James Prunier

James Prunier (1959) was born in Oran, Algeria. His father’s job as a pilot meant he grew up in very diverse landscapes: Lake Constance in Germany,  the Landes and Provence in France, and then as an adolescent, he was marked by the discovery of the industrial landscape of Lorraine, in which he identified a type of poetry. He went on to study at Epinal Art School and Fine Arts in Nancy. 1981 marked a turning point in his life when he won an art competition, propelling him into the realm of illustrated books. Hailed as the “Official Painter of the Skies”, a decade later, Prunier soared to new heights with the History of Aviation series. James is the illustrator behind the Dinosaurs, Trees, Trains, and Elephants in the My First Discovery series.