‘David McKee is a genius at portraying a child's conflicts in picture books . ’
The Times
David McKee was born in Devon where he had a ‘straightforward, comfortable upbringing,’ and from grammar school he went on to Plymouth Art College, where he had a traditional training.
While still at college, he started selling one-off cartoons, particularly to the national press. On leaving college he continued this in order to support himself while painting, drawing regularly for, among others, Punch, Reader’s Digest, and The Times Educational Supplement. His drawings were influenced especially by Saul Steinberg and Andre Francois.
At college he sometimes told stories to his friends. When he discovered children’s picture books, it seemed a natural direction to try. The first book that he sold was one of the stories he had told at college, TWO CAN TOUCAN . This was published by Abelard-Schuman in 1964 and the version David reillustrated in 1985 was re-issued in 2001 by Andersen Press.
The BBC used some of the books on television and asked about the possibility of films. This led to David’s first films, a series about MR BENN . Five films for the Save the Children fund followed, then a series of films based on the KING ROLLO books, with two friends, Clive Juster and Leo Nielsen. The company King Rollo Films was started. The company is still very successful, with David being involved on projects usually as a writer. They have been responsible for various films including Tony Ross’s Towser, Eric Hill’s Spot, and Lucy Cousins’ Maisy. The company plans to produce 26 animated films of Elmer.
David has produced several well-known characters that have developed into book series, including King Rollo and Mr Benn. His most famous creation is ELMER THE PATCHWORK ELEPHANT . Elmer is now published in more than 20 languages and there is a range of merchandise available, including soft toys, from Petit Jour and other companies worldwide. David McKee has written and illustrated over 30 titles for Andersen Press.
Click the links Below for more Information about David McKee
David Mckee Interview in 'Illustration'
David's Links
David's Books
0. Elmer Again - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707500) It's coming up to Elmer's Day, the day when all grey elephants paint themselves in bright colours. For Elmer, the patchwork elephant with the mischievous sense of fun, life seems far too quiet. So he thinks up a marvellous joke he can play on the other elephants in the night, when they're asleep...
0. Elmer and Papa Red - Hardback
£10.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781849391979) It's two days before the annual visit of Papa Red and the young elephants are very excited. They choose a tree to decorate and prepare the presents for Papa Red to collect during the night to take to those who need them. But this year Elmer has a special treat in store for the young elephants, if they can keep quiet and out of sight...
Elmer is on his way to visit his Grandpa Eldo. He has great fun reminding Eldo of all the things they used to do together, but is Eldo quite as forgetful as Elmer thinks? He may be old but he is an elephant, after all, and elephants never forget. Do they?
0. Elmer on Stilts - Paperback
£6.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842708378) The hunters are coming and all the elephants are worried. Elmer, the patchwork elephant, comes up with a plan to outwit the hunters but things don't turn out quite as planned...
Read along with the audio CD included to bring the story to life!
0. Elmer and Papa Red - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781849392143) It's two days before the annual visit of Papa Red and the young elephants are very excited. They choose a tree to decorate and prepare the presents for Papa Red to collect during the night to take to those who need them. But this year Elmer has a special treat in store for the young elephants, if they can keep quiet and out of sight...
0. Denver - Hardback
£10.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842709634) Denver is rich – very, very rich. Everyone in the village loves him for his kindness and generosity. But one day a stranger arrives, who breeds discontent by telling the villagers it isn't fair for Denver to have so much more than they do. When Denver hears what has happened, he divides his money equally between everyone. He moves to a new village, where he lives happily and is better appreciated, but for the old villagers life just is not the same without him.
0. Elmer on Stilts - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842708385) The hunters are coming and all the elephants are worried. Elmer, the patchwork elephant, comes up with a plan to outwit the hunters but things don't turn out quite as planned...
0. Elmer and Wilbur - Paperback
£6.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842709832) Elmer loves practical jokes, but so does his cousin Wilbur. Until, that is, Elmer has an idea which brings Wilbur back down to earth, in more ways than one...
Read along with the audio CD included to bring the story to life!
Elmer and the other elephants are waiting for the storm to end so they can see the beautiful, colourful rainbow. But something dreadful has happened: the rainbow has lost its colours!
Elmer decides to give his own colours to the rainbow. But what will happen to Elmer if he gives the rainbow his own colours? Will he lose them for ever?
0. Elmer and the Wind - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707739) Aided and abetted by his ventriloquist cousin, Wilbur, Elmer pretends to be blown away on the windiest day. They make fools of the other elephants, but when the laughter dies down, Elmer reassures them that a heavy elephant is safe in the worst of gales. When he tries to prove it, much to his surprise, he really does get blown away!
0. Elmer and the Wind - Paperback
£6.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707845) Aided and abetted by his ventriloquist cousin, Wilbur, Elmer pretends to be blown away on the windiest day. They make fools of the other elephants, but when the laughter dies down, Elmer reassures them that a heavy elephant is safe in the worst of gales. When he tries to prove it, much to his surprise, he really does get blown away!
Read along with the audio CD included to bring the story to life!
0. Elmer and Wilbur - Hardback
£9.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9780862645069) Another hilarious adventure featuring everyone's favourite patchwork elephant. This time, Elmer is eagerly awaiting a visit from his cousin Wilbur. When Wilbur doesn't show up, the elephants decide to go and look for him. Elmer tells them that he is a black and white patchwork elephant, who is also a ventriloquist and loves practical jokes! Wilbur leads the elephants a merry dance pretending to be in places he isn't, but when it turns out that he really is stuck up a tree, Elmer has a chance to play a joke on him too! Bold, bright colours and simple, funny story will delight Elmer fans old and new.
Two children, sent out to play, spend their time arguing over the relative merits of their teddy bears, while a galaxy of strange characters and objects passes them unnoticed. Russel Hoban said of this engrossing and fascinating book: 'This will help any child to get as good grip on the ungraspable . ' Both adults and children find I HATE MY TEDDY BEAR rewarding on different levels and it will give hours of pleasure.
Mr and Mrs Quest lived in a little house on the top of the only hill thereabouts. The views were wonderful – they would have been perfect, had it not been for the rock in front of one window. It would not budge! When Mr Quest finally managed to dislodge it, there was a funny hissing sound, and the hill itself slowly disappeared. They found themselves living on flat ground, with the same view as everybody else. And the ground continued to sink, so that the Quests were living in the only valley thereabouts. Fortunately for them, the rock rolled down the valley to its old position, plugging the air up, which made the hill rise again!
0. The Speckled Panic - Paperback
£3.99 by Hazel Townson
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9780862648282) When Kip Slater buys truthpaste instead of toothpaste, he and his friend Herbie soon realise the sensational possibilities of the purchase. They plan to feed the truthpaste disguised in a cake to the guest of honour at their school Speech Day but, unfortunately, the headmaster eats the cake first.
David McKee`s delightfully comic illustrations perfectly capture the mood of his hilarious, fast-moving story about the dangers of always telling the truth. `a delightful, telling little piece of adolescent wish-fulfilment'-
Observer `funny and vigorous' -
Time Out .
0. Elmer's Colours - Board Book
£3.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9780862644932) Whatever the weather, Elmer still has fun. He splashes in the puddles when it rains and has snowball fights with his friends when it snows. He loves the cluods that look like things made of cotton wool, and when the sun is out he wears some crazy dark glasses! never gets very far before falling fast asleep! A charming book of weather for very young children, featuring the endearing patchwork elephant, Elmer. Vibrant colours and simple rhyming text will attract many new Elmer fans.
0. Elmer's Weather - Hardback
£3.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9780862644949) Elmer, the bright parchwork elephant, has some very special friends. Zebra is the stripiest, giraffe is the tallest, snake is the longest, leopard is the spottiest. Everyone if different and Elmer loves them all. An original book of animals for very young children who will love the bold colours of David McKee's striking illustrations.
0. Elmer's Day - Hardback
£3.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9780862644963) Elmer the patchwork elephant has a busy day ahead of him. He likes to have fun squirting himself with water and playing with his friends. He often stops for a chat, and when he is hungry he stops for lunch -some fresh juicy grass. At night Elmer likes to count stars, but he never gets very far before falling fast asleep! The bold colours and simple rhyming story of ELMER'S DAY will enchant very young children, who will love learning the lines by heart.
Elmer the patchwork elephant needs no introduction, and Andersen is delighted to present this stunning pop-up book that combines a variety of intriguing features with a new Elmer story from David McKee. Elmer's world is both colourful and full of surprises and a pop-up is an ideal addition to the list of Elmer titles. Children and adults will be fascinated by the many different novelty elements. all the pop-up elements are sturdy and colourful and compliment another hilarious story about Elmer. At 11. 99, it is excellent value and will make the ideal Christmas gift for children of all ages.
0. Elmer - Hardback
£9.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9780862642082) Elmer the colourful patchwork elephant has been a nursery favourite since this first book was published in 1989. A modern classic, this picture book is known to millions, and continues to be the strongest seller of the whole series, having sold over 2 million copies around the world. The subtle message is that it is OK to be different.
0. Elmer and Wilbur - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842709504) Elmer loves practical jokes, but so does his cousin Wilbur. Until, that is, Elmer has an idea which brings Wilbur back down to earth, in more ways than one...
It's almost Elmer's Day again for the elephants, and they have begun their preparations already. But in all the excitement they are making an awful lot of noise, and upsetting the other animals. So Elmer changes the rules, and invites every single animal to join in the parade. And they have a surprise in store for Elmer...
0. Zebra's Hiccups - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842709238) Zebra is proud and Zebra is haughty. One day he gets the hiccups, but he is afraid to try the remedies suggested by his friends in case he looks silly. But when the hiccups get much worse, he realises he may have to take their advice, or he may lose his stripes for ever!
‘An excellent first solo reader.’ INDEPENDENT
Is there a difference between a bounce and a jump? Kangaroo thinks there is, and he is very concerned he is going to look silly in the upcoming jumping competition, until Elmer helps him discover that the one will do just as well as the other.
Read along with the audio CD included to bring the story to life!
Is there a difference between a bounce and a jump? Kangaroo thinks there is, and he is very concerned he is going to look silly in the upcoming jumping competition, until Elmer helps him discover that the one will do just as well as the other.
Baby Elephant can't sleep because he has lost his teddy, so Elmer sets off to look for it. Eventually Elmer hears a voice shouting 'Help! I'm lost!' Is Baby Elephant's teddy a talking teddy, or is Wilbur playing a trick on Elmer, as usual?
Read along with the audio CD included to bring the story to life!
0. Elmer in the Snow - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707838) At the first hint of a chill in the air, Elmer's friends start complaining about the cold, so Elmer decides to show them what cold weather is really like. They set off for a walk up a mountain, and the higher they get, the colder it gets. A good snowball fight at the top warms them all up, but the elephants agree that compared with the freezing mountain top, their home is not really that cold at all. With his typical sense of mischief and fun, Elmer shows how hot and cold are only relative.
0. Elmer And Rose - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707401) Grandpa Eldo asks Elmer and Wilbur to help a young elephant find her way back to her herd - and they get a shock when they see she is pink! No wonder she is called Rose. But there is an even greater surprise in store when they reach her herd - because everyone single one of them is pink!
0. Four Red Apples - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842705933) Ringo Rabbit was sure that he was the only one who could juggle four red apples. It seemed like such an
individual , unusual thing to be able to do. But almost immediately Rubens Pig turns up, and says he can do it, too! It turns out that everyone in the vicinity knows how to juggle four red apples - each having taught another. Who had been the first, though, to discover the technique? Why, our hero, of course! So he did have an unusual skill after all.
0. Elmer's Opposites - Hardback
£4.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842706299) Elmer is BIG. Bird is SMALL. Tiger is FAST. Tortoise is SLOW. Have fun looking at opposites right from FRONT to BACK of this delightful book!
Count from 1-10 with Elmer, everyone’s favourite patchwork elephant!
George always knows the time. He has an invisible watch. At first nobody believes him, but before long, everyone depends on him. Then a catastrophe strikes, and nobody rings the bell for afternoon school. Surely George will realise the time! But perhaps not...
Elmer and the other elephants are waiting for the storm to end so they can see the beautiful, colourful rainbow. But something dreadful has happened: the rainbow has come out too soon and has lost its colours!
Elmer decides to give his own colours to the rainbow, but to do that, he must find where it touches the ground. But what will happen to Elmer if he gives the rainbow his own colours? Will he lose them for ever?
A classic story book about sharing and giving.
One night, Elmer hears the sound of crying. It is Baby Elephant. He can't sleep because he has lost his teddy. Elmer offers to lend Baby Elephant his teddy for the night and to search for the lost teddy the next day. Elmer discovers that all the baby animals have teddies, but Baby Elephant's remains missing until Elmer's cousin, Wilbur, gets involved in the search. Wilbur plays a joke on Elmer as usual, but one that helps Elmer find the missing teddy bear which is then restored to Baby Elephant just in time for bed!
0. Elmer in the Snow - Paperback
£6.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707487) At the first hint of a chill in the air, Elmer's friends start complaining about the cold, so Elmer decides to show them what cold weather is really like. They set off for a walk up a mountain, and the higher they get, the colder it gets. A good snowball fight at the top warms them all up, but the elephants agree that compared with the freezing mountain top, their home is not really that cold at all. With his typical sense of mischief and fun, Elmer shows how hot and cold are only relative.
Read along with the audio CD included to bring the story to life!
Baby Elephant can't sleep because he has lost his teddy, so Elmer sets off to look for it. Eventually Elmer hears a voice shouting 'Help! I'm lost!' Can Baby Elephant's teddy talk, or is Wilbur playing a trick on Elmer, as usual?
One day, Elmer notices that there are no birds around. How strange! Soon he finds them hiding from the nasty bully bird in a nearby cave. The bully bird is mean and likes to frighten the little birds. Led by Elmer, the animals work together to frighten off the bully – and succeed!
0. Elmer - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707319) Elmer the colourful patchwork elephant has been a nursery favourite since this first book was published in 1989. A modern classic, this picture book is known to millions, and continues to be the strongest seller of the whole series, having sold over 2 million copies around the world. The subtle message is that it is OK to be different, and combined with the vibrant colour and cheeky humour of the main character, this large format edition is a celebration of its continued popularity.
0. Elmer - Paperback
£6.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842707302) Elmer the colourful patchwork elephant has been a nursery favourite since this first book was published in 1989. A modern classic, this picture book is known to millions, and continues to be the strongest seller of the whole series, having sold over 2 million copies around the world. The subtle message is that it is OK to be different, and combined with the vibrant colour and cheeky humour of the main character, this paperback and CD edition is a celebration of its continued popularity.
Read along with the audio CD included to bring the story to life!
Elmer the patchwork elephant needs no introduction, and Andersen is delighted to present this stunning pop-up book that combines a variety of intriguing features with a new Elmer story from David McKee. Elmer's world is both colourful and full of surprises and a pop-up is an ideal addition to the list of Elmer titles. Children and adults will be fascinated by the many different novelty elements. all the pop-up elements are sturdy and colourful and compliment another hilarious story about Elmer. At 11. 99, it is excellent value and will make the ideal Christmas gift for children of all ages.
Two children, sent out to play, spend their time arguing over the relative merits of their teddy bears, while a galaxy of strange characters and objects passes them unnoticed. Russel Hoban said of this engrossing and fascinating book: 'This will help any child to get as good grip on the ungraspable . ' Both adults and children find I HATE MY TEDDY BEAR rewarding on different levels and it will give hours of pleasure.
Mr and Mrs Quest lived in a little house on the top of the only hill thereabouts. The views were wonderful – they would have been perfect, had it not been for the rock in front of one window. It would not budge! When Mr Quest finally managed to dislodge it, there was a funny hissing sound, and the hill itself slowly disappeared. They found themselves living on flat ground, with the same view as everybody else. And the ground continued to sink, so that the Quests were living in the only valley thereabouts. Fortunately for them, the rock rolled down the valley to its old position, plugging the air up, which made the hill rise again!
0. The Speckled Panic - Paperback
£3.99 by Hazel Townson
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9780862648282) When Kip Slater buys truthpaste instead of toothpaste, he and his friend Herbie soon realise the sensational possibilities of the purchase. They plan to feed the truthpaste disguised in a cake to the guest of honour at their school Speech Day but, unfortunately, the headmaster eats the cake first.
David McKee`s delightfully comic illustrations perfectly capture the mood of his hilarious, fast-moving story about the dangers of always telling the truth. `a delightful, telling little piece of adolescent wish-fulfilment'-
Observer `funny and vigorous' -
Time Out .
0. Elmer's New Friend - Hardback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842700341) 0. Two Can Toucan - Paperback
£5.99 by David McKee
(Books/All genres)
(ISBN:9781842700365) There was once a bird in the forest that was completely black, except for his white eyes, who was laughed at by all the other animals because he did not have a name. So he goes to seek his fortune - and perhaps find a name!
A modern fable that answers the question 'How did the toucan get its name?' - and also incidentally his amazing colours!
When Veronica learned to play the violin, at first she was awful. It was terrible for the neighbours. But she practised, and became so much better that it seemed she could make the whole world cry. She wasn’t having enough adventure though, so she packed up and went off to the deepest darkest jungle, where her playing charmed (nearly) all the fierce creatures into dancing.
The streets are not full of happy, dancing people, though – perhaps the deaf, old lion might know why.
