Joan Rankin has illustrated over 30 books for children. She received the South African HAUM Daan Retief Prize for children's book illustration in 1986 and the Katrine Harries Award for Children's Book Illustration in 1991. She has illustrated numerous books on the McElderry list, including A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson and Off to First Grade by Louise Borden. More recently Joan has won the MER Prize for best illustrated children's book for Just Sisi/Net Sisi written by Wendy Hartmann.