Like Sarah McIntyre I spent yesterday hoping that the lack of confirmation on either the BBC or the Guardian might mean that the reports of Babette Cole’s death amounted to fake news. She has been such a considerable figure in the world of children’s books it seemed strange that news sites were not picking up on the unexpected event. The single news report I found was on itv.com and the only sources quoted were two tweets.

When I explored Facebook I discovered that the news had begun spreading at the very start of the day and emanated from her West country friends in the horse community. It was still theoretically possible, as Sarah McIntyre says, and especially given Babette’s character, that the story was being spread to see how easily people could be taken in. 

There is still, as far as I can see (as 09:45 this morning) no mention of her death on either the Guardian news site or the BBC, which seems odd, although her Wikipedia page has been updated with the date of death.

ACHUKA will link to the formal obituaries as soon as they begin appearing.

http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/767883.html

Brian Wildsmith, children’s author and illustrator, has died aged 86.

Wildsmith died last Wednesday (31st August) in Grasse, France.

He was born on 22nd January 1930 and raised in a small mining village near Sheffield. He won a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art, London where he studied for three years. He later taught maths at the Royal Military School of Music but gave it up so that he could pursue his passion for painting.

Wildsmith began working with Oxford University Press in the late 1950s when children’s publisher, Mabel George, commissioned him to illustrate 12 colour plates for Tales from the Arabian Nights. This was followed by ABC, published in 1961, which won the Kate Greenaway Medal.

via Children's author Brian Wildsmith dies | The Bookseller.