Australian illustrator and Treehouse co-creator Terry Denton dies aged 76

Australian children’s author and illustrator Terry Denton, best known for his hugely popular creative partnership with writer Andy Griffiths, has died aged 76.

Denton died surrounded by his family near Melbourne on Monday, according to his literary agency and publisher.

For more than three decades, Denton and Griffiths created books together, most famously the Treehouse series, beginning with The 13-Storey Treehouse. Their anarchic combination of words, cartoons and visual jokes became an international success, with the books reaching readers in dozens of countries, including the UK.

Griffiths paid tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator, saying working and playing with Denton had been “an honour and a pure delight”, and later described him as an effortlessly funny “true clown” whose drawings brought joy to generations of readers.

Denton’s career extended well beyond Treehouse. He wrote and illustrated numerous books of his own, including the Gasp! series, and worked with leading Australian children’s writers including Mem Fox, Paul Jennings and Gillian Rubinstein. In 1986 he won the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award for Felix and Alexander.

His family said his work had brought joy to millions of children around the world.