Joanne Cole

Joanne Cole (6 June 1934 – 7 August 1985) was a British artist and illustrator. She most notably produced numerous children's books in the 1960s through to the 1980s. She also created artwork and puppets for British TV children's programmes. Together with husband Michael Cole they created Bod.[1]

Joanne Cole
Born	(1934-06-06)6 June 1934
Died	7 August 1985(1985-08-07) (aged 51)
Occupation	Artist / Illustrator
Nationality	British
Genre	Children's books and TV
Notable works	Bod, Fingerbobs, Gran
Spouse	Michael Cole (1955-1985)
Children	4
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Bod originally appeared as four books, published in the UK by Methuen in 1965 and later released in France and the United States. The Coles collaborated on other children books including Wet Albert (1967) about a boy followed around by a rain cloud with crayon drawings by Cole and a series of four Kate and Sam books (1971) about the over-imaginative ideas of a young brother and sister. She also illustrated seven Jill Tomlinson books, including The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark (1973).

In 1972 the Coles created the children's BBC TV show Fingerbobs,[2][3] starring Rick Jones and the finger-puppet adventures of a paper mouse and his friends, made by Cole. In 1973 Cole created puppets and artwork for BBC children's programme Ragtime, which won a Society of Film and Television Award (later known as a BAFTA) in 1973 for Best Children's Programme [4] and was followed by a second series. In 1975 the original Bod books were developed into a BBC children's show.[5] The Bod stories were made into 5 minute films animated by Alan Rogers, based on Cole's original drawings, narrated by John Le Mesurier and with music by Derek Griffiths. The rest of the programme, narrated by Maggie Henderson, was made up of Cole's illustrations with games such as Bod snap, songs and stories of Alberto Frog and his Amazing Animal Band.[6] Bod was broadcast on BBC until 1984. It was also shown in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Poland and Israel. In the United States, Bod aired on Nickelodeon as part of the Pinwheel program.[7] The series of 13 episodes included nine new Bod adventures which were published as books in 1977 and illustrated by Cole.

In 1982 Cole co- wrote with her husband the BBC children's programme Gran.[8] These tales of a most surprising grandmother, which were later developed into books illustrated by Cole, were animated by Ivor Wood and narrated by Patricia Hayes.[9]

She also provided artwork regularly for ITV's Rainbow and BBC's Play School.

Cole died of cancer in 1985 aged 51 and in the same year Michael Cole wrote and produced Fingermouse, a musical version of Fingerbobs starring paper puppets made by Cole.[10]