Carol Barker

Last updated

Carol Barker
Born(1938-02-16)16 February 1938
NationalityBritish
Education
Alma mater
Known forWriting, drawing, children's literature
Notable workThe Bald Twit Lion
Achilles the Donkey
Children2
FatherJohn Rowland Barker

Carol Mintum Barker (born 16 February 1938) [1] is an English artist-designer, author and illustrator who is notable for her poster designs, postage stamps and book illustrations, many of them for children.

Contents

Life and career

Barker is the daughter of British artist John Rowland Barker. [2] As a child she was evacuated to New York during World War II, but returned to Britain and attended Bournemouth College of Art whilst also studying privately at her father's studio. She went on to study painting at Chelsea Polytechnic and illustration at the Central School of Arts and Crafts under the tutelage of Laurence Scarfe, Merlyn Evans and Raymond Roberts. [3]

Barker became a freelance illustrator in 1958. She was married and had two sons. [1]

Her entry in the Dictionary of British Book Illustrators states "Her work, in pen and ink, watercolour, collage and wax, is decorative rather than spatial in character." [4]

As a book illustrator, Barker collaborated with many authors including John Cunliffe, Spike Milligan and H. E. Bates who wrote the prose for his children's book Achilles the Donkey around her pictures. [5] So integral were her illustrations that in some instances she was given equal billing as a co-author on the book jackets. This can be seen on the covers of Spike Milligan's A Bald Twit Lion [6] [7] and H. E. Bates Achilles the Donkey series [8] [9] [10] amongst others. She would go on to be nominated twice for the Kate Greenaway medal.

As a graphic artist, Barker is known to have designed posters and artwork for London Transport [2] and posters and stamps for the Post Office. Her poster "Children's London" was praised by Modern Publicity magazine in 1974 as one of the best British posters of the previous year. [2] Examples of her work can be found in the collections of the British Council, [11] London Transport Museum, [12] The Postal Museum [13] and The Science Museum. [14]

Selected awards

YearWorkAwardResultRef.
1962Achilles the Donkey by H. E. Bates (Dennis Dobson) Kate Greenaway Medal Runner-up / commended [15]
1972King Midas and the Golden Touch by Carol Barker (Franklin Watts) Kate Greenaway Medal Commended [15] [16]
UnknownUnknownThe Scotsman 'International Book Jacket Competition'Won [17]

Selected exhibitions

Bibliography

Novels

YearTitlePublisherNotes
1968The Boy and the Lion Dennis Dobson Published in the US as The Boy and the Lion on the Wall by Franklin Watts
1972King Midas and the Golden Touch Franklin Watts Nominated for the Kate Greenaway medal (1972)

Non-fiction

YearTitlePublisherNotes
1971Birds and Beasts Franklin Watts Reviewed in Los Angeles Times
1973The Alphabet Hamlyn
1974How the World Began Abelard-Schuman
1976An Oba of Benin Macdonald & Jane's Translated into German, Norwegian, Welsh
1976A Prince of Islam Macdonald & Jane's Translated into German, Norwegian, Welsh

Reviewed in Teaching History [22]

1979Arjun in His Village in India Oxford University Press Translated into German, Swedish. Reviews
1982Kayode in His Village in Nigeria Oxford University Press
1984Village in Nigeria A&C Black Translated into Dutch
1985Ananda in Sri Lanka. A story of Buddhism Hamish Hamilton
1986The United Nations. Its work in the WorldMacdonald
1988A Question of RefugeesMacdonald
1988A Question of Feeding the WorldMacdonald
1998The Tibetans. Life in exileMantrain association with The Tibet Foundation

Illustration / graphic design

YearAuthorWork / TitlePublisherNotes
1959Time and Tune BBC School Radio Autumn Term Booklet
1960 Postal Addresses The Post Office (GPO)Poster. PRD 1077
1960 London Post Offices and Streets The Post Office (GPO)Poster. PRD 1072
1960 Post Offices in the United Kingdom The Post Office (GPO)Poster. PRD 1076
1960 Sylvia Townsend Warner The Cat's Cradle-Book Chatto & Windus Dustjacket
1960 Maureen Howard Not a Word about Nightingales Secker & Warburg Dustjacket
1961 Curtis Harnack The Work of an Ancient Hand Weidenfeld & Nicolson Dustjacket
1961 Fred Kitchen The Ploughman Homeward PlodsCountry Book ClubDustjacket
1961 Paul Gallico Too Many Ghosts Michael Joseph Dustjacket
1961Time and Tune BBC School Radio Spring Term Booklet
1961Jane Brown GemmillThe Little Bear and the Princess Abelard-Schuman
1962 Aileen Fisher I wonder how, I wonder why Abelard-Schuman
1962Frances ArmytageGeorgian England Ginn 6 volumes: [1] Life in a country house. [2] Life in a manufacturing town. [3] Roads and waterways. [4] Sailors and ships. [5] Life in a village. [6] A trip to a watering place.
1962Famous Stories of High Adventure Arthur Barker Selected and edited by Leonard Reginald Gribble
1962 Swift Annual Odhams Press
1962 H. E. Bates Achilles the Donkey Dennis Dobson Nominated for the Kate Greenaway medal (1962)
1962Norman Wymer Gilbert and Sullivan Methuen
1962 Roger Lancelyn Green Ancient Greece Rupert Hart Davis
1962 Lyn Irvine Field with GeeseCountry Book ClubDustjacket
1962Mildred LewisThe Honourable Sword Deutsch Dustjacket
1962 Sylvia Townsend Warner A Spirit Rises Chatto & Windus Dustjacket
1963Mariana Villa-GilbertMrs Galbraith’s Air Chatto & Windus Dustjacket
1963Daniel RobertsNibbleneat Oxford University Press
1963 H. E. Bates Achilles and Diana Dennis Dobson
1963 Eileen Colwell A Storyteller's Choice. A selection of stories with notes on how to tell them Bodley Head
1963Julia RhysThe Tinsel November Rupert Hart-Davis
1964 H. E. Bates Achilles and the Twins Dennis Dobson
1964 John Cunliffe Farmer Barnes Buys a Pig Deutsch
1964 Andre Launay Caviare and After. The Truth About Luxury FoodMacdonald
1964Yvonne MeynierThe School with a Difference Abelard-Schuman
1964Norman GoodlandOld Stan's Diary: Autumn & Winter on the FarmCountry Book ClubDustjacket
1964 Miss Read Country BunchCountry Book ClubDustjacket
1964 Leo Walmsley Paradise CreekCountry Book ClubDustjacket
1964Annabel DilkeRule III, Pretend to be Nice Chatto & Windus Dustjacket
1965Mabel WattsThe Light Across Piney Valley Abelard-Schuman
1965Noel Lloyd & Geoffrey PalmerQuest for Prehistory Dennis Dobson
1965 Lauchmonen Old Thom's Harvest Eyre & Spottiswoode Dustjacket
1965Jocelyn DaveyA Killing in Hats Chatto & Windus Dustjacket
1966 Perdita Buchan Girl with a Zebra Chatto & Windus Dustjacket
1966Georgina GrovesMorning GloryWhiting & Wheaton
1966 John Cunliffe Farmer Barnes and Bluebell Deutsch
1966Rain and Shine. Nursery Rhymes for the Four SeasonsBlackie
1966 Fenton House London Transport Poster. Printed by The Baynard Press
1967 Rumer Godden The Kitchen Madonna Macmillan
1967 Andre Launay Posh Food Penguin
1968 Janet McNeill It's Snowing Outside Macmillan
1968Richard ParkerLost in a Shop Macmillan
1968Mariana Villa-GilbertA Jingle-Jangle Song Chatto & Windus Dustjacket
1968 Spike Milligan The Bald Twit Lion Dennis Dobson
1969 London Museum London Transport Poster. Printed by John Swain and Son Ltd
1969 Amanda McKittrick Ros Helen Huddleson Chatto & Windus
1969 Margaret Mahy Pillycock's Shop Dennis Dobson
1970P. M. PickardThe Dancing Harp Ginn
1971 Margaret Mahy The Princess and the Clown Dennis Dobson
1971Troubadour (No. 1)Malcolm Peltu and Adel HamadiMagazine cover in conjunction with Adel Hamadi
1972Helen HokeDragons, Dragons, Dragons Franklin Watts
1972Sandie OramThe Sun People Macdonald & Co
1973 Nicholas Fisk Emma Borrows a Cup of Sugar Heinemann
1973Children’s London London Transport Poster. Printed by The Baynard Press. Praised by Modern Publicity in 1974 as one of the best British posters of the previous year. [2]
1974 Margaret Mayo If You Should Meet a Crocodile, and Other Verse Kaye & Ward
1975Helen HokeDevils, Devils, Devils Franklin Watts
1979Audrey Aarons & Hugh HawesChild-to-Child Macmillan Press Published on behalf of the Child to Child programme
1979London’s Museums London Transport Poster. Printed by Impress Ltd
1982 Spike Milligan Sir Nobonk and the Terrible, Awful, Dreadful, Naughty, Nasty DragonM. J. Hobbs
1983 Miriam Hodgson A Touch of Gold. Stories from the Greek Myths Methuen
1986John SnellingBuddhist Stories Wayland
1987John SnellingThe Life of the Buddha Wayland
1992Umaya Aafjes-SinnaduraiThe Kingdom of Benin: National Curriculum History Key Stage 2 Commonwealth Institute Published by Curriculum Development and Resources Section

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