Author and illustrator of the children’s books including Elmer, Mr Benn and Not Now, Bernard has died following a short illness

• Elmer author David McKee: ‘I’ve never been a prize winner’

David McKee, the author and illustrator of the iconic children’s books Elmer, Not Now, Bernard and Mr Benn, has died aged 87, his publisher has said.

The author and illustrator died surrounded by family in the south of France following a short illness. After a lifetime of travelling the world, he and his partner Bakhta, a French-Algerian art dealer, had been dividing their time between London and Provence in recent years.