He left us a colorful and enchanted universe.
David McKee, the creator of Elmer the elephant died at the age of 87, on April 6
"surrounded by his family in the south of France, where he had lived for several years"
specified a press release from L'École des Loisirs.
Facetious, generous, creative... His colorful elephant, which appeared in 1968 in the United Kingdom, made the singularity an exception.
Followed by millions of children around the world, the anthropomorphic character has become the emblem of tolerance and respect for others.
To discover
Presidential 2022: find here the result of the second round of the election
Discover the “Best of the Goncourt Prize” collection
Read alsoDo you know these heroes of children's literature?
Born January 2, 1935 in Devon, David McKee studied at Plymouth Art College.
His work has allowed him to travel the world, from Barcelona to Nice and Paris, via Italy.
After starting out in the press, he quickly found his way into children's literature.
Elmer will remain his most famous character.
The success was not immediate.
The values it conveys will however have been able to impose themselves, between an ode to tolerance, pacifism and friendship.
Without forgetting a delicate graphic design enhanced by bright colors inspired by primitive painters or the Fauves.
A painter himself, David McKee believes that
"picture books are a child's first entry into art and, in a way, particularly in my books,
The author, who lived in France where he had lived for several years, left behind him an immense body of work.
David McKee left us a colorful and enchanted universe... David McKee Seven stories/2019
Rich in 29 colorful adventures, Elmer has been translated into sixty languages.
For the greatest delight of young and old.
In France, young audiences owe access to this gem to Isabel Finkenstaedt, editor of Elmer and friend of David McKee.
When she created the Kaleidoscope editions in 1989, she immediately introduced young French readers to the adventures of one of the most emblematic characters in children's literature.
For
Le Figaro
, she evokes her enchantment, which remained intact, at the discovery of the universe of David McKee in the 1980s and the reasons for a success that has spanned the decades.
LE FIGARO. - How did you meet David McKee?
Isabel FINKENSTAEDT. -
I met David at the Bologna book fair in the 1980s. At the time, he went there regularly, invited by Andersen Press, his original English publisher.
He received, often with Tony Ross
(another youth illustrator father of Little Princess, Editor's note)
, young illustrators who showed their files to publishers in the hope of being published.
I was working at Flammarion Jeunesse at the time and we had published some of his albums, including
Le Roi Rollo
which had made him famous in England before the publication of
Elmer
.
He even founded an animated film production company which he called “King Rollo Films”.
I remember then meeting a man full of humor with this inner light that challenges you.
What charmed you in Elmer?
David McKee's unique drawing, his colors, his games with perspectives.
He argued that a child reader could turn a book around and decipher it.
In addition to being an author and illustrator of children's books, he was a painter.
And his books reflect that.
Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, the Douanier Rousseau... his influences pervade all his albums, and in particular
Elmer
.
Moreover, David is one of those children's authors with a real childish soul – he has a deep respect for his young audience in whom he places hope for the future.
His stories contain several dimensions, between humor and reflection on the world around us or on how to make it better.
How can you resist the character of Elmer, this multicolored elephant who does not know that his singularity is something wonderful?
What do you think are the reasons for its success?
Its timelessness.
In more than thirty years, Elmer has not aged a bit, neither graphically nor in terms.
Revolted by racism and the problems linked to immigration, David had imagined a story around this multicolored elephant who aspires to be like everyone else and of a single color.
The “different” child, whether in terms of skin color or personality, is looking for himself.
Like his dad, Elmer is generous, Elmer is funny, Elmer is unique.
What is its impact on children's literature?
Not to mention David's own style of illustration, which has aroused enormous admiration, I think that Elmer has influenced a whole new generation of author-illustrators: he is proof that we can talk about serious things with lightness and humor.
And especially within the reach of its young audience.
Does the character of Elmer have heirs?
Highly aware of injustices, David McKee was part of a new generation of British writer-illustrators of the 1970s-1980s incorporating political breadth into their stories.
David excelled in the exercise – with extraordinary simplicity.
He managed to convey a message that was benevolent, empathetic and of great depth.
He brought a new look into the history of children's publishing – so yes, of course, all the characters benefited from it!
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/MJVL5J2345DBNN3QT2HIZZHSHI.jpg)
