Racey Helps

Racey Helps
Occupation	Children's author, illustrator
Genre	Children's literature

Angus Clifford Racey Helps (1913–1970) was an English children's author and illustrator. His books were written in a simple style and feature woodland creatures and birds, with illustrations by the author. He is known also for illustrating postcards, greeting cards, jigsaw puzzles, playing cards and wrapping paper.

Helps was born in Bristol in 1913 to Clifford R. Helps and his wife Dorothy (née Davis), who had married in Cardiff in 1911. He spent his childhood in the hamlet of Chelvey, Somerset. He was privately educated at a vicarage and later at Bristol Cathedral School. On leaving school he entered the antiquarian book business and attended the West of England College of Art.

Helps married Irene Orr on 8 April 1936. A daughter, Anne, was born in July 1937, and a son, Julian, in 1949 or 1950. He used to tell his young daughter a bedtime story every night. His first success as an author and artist came during World War II with stories written for her. When the war came, Anne was packed off to a less noisy part of the country, but she still insisted on her story, and so Helps wrote them down for her, drew pictures to illustrate them, and sent them to her.

During that time, Racey and his wife Irene Helps lived in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, and were hosts to many young American soldiers based in the town, besides running a hairdressing salon. On one occasion a publisher happened to drop in and pick up one of Helps's handwritten, illustrated booklets. Helps was invited to London to discuss publication of future work. He was published initially by Collins and later by the Medici Society. He contributed to several children's annuals published by Collins. Much of his work was published also in the United States. At least ten of his picture books appeared in German. At least one appeared in Danish.

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