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in 1989. His 29 Elmer books have sold more than 10 million copies and have appeared in more than 60 languages being adapted as a stage play and an animated series. The character has spawned a range of merchandise, including soft toys, from London Emblem and
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Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2020, in recognition of his whole body of work. He declared it a "shock" but "fantastic", and said he'd "never been one for the spotlight or winning awards". McKee was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from
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While still at college, he began selling one-off cartoons, particularly to the national press. On leaving college, he continued this to support himself while painting, drawing regularly for, among others,
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used some of McKee's books on television and asked about the possibility of a more extensive project. The result was the development of a series about one of McKee's characters, the resulting series was
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who can carry two cans of paint on its enormous bill. This was published by
Abelard-Schuman in 1964; a 1985 edition with new illustrations by McKee was re-issued in 2001 by Andersen Press.
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was started. The company maintained its success, with McKee being involved on projects usually as a writer. They have been responsible for various films, including
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where he lived with his partner Bakhta, a French-Algerian art-dealer. He shared with her an interest in collecting drawings and
African tribal art. He won the
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139:(2 January 1935 – 6 April 2022) was a British writer and illustrator, chiefly of children's books and animations.
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books. He also illustrated books written by his mother, Violet McKee, and by his son, Chuck McKee.
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For his contribution as a children's illustrator, he was UK nominee for the biennial international
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This article is about the
British illustrator and author. For other people with the same name, see
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board books. McKee illustrated the songs "Toy Boy" and "Lonely
Alcoholic" in singer-songwriter
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1045:"Elmer and Mr Benn creator David McKee wins BookTrust's Lifetime Achievement Award"
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McKee produced several characters who formed the basis of book series, including
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in 1987. His previous wife was
Barbara Ennuss, with whom he had three children.
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888:"McKee reflects on three decades of Elmer as the iconic elephant turns global"
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He illustrated books by other authors, including some of the more recent
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1125:"Charity is a fine thing, but it can't justify the wealth of the 1%"
909:"David McKee death: Author of Elmer and Mr Benn books dies aged 87"
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books, with two friends, Clive Juster and Leo
Nielsen. The company
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Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; McKee, David; Brooks, Ray (7 March 2017).
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King Rollo Films has produced many other animations, including
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The first book he sold was of a story he had told at college,
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McKee died on 6 April 2022 after a short illness. He was 87.
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David John McKee was born on 2 January 1935 and raised in
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1095:"David McKee: Mr Benn and Elmer author dies aged 87"
278:fund followed, then a series of films based on the
791:"Elmer and Mr Benn author David McKee dies at 87"
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1070:"'The shock is hard to get over!' David McKee"
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819:International Board on Books for Young People
248:(1972, 2011), teaches how a war can develop.
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44:McKee at the Montreuil Book Festival in 2011
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16:British writer and illustrator (1935–2022)
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1188:, with 104 library catalogue records
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994:"Elephant man who never forgot his bank"
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387:The Poor Farmer and the Robber Knights
1265:Alumni of the Plymouth College of Art
1222:Critical analysis of Not Now, Bernard
1196:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
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1270:British children's book illustrators
1218:, 19 January 2008. (via archive.org)
1018:Bletchly, Rachael (1 October 2019).
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821:(IBBY). Press release 27 March 2006.
315:and the animated stories within the
706:(illustrated By Joanna Quinn, 2003)
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959:Billen, Andrew (19 January 2008).
935:"How we made cult cartoon Mr Benn"
704:The Adventures of Charmin the Bear
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992:Anstead, Mark (17 October 2003).
886:Eyre, Charlotte (12 March 2019).
837:Jeffries, Stuart (12 July 2014).
577:The School Bus Comes At 8 O’clock
244:. One of McKee's earliest books,
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839:"25 years of Elmer the elephant"
825:"Hans Christian Andersen Awards"
668:King Rollo and the New Stockings
189:The Times Educational Supplement
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626:Prince Peter and the Teddy Bear
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1212:(interview with David McKee),
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553:The Monster and the Teddy Bear
343:Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis
225:in 1968, and was re-issued by
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1201:David McKee at Andersen Press
827:. IBBY. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
789:Knight, Lucy (7 April 2022).
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412:The Magician and the Sorcerer
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144:Hans Christian Andersen Award
1160:Children's literature portal
451:King Rollo and the new shoes
214:Elmer the Patchwork Elephant
116:Elmer the Patchwork Elephant
21:David McKee (disambiguation)
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907:Moore, Sam (7 April 2022).
464:King Rollo and the birthday
162:, England. After attending
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1280:English children's writers
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632:Elmer Plays Hide and Seek
534:Who's a Clever Baby Then?
522:The Sad Story of Veronica
498:King Rollo and the Letter
329:Personal life and honours
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638:Elmer and the Lost Teddy
438:King Rollo and the bread
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319:'s children's programme
355:Plymouth College of Art
221:was first published by
168:Plymouth College of Art
1290:Writers from Tavistock
765:"David McKee obituary"
662:Elmer and Grandpa Eldo
650:Elmer and the Stranger
608:Charlotte's Piggy Bank
207:Writer and illustrator
857:"Author: David McKee"
614:The Elmer Pop up Book
504:The Hill and the Rock
302:, and Lucy Cousins's
1123:(20 December 2013).
863:(UK). Archived from
698:Elmer and the Hippos
596:Isabel's Noisy Tummy
259:Films and television
1186:Library of Congress
686:Elmer and Butterfly
674:Mr Benn – Gladiator
656:Look! There's Elmer
492:I Hate My Teddybear
333:McKee had homes in
102:Author, illustrator
1174:Visual arts portal
973:on 13 October 2008
710:Who is Mrs. Green?
692:Elmer's New Friend
620:Elmer and the Wind
1275:English animators
961:"Billen and Benn"
761:Eccleshare, Julia
602:Elmer in the Snow
407:978-0-7358-4050-8
348:He was awarded a
276:Save the Children
238:'s extended play
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763:(8 April 2022).
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478:Not Now, Bernard
284:King Rollo Films
241:Songs for Sorrow
199:. It is about a
166:, he studied at
137:David John McKee
126:Not Now, Bernard
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861:Random House
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312:Spot the Dog
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108:Notable work
85:(2022-04-06)
83:6 April 2022
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1260:2022 deaths
1255:1935 births
1236:David McKee
1227:David McKee
1192:David McKee
1182:David McKee
1029:24 February
1003:24 February
559:Elmer Again
32:David McKee
1249:Categories
1024:The Mirror
735:References
528:Snow Woman
280:King Rollo
150:Early life
60:1935-01-02
1215:The Times
1074:BookTrust
1049:BookTrust
966:The Times
425:Tusk Tusk
357:in 2011.
350:BookTrust
296:Eric Hill
288:Tony Ross
156:Tavistock
146:in 2006.
74:, England
68:Tavistock
1099:BBC News
977:12 March
337:and the
93:, France
1231:Discogs
1194:at the
1134:9 April
1105:7 April
944:7 March
918:7 April
871:17 July
823:
800:8 April
774:8 April
585:(1994)
542:(1989)
481:(1980)
466:(1979)
453:(1979)
440:(1979)
427:(1978)
414:(1974)
399:Six Men
322:Fimbles
271:Mr Benn
246:Six Men
121:Mr Benn
1079:7 June
1054:7 June
730:(2018)
724:(2010)
722:Denver
718:(2004)
712:(2003)
700:(2003)
694:(2002)
688:(2002)
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395:(1970)
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335:London
292:Towser
201:toucan
186:, and
540:Elmer
361:Death
304:Maisy
232:Elmer
219:Elmer
177:Punch
160:Devon
72:Devon
1240:IMDb
1136:2022
1107:2022
1081:2021
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979:2010
946:2017
920:2022
873:2014
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587:ISBN
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263:The
236:Mika
91:Nice
80:Died
50:Born
1238:at
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317:BBC
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