Brian Wildsmith was raised in the mining village of Penistone, near Sheffield. He won a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art, where he studied for three years, then spent his National Service teaching music at the Royal Military School of Music. After his time in the Army, he became an art master, but soon gave up teaching to pursue his life-long ambition of becoming a painter. Brian's work is both provocative and stimulating and he has a world-wide reputation as one of the greatest children's illustrators. He is particularly popular in the USA, Europe and Japan. In 1996, as a celebration of Brian's special relationship with Japan, Oxford University Press published Katie and the Dream-Eater written by Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado of the Japanese Imperial Family. Brian published over 70 books with OUP over his career. Brian died aged 86 on 31 August 2016.

He is survived by three children, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.