Shirley Barber dies: Popular children’s author and illustrator of fairies books dies in sleep aged 88
A popular author and illustrator behind cult kids’ books about fairies and mermaids has died in her sleep aged 88.
Books
Don't miss out on the headlines from Books. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A popular author and illustrator behind cult kids’ books about fairies and mermaids has died in her sleep aged 88.
Shirley Barber authored and illustrated more than 30 original picture books, each in a distinct style.
The popular titles include The Mermaid Princess, The Enchanted Woods, Tales from Martha B. Rabbit, The Tooth Fairy and The Seventh Unicorn.
These books have become a cult collectable among Gen Z with more than 7.8 million views of the search term Shirley Barber on TikTok.
Her first book, Martha B. Rabbit: the Fairies’ Cook was originally published by Memory Press in the late 1980s.
Barber wrote the story as a child and created a little dummy book complete with a red ribbon tie.
That little handmade book is still in her family’s possession today.
Her books launched a sea of spin-off products: including colouring books, jigsaw books, jigsaws, dinnerware, clothing, stickers and other merchandise, all featuring fairies, bunnies and mermaids.
According to her publisher Brolly Books, Barber knew that childhood can be a hard place for some, but she wanted her books to provide comfort and an escape, even if temporary, from less pleasant realities.
A third-generation artist, Barber grew up in the Channel Islands before moving to Australia in the 1960s, settling in Watsonia.
It was Australia that gave her a lifelong love of nature and painting, and her extensive body of work includes not only children’s book illustrations but also an impressive collection of Australian birds, landscapes, animals, and floral artworks.
This article originally appeared in PerthNow and was reproduced with permission
Originally published as Shirley Barber dies: Popular children’s author and illustrator of fairies books dies in sleep aged 88
Book trend stealing Aussie hearts
Bored by traditional airport thrillers, horror and crime yarns? There’s a new genre taking over Aussie fiction – and social media’s bookworm community is leading the charge.
‘It’s bullshit’: Ex-lawyer’s truth bomb
Jock Serong saw the worst side of corporate law from within, when he was told to “just hammer” church victims – and realised he was “working for the bad guys”.