David McKee (2)

British writer, creator and illustrator of the Mr Benn series, Elmer. Born 2 January 1935 in Devon, England, UK. Passed away, 7th April 2022 David McKee was raised in Tavistock, Devon, who then went on to study at Plymouth College of Art. He created many characters that have been loved by children through the generations, and the most popular of these was Elmer the Patchwork Elephant. Elmer was first published by Dobson Books in 1968, and was re-issued by Andersen Press in 1989. It remains one of the most iconic and widely read children’s book series of all time. McKee created 29 Elmer books that have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and translated into more than 60 languages, adapted as a stage play as well as an animated TV series which was available on VHS in the mid 90s. The beloved character was an inspiration for a whole range of merchandise, including toys. Elmer was inspired when a racist incident when he was out with his daughter. Amongst the popular characters was Mr Benn who appeared in several books and a animated television series that was shown during the mid 70s with a special episode of the final book Gladiator shown by Nickelodeon Jnr in 2005. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Open University at Plymouth College of Art in 2011 and most recently named the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 2020 and Illustrator of the Year at that year’s British Book Awards.