Ned Barraud

BARRAUD, Ned (1976 - ) was born in Nelson and currently resides in Wellington. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in illustration, from the Massey University School of Design in 2000. An illustrator and writer of non-fiction books for children, from 2005 - 2019 he worked as a texture painter at Weta Digital.

Barraud illustrated all six books in the award-winning Explore & Discover series, published by Potton & Burton and written by Gillian Candler. The first in the series, At the Beach: Explore and Discover the New Zealand Seashore (2012), won the Elsie Locke Non-fiction Award; In the Garden: Explore and Discover the New Zealand Backyard (2013) and Under the Ocean: Explore and Discover New Zealand’s Sea Life (2014) were both recognised as Storylines Notable Non-fiction Books; From Moa to Dinosaurs: Explore and Discover Ancient New Zealand (2016) was a finalist in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults Non-fiction category.

Barraud has written and illustrated two picture books: Moonman in 2014 (Potton & Burton) and Watch Out For the Weka (Potton & Burton, 2017).

In 2018, his Backyard Beasts (Potton & Burton, 2018) was named a Storylines Notable Non-Fiction Book. Tohora: The Southern Right Whale (Potton & Burton, 2019), and Rock Pools: A Guide for Kiwi Kids (Potton & Burton, 2019). 

Barraud's distinctive illustrations can be found in What Happened To The Moa? and Where Is It?: a wildlife hunt for Kiwi Kids, both published in 2020 by Potton & Burton.

In 2023, Barraud released the exciting new titles Tuatara: A Living Treasure, working with author Katie Furze for Scholastic, and Mangō: Sharks and Rays of Aotearoa with Te Papa Press.

Barraud now combines writing and illustrating from home with caring full-time for his children.