The story of Kaye Webb, the genius and much-loved face of Puffin Books, whose public exuberance masked her private heartbreak …

Kaye Webb, a journalist with no publishing experience, burst into the world of children’s books in 1961 and changed the face of children’s publishing forever. Her child-like enthusiasm and shrewd business mind led her to become Puffin’s most successful editor and the genius behind the Puffin Club, which opened up the exciting world of authors and books to children across Britain.

But whilst Kaye’s professional life had worked out beautifully, her private life had been the reverse. Kaye had two husbands before her marriage to the artist Ronald Searle, and the torment of his sudden and shocking departure never left her.

Yet to the outside world Kaye Webb remained passionate and unstoppable.
This is the unknown story of the woman who brought the joy of books to children everywhere whilst battling the emotional pain that plagued her private life.