Like Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton and Beatrix Potter before her, Lauren will be fondly remembered by a generation of children who grow up reading the colourful adventures of Charlie And Lola or Clarice Bean just before bedtime.
Now, 17 books in, Lauren's career is about to step up another notch as she becomes the subject of Manchester Art Gallery's summer exhibition.
It's a slot in the gallery's calendar that's previously hosted Kylie Minogue's frocks and Dick Bruna's loveable rabbit Miffy, and it's just one more indication that Lauren, pictured below, is joining the ranks of the super famous.
It's timely, too, coming on the brink of Lauren's tenth anniversary as a published author, a milestone she'll mark with the exhibition - her debut solo show, which tours the country until 2010 after its three month stay in Manchester - and a series of novels for older children.
Lauren has become the latest doyenne of the children's books world for two reasons. Firstly, Charlie And Lola was turned into a BBC series, and secondly, Lauren's work demonstrates a firm understanding of the vividness of children's imaginations.
Part drawn, part collage, part patchwork using pieces of fabric from clothes she had as a little girl, Lauren's books look full of life. Even the words are playfully presented, snaking the page and leaping into capitals or squeezing together to emphasise her characters' speech patterns. But her style happened almost by accident.
"When you spend a long time working towards something, your style becomes stronger," says Lauren. "I wasn't instantly published, I had quite a long time of being turned down."
Equally, her characters owe much to chance. "Often what happens is you see an incident or scene, someone dressed in an interesting way, or someone tells you a funny story. You make a mental note.
"Lola was a little girl I saw on the train in Denmark, Clarice Bean is based on me but isn't me and her mother is based on two people in New York who used to be a magician's assistant and a tight-rope walker when they were younger."
Lauren's big break into the book world came with her 1999 book Clarice Bean, That's Me. The daughter of two teachers, she learned the ropes about art history from her dad, and was surrounded by books throughout her childhood.
"I always loved Quentin Blake's work," she recalls. "I was amazed by his way of making everything much more approachable.
Subversive
"I loved Ronald Searle, who was expressive and subversive, Angela Barrett's painting are beautiful with this slightly sinister edge, and Edward Gorey was a big influence."
She worked as an assistant to controversial artist Damien Hirst, colouring in spots on his abstract Dots series.
"After that, becoming a writer was a means to an end, not an end in itself. I was interested in many things: product design, furniture, fine art, story telling. I realised there was a common thread and saw that I was particularly interested in the area of children's books and film.
"So, I started writing. Once I'd done it, I found it such a fascinating thing to do."
Hirst's masterpieces are miles away from the sweet world Lauren occupies, but creating children's books and TV shows is not without controversy either.
"Making them for TV is different and can be quite difficult. There are so many guidelines; you're not allowed to show children standing on chairs or jumping on sofas, and you're not supposed to show them eating biscuits or other things that are bad for them.
"But I've never met a child who didn't like jumping on the sofa or eating biscuits. I think my characters reflect a world that means something to children - and is real."
At the Manchester exhibition, though, fans of Lauren's books will see her world reflected like never before - in spectacular 3D. Children will get the chance to make meals from Charlie's fridge, try on Lola's alligator costume or take a walk down Grubby Alley.
"I was amazed when they approached me and said they wanted to do this," she enthuses. "They've done some really wonderful scenes in the gallery so children feel they're walking into a book. But I hope it will appeal to the whole family and aspiring illustrators."
Green Drops And Moonsquirters: The Utterly Imaginative World Of Lauren Child opens at Manchester Art Gallery on Saturday, June 21 and runs until Sunday, September 21. Entry is free.
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