David McKee grew up in Tavistock, Devon, and attended Plymouth Art College. When he was working at Abelard-Schuman, Flugge published his debut novel, Two Can Toucan, in 1964. When Flugge established Andersen Press in 1976, McKee joined him and went on to write over 50 books for the publisher.

McKee authored and drew 29 original stories about Elmer, the popular patchwork elephant, the first of which was released in 1968. The novels are still one of the most widely read children’s book series of all time, with over 10 million copies sold and translations into more than 60 languages.

How And When Did David McKee Die?

David McKee, the author and artist of the classic children’s books Elmer, Not Now, Bernard, and Mr. Benn, died on 7th April 2022, at the age of 87, according to his publisher.

Following a brief illness, the author and artist died surrounded by family in the south of France. After a lifetime of travel, he and his companion Bakhta, a French-Algerian art dealer, have been sharing their time in recent years between London and Provence.