Babette Cole

Babette talked to us live about her books

Bad smells, slime and body hair are just some of the things to be tackled by Babette Cole's books aimed at children.

She both writes and illustrates the books which take an unconventional look subjects like fertility (Mummy Laid an Egg), and growing up (Hair in Funny Places).

The popularity of the books, now in 30 titles, has seen them translated into 70 languages including Urdu.

We talked live to Babette Cole on Breakfast this morning.

If you want to go straight to an exhibition of Cole's illustrations, click on the link below

Click here for Babette Cole's exhibition of drawings

Her books have also looked at divorce (Two of Everything) and; True Love, Lady Lupin's Book of Etiquette and Princess Smartypants which tells the story of a princess who doesn't want to marry any of the princes around and likes her independence.

Babette studied Illustration and Film at Canterbury College of Art and graduated in 1974 with First Class Honours. Her first job was at the BBC working on children's programmes including Bagpuss and Ivor the Engine.

Through this, she gained access to the publishing world. Her first books- Basil Brush of the Yard and Promise Solves the Problem - were published in 1977.

Babette Cole says it's very hard to choose which of her books she likes the best and it tends to go in fads.

Learning to forgive...

"Probably my favourites at the moment are Beware of the Vet and Mummy Laid An Egg.

"That was certainly the most successful of my books. It's sold over a million copies and been translated into 72 different languages."

She sometimes get a mixed reaction to the subjects tackled by the books:

"When I wrote Mummy Laid An Egg - 10 years ago - it was really the first of it's kind. And we knew we were going to get a reaction, but most of the time it's been favourable."

She adds: "Schools even use it now for class projects on the subject and just recently there was a little boy who wrote into the Times and said it was his favourite book.

"I did have one irate mother whose child had read it without her permission, but you know it has been out for a long time and I have no control if that happens."

Babette is busy working on another Princess Smartypants - called Long Live Princess Smartypants.