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BB
or Denys Watkins-Pitchford
What puzzled me and, I guess, many people when they first come across BB's wonderful illustrations, is - why did
Denys Watkins-Pitchford decide to use the pseudonym 'BB'? Well the explanation is quite simple - BB is the size of the lead
shot used for goose shooting.
He decided that it was much more memorable than his real name, was instantly recognizable and gave his work an air of mystery. In this he definitely succeeded and the mystery continues for the uninitiated today.
BB was born
on 25 th July 1905 , the second son of twins, in Lamport, in the Northamptonshire countryside. His father, a rector,
encouraged him to spend much of his boyhood exploring the countryside around the family home, Lamport Rectory, which was
a spacious Queen Anne period house. It was at this early stage that BB developed his talent for drawing and painting, and
at the age of 15 went to Northampton School of Art.
After art school BB obtained a position as assistant art master at Rugby School where he remained for 17 years. During his weekends at home he completed his first full length story, Wild Lone, about a one eared pytchley fox called Rufus. BB later wrote about this book "the story unfolded with a strange and quite frightening intensity - I could not write fast enough, it was as though my hand was guided by an invisible driving force". He completed the book in just eight weeks, sending it to the publishers Eyre & Spottiswoode along with the story Sportsman's Diary . Most unusually the publisher accepted both works, a great compliment for a young writer.
BB's fifth book and his first children's book, has the instantly memorable title of The Little Grey Men. It's an enchanting story of four gnomes - Sneezewort, Dooder, Cloudberry and Baldmoney, who live under an oak tree beside Folley Brook. This book was a well deserved winner of the prestigious Carnegie Medal in 1942. BB went on to write some 20 children's books including Down The Bright Stream , a sequel to Little Grey Men, and Monty Woodpig's Caravan - the story of a bachelor hedgehog of settled habits, who one day met a dormouse, Milly Gobbysim. They got married and set off on an adventurous honeymoon in Monty's caravan.
Other children's books by BB include a series of nine books about Bill Badger
in which Uncle Bill and Izzybizzy, his hedgehog friend, sail countless miles up and down the canals in their barge
The Wandering Wind .
BB is a man
of many interests, but one of his most consuming was his passion for the majestic Purple Emperor (Apasture Iris)
butterfly. He realized that the butterfly was on the brink of extinction, and therefore spent long hours seeking it
and finding its eggs and larvae which he raised in specially built outdoor breeding cages.
Right: Illustration from Monty Woodpig's Caravan.
Another of BB passions was fishing about which he wrote several books. The first of these was The Fisherman's Bedside Book . This title is more common than his other fishing book because it was published in 1945 at the beginning of a revolution in the angling world, and therefore sold well as fisherman snapped up every title looking for new ideas. The Fisherman's Bedside Book was the third in the Bedside series of five books.
BB went on writing books well past his 70th birthday, although the frequency slowed down and the style became
more reflective in tone. In all BB wrote and illustrated over 60 titles and also illustrated at least another 30 books
written by other people, his illustrations being distinctive for their black and white scraperboard style. He was
awarded the MBE for Contributions To Literature in 1989, and died a year later aged 85.
Since his death BB's books have become ever more sought after, mainly for his delightful yet simple illustrations. In the year 2000 a group of BB's fans founded the BB society, who now issue regular newsletters, an annual journal and conduct an ongoing programme of events.
You can find out more information about the BB Society on their website
Submitted by Adam Parker
A selection of BB books in stock
BB, . Illustrated by BB, . Stock no. 1302225
Eyre & Spottiswoode. 1st. 1948. Very good condition in a good dustwrapper. A companion volume to BB's "Fisherman's Bedside Book", illustrated throughout with numerous woodcuts. Green cloth, gilt titles to spine. 479 pages. 7 x 4.5". Spine faded and slightly bumped. Endpapers lightly browned. Contents clean. Wrapper is edge worn, browned and torn to spine and has a small ink spot to top rear corner. Small tape repairs to corners on verso. [R]
Price: £38.00
BB, . Illustrated by BB, . Stock no. 1302212
Eyre & Spottiswoode. 1st. 1955. Very good condition in a very good dustwrapper. A quite enchanting story of a colony of gnomes who live in the vast Forest of Boland, quarrying in their mines for precious metals with the aid of the Boland Belle of the Forest Light Railway. One day a mischievous leprechaun leads a band of followers in an attempt to break up the railway... Humour and excitement is captured with ingenious detail in BB's superb b/w illustrations and colour frontis. Blue pictorial boards. 127 pages. Minimal bumping to spine with some very slight browning to base. A few tiny black spots to rear cover. Contents clean. Dustwrapper is a little edge chipped with minimal loss and just a little bit grubby on rear panel. [R]
Price: £120.00
BB, . Illustrated by BB, . Stock no. 1302205
Methuen Children's Books Ltd.. 1st. 1974. Almost very good condition in an almost very good dustwrapper. Red boards, black title to spine. Embossed vignette of fish in pool to front cover. B/w illustrations. A fishing story for children set in Wales. Ex-lib with usual stamps and labels and front free-endpaper removed. Child has written 'ONE' and a small red mark to first text page. Some grubby finger marks to contents. Spine and corners bumped. Dustwrapper is worn to spine and corners. [R] 0416780903.
Price: £40.00
Clifford, K. & Arbury, L. & BB,. No illustrator listed. Stock no. 1801498
Beekay Publishers. 1st. 1984. Very good condition in a very good dustwrapper. With contribution by BB. Carp fishing. Salmon pink cloth boards, gilt title to spine. Colour & b/w photos. 245 numbered pages. SIGNED by both authors to free front endpaper. Also includes a postcard signed by BB and mentioning this book. Edges rubbed, browned and bumped. Foxing and grubby marks to endpapers and text block. Contents clean. Pictorial wrapper is lightly worn at corners and has a small chip to top of spine. [S] 0950759899.
Price: £200.00
BB, & Hart-Davis, Duff. Illustrated by BB, . Stock no. 1801446
White Lion Books. 1st thus. 1994. Fine condition in a very good dustwrapper. A companion volume to BB's "Fisherman's Bedside Book", illustrated throughout with numerous woodcuts. Brown cloth, gilt titles to spine. A handsome new edition with an introduction by Duff Hart-Davis. A fine copy with a clear booksellers label to front endpaper. Price-cut pictorial wrapper is sunned at spine and edges. [S] 1874762112.
Price: £12.00
BB, . Illustrated by BB, . Stock no. 1801268
Eyre & Spottiswoode. 1943. Very good condition in a good dustwrapper. A collection of country reminiscences. Red cloth boards, white title to spine. 15 full page b/w plates plus numerous head pieces, insets and tailpieces. 251 pages plus poem to rear. Corners lightly worn. Inscription in ink to front endpaper. A few foxspots mainly to endpapers and text block else contents clean. Pictorial wrapper has foxing, is worn at corners with slight loss, is creased and split at spine with repair to verso. [S]
Price: £20.00
