Fans as well as authors, schools and other illustrators took to social media to praise the work of the West Country resident, whose books have been popular since the 1970s.
Writing on Twitter, children’s novelist and poet Michael Rosen said: ‘Very sorry to hear Babette Cole has died. She was a brilliant writer, artist and illustrator. Very best wishes to her family and friends.’
Babette Cole grew up in Jersey, where she attended FCJ before studying at Canterbury College of Art.
In a statement, Tom Dingle, director of the Jersey Arts Trust, said: ‘We were very sorry to hear the sad news about the untimely death of Babette Cole. Her wonderful imagination, humour and diverse range of abilities have entertained and inspired millions through her books, illustrations, and TV programmes.
While at BBC Children’s Television, she helped to create TV storyboards, film sets, puppets and book illustrations, working under their guidance for two years.
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