Jonathan was born in Leicestershire, England in 1965, the son of a rig factory and a primary school teacher.
He loved books from an early age and some of his earliest memories are of visiting his local library. The picture books that he borrowed then, including 'Where the Wild Things Are' by 'Maurice Sendak' and 'The Cat in the Hat' by Dr. Seuss, have had a great influence on the picture books that he now writes.
He developed his skills as a writer and illustrator while studying and working as an architect, before leaving the profession to become a children's author in 1995.
In addition to writing picture books such as 'Bringing Down the Moon', 'Someone Bigger' and 'Ruby, in Her Own Time', Jonathan also writes and paper-engineers pop-up books. His books have been translated into over thirty different languages and have won several awards both at home and in the US including the Vermont Red Clover Award and the Utah Beehive Book Award for 'The Princess and the Pig' .
He now lives in Nottingham, England.