosswords and jazz.
2 Maisie goes to Glasgow (1984)
3 Maisie’s Mystery Tour (1984)
4 Maisie Meets her Match (1984)
5 Maisie in London (1985)
6 Maisie and the Monster (1985)
7 Little Marco (1987)
8 Maisie goes to School (1988)
9 Maisie and the Space Invader (1988)
10 Maisie and the Posties (1988)
11 Maisie’s Festival Adventure (1988)
12 Maisie Loves Paris (1989)
13 Maisie goes to Hospital (1989)
14 Maisie’s Colouring Book (1990)
15 What Maisie did Next (1991)
16 Maisie in the Rainforest (1992)
17 Maisie and the Puffer (1992)
18 The Pigs of Puddledub (1992)
19 Maisie Digs up the Past (1994)
20 Maisie at the Edinburgh Book Festival (1994)
21 Maisie Goes to Hollywood (1994)
22 Maisie’s Merry Christmas (1995)
23 Maisie’s Second Colouring Book (1995)
24 Maisie’s Fun and Games Activity Book (1996)
25 Children’s Guide to Edinburgh [illustrated] (1997)
26 Maisie and the Pirates (1998)
27 Maisie’s Millennium Calendar (1999)
28 Maisie Jumps into Japan (2000)
29 Maisie Bites the Big Apple (2002)
30 Maisie and the Abominable Snowcat (2004)
31 Maisie and the Botanic Garden Mystery (2006)
32 Maisie’s Botanic Activity Book (2008)
Contributed to the following anthologies
Braw Stories (2005)
Scottish Summer Schools (2007)
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
writer and illustrator, best known for her series of children's books about Maisie the kitten, beginning with Maisie Comes to Morningside
Morningside, Edinburgh
Morningside is a district in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is south of the areas of Bruntsfield, Burghmuirhead ; south-west of Marchmont, and south-east of Merchiston...
the title deliberately echoing 'Cotton comes to Harlem' by Chester Himes
Chester Himes
Chester Bomar Himes was an American writer. His works include If He Hollers Let Him Go and a series of Harlem Detective novels...
.
Born in the Fife town of Burntisland
Burntisland
Burntisland is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland on the Firth of Forth. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 5,940....
, she then moved to Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
, before gaining a place at Edinburgh Art College where she specialised in pottery.
Maisie, the heroine, wears a kilt
Kilt
The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...
and Fair Isle
Fair Isle
Fair Isle is an island in northern Scotland, lying around halfway between mainland Shetland and the Orkney islands. It is famous for its bird observatory and a traditional style of knitting.-Geography:...
jumper. She lives in a flat in Morningside
Morningside, Edinburgh
Morningside is a district in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is south of the areas of Bruntsfield, Burghmuirhead ; south-west of Marchmont, and south-east of Merchiston...
, the famous genteel suburb in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. Aileen Paterson has created a world where almost everyone is feline. There's a belligerent budgie and the occasional horse, but no dogs or humans. However, the illustrations are of real places, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paris or New York, the latter title 'Maisie Bites the Big Apple' featuring the Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
murals in the Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center)
The Metropolitan Opera House is an opera house located on Broadway at Lincoln Square in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the theater opened in 1966. It replaced the former Metropolitan Opera House at Broadway and 39th St...
.
Maisie is a brave, adventurous kitten exploring a world that ultimately reinforces the good things in life such as friendship, food, fun, community and football. The wit and finely tuned social observation engages adults as much as children.
Several stories have been turned into an animated series called Meeow starring Stanley Baxter
Stanley Baxter
Stanley Baxter is a Scottish comic actor and impressionist, best known for his British television shows. He worked in radio, theatre, television and film.-Early life:...
and her latest book sees Maisie investigating strange goings-on in Edinburgh's Botanic Gardens.
Aileen Paterson lives with an aristocratic Cornish Rex
Cornish Rex
A Cornish Rex is a breed of domestic cat. The Cornish Rex has no hair except for down. Most breeds of cat have three different types of hair in their coats: the outer fur or "guard hairs", which is about 5 cm long in shorthairs and 10cm+ long in longhairs; a middle layer called the "awn hair";...
called Genghis. She has 5 grown-up children and 6 grandchildren. Her interests include reading, gardening, crosswords and jazz.
Publications
1 Maisie comes to Morningside (1984)2 Maisie goes to Glasgow (1984)
3 Maisie’s Mystery Tour (1984)
4 Maisie Meets her Match (1984)
5 Maisie in London (1985)
6 Maisie and the Monster (1985)
7 Little Marco (1987)
8 Maisie goes to School (1988)
9 Maisie and the Space Invader (1988)
10 Maisie and the Posties (1988)
11 Maisie’s Festival Adventure (1988)
12 Maisie Loves Paris (1989)
13 Maisie goes to Hospital (1989)
14 Maisie’s Colouring Book (1990)
15 What Maisie did Next (1991)
16 Maisie in the Rainforest (1992)
17 Maisie and the Puffer (1992)
18 The Pigs of Puddledub (1992)
19 Maisie Digs up the Past (1994)
20 Maisie at the Edinburgh Book Festival (1994)
21 Maisie Goes to Hollywood (1994)
22 Maisie’s Merry Christmas (1995)
23 Maisie’s Second Colouring Book (1995)
24 Maisie’s Fun and Games Activity Book (1996)
25 Children’s Guide to Edinburgh [illustrated] (1997)
26 Maisie and the Pirates (1998)
27 Maisie’s Millennium Calendar (1999)
28 Maisie Jumps into Japan (2000)
29 Maisie Bites the Big Apple (2002)
30 Maisie and the Abominable Snowcat (2004)
31 Maisie and the Botanic Garden Mystery (2006)
32 Maisie’s Botanic Activity Book (2008)
Contributed to the following anthologies
Braw Stories (2005)
Scottish Summer Schools (2007)