Books with author David McKee

Elmer is different. Elmer is patchwork. The grey elephants all love him, but he soon starts to wonder what it would be like to be just the same as them. Full of color, wisdom and pathos, little readers will love this classic tale at bedtime. Collect this special 30th birthday hardback edition of David McKee's first book about Elmer, that turned this adorable patchwork elephant into a nursery favorite. With this collector's edition comes a very special Elmer print inside! Deservedly a modern classic, with over 10 million copies of his books sold worldwide, Elmer’s subtle message, that it is ok to be different, resonates with children across the world.

Two monsters live on either side of a mountain. Sometimes they talk through the hole in the mountain, but they never see each other. One evening, they get into a silly argument about whether day is departing or night is arriving, which escalates into a rock throwing fight, which eventually destroys the mountain, and enables the monsters to see each other's point of view and live together as friends.

Will good triumph evil, in this follow-up to Melric the Magician Who Lost His Magic?"More power," demands the king. But Melric the magician thinks that the king has quite enough power already. A sinister visitor called Sondrak boasts that he can easily grant the king's wish. But when Melric discovers that Sondrak is an evil sorcerer and up to no good, a dramatic battle follows.

Following the welcomed re-release of Big-Top Benn comes another addition to the immensely popular collection of original Mr Benn adventures by author and illustrator David McKee. First published in 1967, Mr Benn: Red Knight introduces the friendly bowler-hatted character who delighted children a generation ago, and again today. In this fun story, Mr Benn finds himself transported to a medieval world, where he assists an unfortunate dragon whose role as firelighter to the king is threatened by a greedy matchmaker. McKee’s original artwork will entrance children of all ages in what is sure to become a cult classic for yet another generation of readers.Praise for Mr. Benn: Red Knight:"The rerelease of this 1967 series opener introduces an adult picture-book hero who combines a childlike disposition with a taste for costumes, a belief in the fantastic, and terrific problem-solving skills. The Brit in a bowler hat needs something unusual to wear to a fancy dress party. He finds a promising little shop that delivers in spades once he dons a red suit of knight’s armor. Transported from the fitting room into a story in which a poor dragon has been ousted from the village by the appearance of a match salesman, Mr. Benn acts as an intermediary and gets the dragon a better job–as the king’s fire-lighter. Through another door and back in the dressing room, he decides he doesn’t need to go to the party after all, but promises to come back to the shop for more adventures. McKee’s iconic 1960’s artwork alternates pen-and-ink line drawings with richly colored, multilayered tone-on-tone illustrations. The conversational narrative serves as a lovely counterpoint to the fantastical story; it’s no surprise that the tales have been animated for British television." - School Library Journal