Children’s author Jean Adamson, know for the Topsy And Tim series of books, has died aged 96, her family confirmed. The family said they were announcing with “deep sorrow” that the “devoted” mother and author died on Sunday, in a statement released by Topsy And Tim publisher Ladybird Books.
Adamson created the series, which follows the adventures of two twins and spawned more than 150 books, alongside her husband Gareth Adamson, who died in 1982. A statement from her family read: “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved Jean Adamson.
“Jean was a devoted mother, grandmother, sister and author whose kindness and warmth touched the lives of all who knew her. “Her presence will be greatly missed, but her memory will live on in the hearts of her family and all those she loved or that remember her through her stories.
“Although we will take this time to mourn her loss, we will also ensure to celebrate her remarkable life.”. Born in Peckham, south-east London, in 1928, Adamson studied illustration at Goldsmiths College in London, and went on to teach there, specialising in illustration and design, and also met her husband at the college.
The pair married in 1957 and moved to Newcastle, where they began working on children’s books, and also created original animations for Yorkshire TV in the 1970s. In a statement, Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s, which runs Ladybird, said: “Jean and her husband Gareth’s work was uncharacteristic of the time, with Jean’s art style being bright, pared back and uncluttered.
