Bruno the lonely doll-maker makes three dolls to keep him company in his house in the woods before he dies and leaves them to rot away. Years later the house is brought back to life by a new family. The glorious splash of yellow in this double-page spread breaks away from the sombre greens and greys of the early part of the story.
Photograph: Walker Books
Now it's the dolls' turn to be brought back to life after their lonely years in the rotting house. The little girl paints colour back into Maisy's cheeks while Ralph and Winnaker wait their turn. Note Winnaker's unravelling sleeves and tattered back-pack.
Photograph: Walker Books
A drop of blood glints on the snow after Snow-White's mother pricks herself while stitching pearls onto a cloth of gold. The empty cradle waits in the background for the baby daughter she will not live to see.
Photograph: Red Fox
Neglected in a castle with her own nurse and cook, Snow-White is taught how to dance by "an old gentleman". The long empty corridor leading to her room contrasts with busy social life that is glimpsed through a window in the background.
Photograph: Red Fox
This collaboration with Josephine Poole is one of Barrett's finest books and was described by Quentin Blake as "the real, original Snow-White". She loves giving fleeting glimpses through trees or buildings, and here you can see how she develops those glimpses to create visionary landscapes teeming with slightly sinister life.
Photograph: Red Fox
Snow White lies lifeless on the floor after a visit from her wicked stepmother. The picture has a dreamlike quality and a sinister origin. It was based on a photo by the war photographer Lee Miller of a girl whose Nazi father shot himself after poisoning his family. Barrett often consults photographs for composition, though her paintings don't simply reproduce what she sees.
Photograph: Red Fox
When Angela develops a fever in a hot country, her father sponges her with cool water and tells her a story about a land of cold winds and snow-white mountains. The fresh-looking bowl of water and the merry sun picture on the wall contrast with Angela's droopy eyes and sweaty hair.
Photograph: Hutchinson
In her feverish state, Angela dreams of living in an icy place in a dress made of snowflakes. While many modern illustrators have a grabby style, Barrett's is more softy persuasive, as you can see in this magical collaboration with the writer Angela McAllister. See how she uses light and colour to create an atmosphere.
Photograph: Hutchinson
Photograph: Walker Books
Barrett realised the Emperor's New Clothes is "a one-joke story", so she added her own cast of royal dogs. To the left of the picture is the "pompadoured" poodle (himself half-naked) who blushes with embarrassment at the sight of the emperor's naked bottom. Can you spot the emperor's feet?
Photograph: Walker Books
Barrett plundered 15th-century paintings, tapestries and illuminated manuscripts to find a visual style for Jennifer Poole's retelling of the story of the martyred French queen. She consulted the work of 19th century photographer Eadweard Muybridge for the anatomy of the horses.
Photograph: Hutchinson
To get into the mood for depicting Joan burning at the stake, Barrett stood in front of a mirror, thinking about the death of her cat. Her editor thought it was too upsetting and made her cheer the picture up a bit.
Photograph: Hutchinson
The castle walls look huge and unbreachable in this climactic battle scene, and you can just see the heads of the soldiers defending it. Barrett says she prefers drawing trouble and distress to happiness. "I'm no good at jolly scenes of dancing and merriment - laughter can be so sinister."
Photograph: Hutchinson
The plain clothes and boyish haircut of Joan of Arc contrasts with her ardent and spiritual nature, which is dramatised through her encounter with these angels.
Photograph: Hutchinson
Barrett teamed up with Naomi Lewis for this collection of stories. Here, a Victorian doll-maker and his family work in an attic room with crumbling plaster and the spires of the city just visible through the windows. A thin morning light falls on the table where a candle suggests that they work all hours. Though the table is a mess, they paint with fine brushes and are totally focused on their work.
Photograph: Walker Books
