Tony Ross was born in Wandsworth, but moved during the war to Cheshire. He ended up at the Liverpool Regional College of Art after despairing of working with his first love - horses. He went into teaching after a bad day in an advertising agency, where he was art director, and at first taught in all sorts of areas - design, advertising, typography. At that time he was drawing cartoons in magazines like Punch.
He has written and illustrated many popular books for children including Foxy Fables, I'm Coming to Get You and Naughty Nigel, all published in Puffin. He lives in Cheshire with his wife and daughter.