Eric Hill (1927–2014) started his artistic career as an art studio messenger and from there went on to become a cartoonist and eventually an art director at a leading advertising agency. In 1978, Eric made up a story about a small puppy to read to his son at bedtime, and Spot was born. The success of his first bestselling lift-the-flap classic, Where's Spot?, in 1980 convinced him to become a full-time author, and his Spot books have been enjoyed by children around the world ever since. In 2008 he was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to children's literacy.