DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Babette Cole Author & Illustrator

Babette Cole was one of the world's best loved writers and illustrators of children's picture books. She created more than 150 picture books and her bestselling Doctor Dog has been adapted as a successful children's cartoon TV series. Famous for her wacky sense of humour, most of her work is comedy like The Smelly Book, The Hairy Book, The Slimy Book and The Silly Book. Babette Cole was born on Jersey in the British Channel Islands. She attended the Canterbury College of Art (now the University for the Creative Arts) and received a BA Honours first class with distinction in animation. She worked with Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate creating children's BBC TV programs such as Bagpuss. Her work has been widely televised on BBC's Jackanory, CBeebies and Channel 4.