Author Joanna Cole has died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Cole was 75 at the time of her death, according to a report published by the Associated Press. The author was responsible for the beloved children’s book and television series “The Magic School Bus.”
Joanna Cole, Author of The Magic School Bus Children’s Book Series, Dead at 75 https://t.co/Lm4celjNWF
— People (@people) July 16, 2020
“Joanna Cole had the perfect touch for blending science and story,” Scholastic Chairman and CEO Dick Robinson said in a statement, the outlet reported. “Joanna’s books, packed with equal parts humor and information, made science both easy to understand and fun for the hundreds of millions of children around the world who read her books and watched the award-winning television series.” (RELATED: ‘Star Wars’ Actor Andrew Jack Reportedly Dies From Coronavirus)
Cole died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that causes scarring on the lungs and makes it harder to breathe over time, according to the The Lung Association.
Cole had most recently finished “The Magic School Bus Explores Human Evolution” with Bruce Degen. The book series was set to come out in the Spring.
“Magic School Bus,” the TV Series, was nominated for eight Daytime Emmy Awards over the years, according to IMDB. In 1995, Lily Tomlin won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for her role as Ms. Frizzle. Cole herself was given the Washington Post/Children’s Book Guild Award for her work with non-fiction children’s books in 1971.
Cole was raised in New Jersey, but settled with her family in Sioux City, Iowa. She is survived by her husband Phil, daughter Rachel Cole and sister Virginia McBride.