Mimi Maple with Bamboo the German Shepherd

Author · Illustrator · Educator

“Stories can give children words for feelings they already know in their hearts.”Mimi Maple

Meet the author

Hello, I'm Mimi Maple.

Mimi Maple is a UK-based children’s author, illustrator and educator who creates warm, playful stories about kindness, feelings, friendship, confidence and being yourself.

Drawing on more than seven years of teaching experience and the everyday adventures of childhood, Mimi writes books that children can simply enjoy while quietly opening the door to bigger conversations.

Her stories are inspired by the wonderfully imaginative world around Azalea, Bamboo, Lita and Balloonie, with plenty of room for laughter, wobbling, dancing and learning along the way.

Inspired by real nursery moments, her stories explore feelings, kindness and friendship in simple, comforting ways. Each book begins as hand-drawn sketches and grows slowly with care, patience and imagination.

UK-based 7+ years of teaching Begins as hand-drawn sketches Inspired by nursery days

Connect with Mimi Browse the books

Behind the pages

How the books are made.

Every Mimi Maple book starts as hand-drawn sketches and grows slowly with care, patience and imagination. Here is how A Wobbly Hug came together, in Mimi’s own words, with three hand-drawn pages you can enlarge.

Every picture in this book was drawn by hand, made slowly and lovingly, one page at a time. Many drawings were redrawn, changed, and improved along the way. Some pages took several tries before they felt just right. This story grew through patience, practice, and learning.Mimi Maple · from A Wobbly Hug

A Wobbly Hug was drawn entirely by hand in coloured pencil. Tap any page below to see the drawings up close.

Begins as hand-drawn sketches

Each book starts on paper and grows slowly with care, patience and imagination. A Wobbly Hug was drawn entirely by hand in coloured pencil, and some of its pages took several tries before they felt just right.

Inspired by real nursery moments

More than seven years of teaching experience and the everyday adventures of childhood find their way into every story: wobbly hugs, gentle giants and brave first steps.

Stories that start conversations

Books children can simply enjoy, while quietly opening the door to bigger conversations about feelings, kindness and friendship at home, at nursery or at school.

Conversation starters and classroom ideas for grown-ups

Meet the friends

The world of Mimi Maple.

Tap a friend to learn their story, their favourite things and one little secret. Choose a book to see who appears in it.

All 11 friends

Which friend are you? Try the Playroom quiz

Our Beautiful Town

Where Balloonie and Bamboo live.

Balloonie’s Balloon Shop stands on Cherry Blossom Lane and, across the lane in a tall red-roofed house, lives a gentle giant named Bamboo. Every Balloonie and Bamboo story opens with a map of their town.

Tap to enlarge ⤢

Places to explore

Where shall we go?Choose a place to read a little about it.

0 of 9 places explored

Ready for a story? Start with Balloonie and Bamboo, or browse the whole bookshelf.

Two sides of one story

The same town, seen from two hearts.

Balloonie and Bamboo (Edition 1) and Bamboo and Balloonie (Edition 2) tell one birthday from two sides, and each opens with its own map of the same town. Read both together to see one friendship from two hearts, or look out for the Twin Stories Special Edition hardcover, which binds both stories back to back.

The collection

The bookshelf so far.

Five picture books, a keepsake hardcover on its way, a cosy colouring book for grown-ups and planners made for real working lives. Every one written and designed by Mimi.

Browse the books Buy direct in the Shop Amazon author page

Direct copies are a little cheaper than Amazon and posted by Mimi; nothing is charged on the website until Mimi sends a payment link. Tap “Quick look” or “Look inside” to peek at a book without leaving this page.

From the pages of Ballet with Balloonie

A little note from Azalea’s Mummy

Azalea began dancing when she was just 19 months old. From the very beginning, Miss Lisa never saw age as a hurdle. She welcomed Azalea, along with hundreds of other little dancers, into a world filled with music, confidence, kindness and grace. Week after week, we watched tiny footsteps grow into beautiful ballet moves, and shy little children grow into confident young dancers. Ballet with Balloonie was inspired by that journey. Just like Balloonie, every child dances in their own special way. Some children twirl differently, learn differently, move differently or grow in confidence at different times — and that is something beautiful.

Ballet with Balloonie was inspired by Azalea’s dance journey at The Dance House Academy, the same dance school Mimi has created bespoke planners for in the Studio.

Read about Ballet with Balloonie Free ballet printable

Where to find Mimi

Say hello to Mimi Maple Books.

New releases, book updates and behind-the-scenes posts. For questions about the books, printables or custom planners, send Mimi a message or email mimimaplebooks@outlook.com.

Connect with Mimi

Find Mimi Maple locally

Available at The Dance House Academy shop in Clacton-on-Sea.

Prefer to browse in person? Selected Mimi Maple books are available from The Dance House Academy shop in Clacton-on-Sea.

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