Val Biro: 1921-2014

It was recently reported that veteran artist Val Biro died back in July at the grand old age of 92. To many children he will be best remembered as the writer and illustrator of the long-running Gumdrop series of stories.

During the 1980s, he worked on a number of illustrated storybook editions of the Worzel Gummidge TV stories for Purnell and St Michael, capturing the likenesses of the show's actors. He was a prolific figure in children's publishing and will be much missed. Here's a charming piece of his work from The King of the Scarecrows book, showcasing Val's distinctive caricatures of Scatterbrook's regulars.