[4] Barne was born in Petersham, Surrey, but was brought up in Somerset and Sussex, and later studied at the Royal College of Music.
Barne was a member of the Women's Voluntary Service, responsible for the reception of children evacuated to Sussex.
For that work she won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject.
I used to make dozens of quick sketches until I got them as she pictured them, helped by her interjections, 'Oh, rather a higher forehead and even deeper set eyes' or 'oh, no you've made her far too nice, I think she is a horrid little girl.'
We would laugh together over her amusing adults as she suggested incidents for me to sketch which would bring out their characteristics.She died on 3 February 1961 after a long illness.