Althea Braithwaite obituary
Author and illustrator whose books, many featuring Desmond the Dinosaur, aimed to help children navigate difficult situations
Fulfilling the roles of author, illustrator and publisher as well as printer and bookseller, Althea Braithwaite, who has died aged 80, wrote more than 200 titles and created a distinctive brand of children’s books.
Lively, uncondescending and information rich, these non-fiction books covered familiar subjects such as fire engines and nature, but it was Althea’s Talk It Over series, later updated and reissued as Talking It Through, that gave the list its individual feel. Based on her premise that everyone copes better with the unexpected if they know something about it beforehand – and well-researched, with Althea taking notice of the opinions of both children and subject specialists – the books were designed to help children navigate new or difficult situations.
