The World of Tiny Clare

Clare Stubbs was born in Kent, United Kingdom in the 1970s. By the time she was two years old, she had developed a love of animals and a curiosity about the natural world that was wholly encouraged by her parents. Clare's early life was full of grassy gardens, pets, butterflies, flowers and ponds, and lots of books about animals too.

"Nature is amazing and I cannot understand it when people seem dispassionate or ambivalent about the natural world."

This absolutely fascination with nature became a obsession in 1979. Clare was allowed to stay up late to watch Sir David Attenborough's first major natural history series: 'Life on Earth'. This was followed in 1984 by Sir David's 'The Living Planet'. Unfortunately the show aired when Clare had violin lessons (these were the days before videos and catch-up). The solution was simple: she told her parents she was giving up the violin to watch Sir David instead! 

"It is my hope that children will read 'Tiny Clare' and that the stories will leave them with a curiosity about nature.  Children are curious and should be encouraged to ask questions so that they discover the wonderful creatures, plants and habitats that are out there."

Never one to fit in, Clare preferred her own company, watching nature programmes, drawing, colouring in and spending time reading or being with animals. She is still very much into watching Sir David Attenborough's programmes, doing art, reading and animals. She says "I haven't really changed much, I'm just taller." In fact, the 'Tiny Clare' books started as random nature drawings and collages that seemed to turn themselves into  sequences, then whole stories. 

Ever a curious life-long-learner, Clare did her GCSEs and A Levels, then went to university where her curiosity only got worse. Her Bachelors degree left her with so many questions she had to do a Masters, and then a PhD. Clare qualified as a school teacher in 2001, more to get back into the classroom and find things out herself than to teach! However, natural history remains her passion.

"It is so important, now more than ever, that we appreciate nature and look after our natural habitats. I want today's 'Tiny Clare' readers to be tomorrow's stewards."

Clare was diagnosed with Autism as an adult, which made perfect sense. "If there was a medication you could take to get rid of Autism, I absolutely would not take it. Being Autistic has enabled me to see the world in minute detail, to see, hear, smell and feel Nature, to immerse myself in her colours, sounds, light and patterns, in ways that most people cannot appreciate. It's not always easy having Autism, and I'm not always easy to be around, but I would not want to experience the world in any other way."

The 'Tiny Clare' stories are semi-autobiographical (obviously!).