Terry Denton, beloved Australian illustrator best known for Treehouse series, dies aged 76 | Australian books | The Guardian  (terry-denton-beloved-australian-illustrator-best-known-for-treehouse-series-dies-aged-76.html)   (../../../../../assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/manifest.json)  (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon.svg) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-512.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-360.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-240.png) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/icons/homescreen/apple-touch-icon-120.png) (../../../../../static.guim.co.uk/images/favicon-32x32.ico) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) (https://ophan.theguardian.com) (https://sourcepoint.theguardian.com) (https://assets.guim.co.uk/) (https://i.guim.co.uk) (https://j.ophan.co.uk) 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Stage  (https://www.theguardian.com/music/classicalmusicandopera) Classical  (https://www.theguardian.com/games) Games  (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/series/design-a-better-world) Design a better world                      (Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton)          Terry Denton (left) and children’s author Andy Griffiths. The pair worked together for three decades, with Griffiths saying Denton was a ‘true clown and much beloved’. Photograph: James Penlidis Photography     (terry-denton-beloved-australian-illustrator-best-known-for-treehouse-series-dies-aged-76.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       Terry Denton (left) and children’s author Andy Griffiths. The pair worked together for three decades, with Griffiths saying Denton was a ‘true clown and much beloved’. Photograph: James Penlidis Photography       (https://www.theguardian.com/books/australian-books) Australian books     Terry Denton, beloved Australian illustrator best known for Treehouse series, dies aged 76   The illustrator and author ‘gave joy to millions of children around the world’, his family says Get our (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl) breaking news email , (https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3) free app or (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl) daily news podcast            Guardian staff   Tue 22 Sep 2026 04.16 EDT  Last modified on Tue 22 Sep 2026 04.43 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Terry Denton, beloved Australian illustrator best known for Treehouse series, dies aged 76&body=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/sep/22/terry-denton-beloved-australian-illustrator-best-known-for-treehouse-series-dies-aged-76?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          The beloved Australian illustrator and author Terry Denton, most famous for his work on the Treehouse series, has died aged 76. His publisher, Curtis Brown, (https://www.instagram.com/p/DdlBmPeH7tF/?img_index=6) released a statement on social media saying Denton died surrounded by his family on Monday.  Denton was the author and illustrator of more than 30 of his own books, including the Gasp! series, which was adapted for screen. He also collaborated with authors including Mem Fox, Paul Jennings and Gillian Rubinstein. (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/sep/04/andy-griffiths-169-storey-treehouse-book-interview)  This ‘bum-poo-fart author’ is Australia’s biggest writer: Andy Griffiths on ending the Treehouse books     Read more        Denton’s children paid tribute to the illustrator whose work they said “gave joy to millions of children around the world”. “And after all those stories and all those lives he touched, he always came home to us. “We are so grateful that his stories will continue to live on, bringing wonder, laughter and comfort to generations yet to come and most especially to his beloved grandchildren, whoever will grow up knowing him through the magic he left behind.” (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed&CMP=emailbutton) Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email   Andy Griffiths, the author of the Treehouse series and a longtime friend and collaborator with Denton, said: “Working – and playing – with Terry over three decades has been an incredible honour and a pure delight. “I’ve never laughed so hard as I did when working with him, whether in the writing room or on stage. He was a true clown and much beloved – both in real life and as a character in the Treehouse series. Jill and I will miss him greatly.” (terry-denton-beloved-australian-illustrator-best-known-for-treehouse-series-dies-aged-76.html#EmailSignup-skip-link-11) skip past newsletter promotion     Free newsletter | When needed    Sign up to Breaking News Australia  Get the most important news as it breaks  ()   Enter your email  ()   Sign up      after newsletter promotion   Griffiths told the (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/sep/04/andy-griffiths-169-storey-treehouse-book-interview) Guardian in 2023 that he owed much of his success to the talented illustrator. When he first searched for a publisher, he had little luck but one took a punt on a textbook that was published in 1993 and was illustrated by Denton. Griffiths said that when they met for the first time, they recognised a streak of madness in each other that would fuel the next 30 years of work together. Denton is survived by his wife, Kristen, his children Max, Imogen and Eve, and his grandchildren Georgia, Lucy, Charlie, Alfie and Felix.         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