Barbara Sleigh facts for kids

Barbara Grace de Riemer Sleigh (1906–1982) was an English writer and broadcaster. She is best known for her exciting Carbonel series of books about a special king of cats.

Barbara Sleigh's Early Life and Work

Barbara Sleigh was born on January 9, 1906, in Birmingham, England. Her father, Bernard Sleigh, was an artist, and her mother was Stella. Barbara grew up in an Anglican family. They moved from Birmingham to Chesham for a while, and then back to Birmingham. Her older brother, Brocas Linwood Sleigh, also became a writer.

After studying at art college and teacher's training college, Barbara taught in different schools. In 1929, she joined Goldsmith's College in London to teach future teachers.

Working at the BBC

In 1932, Barbara started working for the BBC on a popular radio show called Children's Hour. While working there, she met and married a colleague, David Davis, in 1935. However, the BBC had a rule that husbands and wives could not work in the same department. Because of this rule, Barbara resigned from her job.

After leaving the BBC, Barbara became a freelance writer. This meant she worked for herself, writing stories, reviewing films, and broadcasting on the radio. She and David had one son and two daughters.

Barbara Sleigh passed away in 1982.

Barbara Sleigh's Amazing Books

Barbara Sleigh wrote many books for children. Her most famous books are the three in the Carbonel series. These stories, published between 1955 and 1978, are about a magical king of cats named Carbonel. These popular books are still available today!

Other Fantastic Stories

Barbara Sleigh also wrote other great books.

• No One Must Know (1962) is another cat-themed story. It's about a group of children who try to hide their pets from a landlord who doesn't allow animals.
• The Snowball (1969) is a fantasy story. In this book, a snowball magically turns into a snow-child, bringing lots of fun and a bit of mischief to a family.
• Jessamy (1967) is a realistic time-slip novel. This means the main character travels through time in a way that feels very real.

Barbara Sleigh also wrote collections of short stories and many radio adaptations. She created picture books for younger children and even some educational readers. Many of her books were published by Puffin Books, a well-known children's book publisher. She also contributed to children's anthologies, which are collections of stories and poems by different authors. Her last work was editing a collection of stories about witches called Broomsticks and Beasticles (1981).