Mandy Little, Adamson's literary agent, described working with Adamson as a rare privilege. She never lost interest in the two little black-haired twins as they explored what the world had to offer over decades, making sure always that Topsy got as much of the action as Tim. They were close to her heart for, as she once told me, they were based on herself and her beloved brother Derek, who were inseparable as children.
Born in Peckham in London in 1928, Jean studied illustration at Goldsmiths College, where she met Gareth. She later taught at Goldsmiths, alongside her work as a freelance artist and illustrator. She married Gareth in 1957, and the couple moved to Newcastle, where they began working on the Topsy and Tim books, with Jean researching the story and illustrating.
Her family said in a statement, "Jean was a devoted mother, grandmother, sister, author and great-grandmother whose kindness and warmth touched the lives of all who knew her." They added, "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."
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