Children’s author and illustrator best known for the Topsy and Tim books

Jean Adamson, who has died aged 96, was never a household name, but the success of the Topsy and Tim books that she created with her husband, Gareth, and illustrated more than made up for that.

Topsy and Tim were ubiquitous in the lives of families with young children. The simple and entertaining stories about their lives, and particularly the way that they navigated the universal everyday experiences of childhood, became an essential resource for parents when looking for reassurance and information that they could trust and that their children could relate to easily.