Celebrate the stories revealed in children's books today with images from the Library's 2011 Look! exhibition.
Explore original artwork, sketches and drawings by more than 40 Australian illustrators – including Bob Graham, Lucia Masciullo, Ann James, Shaun Tan, Graeme Base, Leigh Hobbs and Terry Denton.
© Lucia Masciullo, illustration from The Family Forest, text by Kim Kane, Hardie Grant Egmont, 2010. Pencil and watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.
A family tree connects all the different people who make up a family. Sometimes a family tree can look more like a family forest. But don’t worry; these kids have it all worked out.
© Andrew McLean, illustration from Make it I'm the Mother, text by Janet McLean, Allen & Unwin, 2000. Pencil and watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.
To help create this story, Janet McLean, author of Make it I'm the Mother, watched children at play in a creche. Janet's husband, Andrew, provided the illustrations.
© Ann James, illustration from Go Baby Go, text by Sally Rippin, Allen & Unwin, 2008. Watercolour and pencil, courtesy of Books Illustrated.
Babies like to keep busy.
© Elaine Russell, illustration from The Shack that Dad Built, Little Hare Books, 2004. Acrylic on paper, courtesy of the artist.
In The Shack that Dad Built, Elaine Russell remembers the house where she grew up:
‘Dad decided to build a shack for us. He chose a spot close to the beach, with a beautiful view across the bay. The shack was made of bits of tin from rubbish tips and had a dirt floor. It was hot in summer and cold in winter, but to us it was great.’
© Mark Jackson & Heather Potter, illustration from Not Like Georgie, text by Scott Hatcher, Walker Books Australia, 2008. Gouache and pencil on paper, courtesy of the artists.
Playing together with friends is one way to have fun at school!
© Freya Blackwood, illustration from Amy & Louis, text by Libby Gleeson, Scholastic Press for Scholastic Australia, 2006. Watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Illustrator Freya Blackwood describes how she created the world of Amy and Louis:
'I love creating characters and having them live with me for while. I enjoyed creating the little suburb that Amy and Louis lived in, with its beach and shops and lovely houses. I like the challenge involved in solving each page. There are so many solutions to each problem, but finding the appropriate one – the one that fits with the story, all the other pages, the style of the book – sometimes it takes weeks to solve these problems, months.'
© Anna Walker, illustration from Little Cat and the Big Red Bus, text by Jane Godwin, Viking, 2008. Acrylic, conte pencil and ink on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Little Cat’s day at school goes smoothly until the bus ride home. Little Cat falls asleep while the bus rumbles past her house.
© Jane Tanner, illustration from Just Jack, Penguin Books Australia, 2008. Colour pencil and watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Jack is getting ready for his first day at kinder. But he doesn’t know anyone. How will he make friends? Suddenly Jack has a good idea. He puts on his special costume and now is ready for action.
© Terry Denton, illustration from The Bad Book, text by Andy Griffiths, Pan Australia, 2004. Pen and watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Author of The Bad Book, Andy Griffiths, was influenced by Heinrich Hoffmann's Struwwelpeter (shock-headed Peter), which is about a boy who gets up to all sorts of mischief. Andy advises:
‘Setting fire to one’s own body parts is utterly contrary to good sense, good behaviour and the prudent use of matches.’
© Lucia Masciullo, illustration from The Boy and the Toy, text by Sonya Hartnett, Penguin Books Australia, 2010. Acrylic and ink on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Lucia Mascuillo created a vivid imaginary world for Sonya Hartnett's story about true friendship:
‘The first toy I drew was a container, with two little straight arms and two wheels. Then I drew a lot of different Toys, mixing together shapes and pieces from different sources: coffee pots, cups, forks, hand showers, animals, clocks…’
© Leigh Hobbs, illustration from Old Tom’s Holiday, Little Hare Books, 2002. Pen and gouache, Pictures Collection, State Library of Victoria.
In Old Tom’s Holiday, Old Tom turns up in some surprising places. Here he is relaxing at the beach while Angela Throgmorton strolls past. Illustrator and author Leigh Hobbs explains Old Tom's appeal:
'I think Old Tom appeals because he is adventurous, funny, rebellious and mischievous, but underneath he wants and needs to feel secure and loved.'
© John Nicholson, illustration from Animal Architects, Allen & Unwin, 2003. Pencil on paper, courtesy of the artist.
John Nicholson trained as an architect – a useful background for his book on the materials that animals use to make and build their homes. John describes his fascination with shells, which he collected as a child:
‘What is it about shells that make them look like shells? Apart from their amazing shapes and their intricate coloured patterns, it is – above all – their smooth, shiny lustre that gives them their “shelly” quality.’
© Elizabeth Honey, illustration from Not a Nibble, Allen & Unwin, 1997. Watercolour and ink on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Elizabeth Honey drew the outline of this picture with waterproof ink. She then painted over the ink with watercolours. The cool greens and blues create a sense of the sea and the summer sky.
© Alison Lester, illustration from Are We There Yet?, Viking, 2004. Ink and watercolour on paper, courtesy of Books Illustrated.
‘When my children were aged 9, 12 and 15 we did an Are We There Yet? trip. We missed all of winter term and added the holidays on each side. It was a fantastic time that gave us a sort of emotional glue that keeps us close. I’ve had heaps of people tell me they have done or are going to do an Are we there yet? trip, and that’s a lovely thing to hear.’
– Alison Lester
© Ron Brooks, illustration from Fox, text by Margaret Wild, Allen & Unwin, 2000. Mixed media on paper, Peter Williams Collection.
Illustrator Ron Brooks explains how he responded to Fox, a story by Margaret Wild:
‘That first picture was a real mixed-media job: a multi-layered collage of bits and pieces of different papers, heavy impasto, oil paint, acrylic, ink, watercolour, shellac, oil sticks. Instead of drawing with pens, pencils or whatever, I gouged, scratched and scraped my way through all this stuff using kitchen forks, bits of wire, old dental tools, bits of rusty tin, sandpaper – whatever seemed to work – to find my lines…Until I felt the image had everything I was able to find. Until I felt it matched the voice in the writing – the texture of the language.’
– Ron Brooks, Drawn from the heart, a memoir, Allen & Unwin, 2010
© David Miller, illustration from Snap! Went Chester, text by Tania Cox, Hachette Australia, 2003. Paper sculpture, courtesy of Woodleigh School.
David Miller’s sculptures are made by cutting, folding, colouring and pasting paper. It takes him about eight months to make enough sculptures for a whole book. The sculptures are then photographed to create the final pages.
© Graeme Base, illustration from Enigma, Viking, 2008. Pencil and watercolour on paper, Pictures Collection, State Library of Victoria.
Graeme Base's pictures are known for their rich and incredible detail. He uses imagery from travel books, artwork and the internet to construct his exotic worlds.
© Gaye Chapman, illustration from Little Blue, Little Hare Books, 2008. Ink, tea and watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Little Blue is lost in the forest far from home. When a boy named Will rescues Little Blue, they become friends. Although they live in different worlds, they discover how much they have in common. When Will offers shelter to Little Blue, something miraculous happens.
© Leigh Hobbs, illustration from Mr Chicken Goes to Paris, Allen & Unwin, 2009. Gouache and pen on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Mr Chicken first appeared in Hooray for Horrible Harriet in 2005. During a recent trip to Paris, Leigh Hobbs wondered what might happen if Mr Chicken visited Paris.
'In a crummy little notebook I quickly did a few sketches – doodles really – of Mr Chicken in, around and on top of some iconic Paris buildings. At first I planned to have Mr Chicken alone. I later decided to introduce Yvette, his Parisian friend. Together they revel in their friendship, oblivious to the staring adults.'
© Shaun Tan, illustration from Tales from Outer Suburbia, Allen & Unwin, 2008. Acrylic, coloured pencil and gouache on paper, courtesy of the artist.
In Shaun Tan's story Alert but Not Alarmed, from his book Tales from Outer Suburbia, every home has its own cruise missile. Shaun's pictures invite us to wonder about just how strange the everyday world can be.
© Robert Ingpen AM, illustration from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, text by Lewis Carroll, Walker Books Australia, 2009. Pencil and watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, was illustrated by John Tenniel almost 150 years ago. Robert Ingpen says that John Tenniel's pictures may have had some influence on his dream of becoming an illustrator. In this version, Robert Ingpen uses pencil and watercolour to create the topsy-turvy world of the Mad Hatter’s tea party.
© Elizabeth Honey, illustration from I'm Still Awake, Still, music by Sue Johnson, Allen & Unwin, 2008. Gouache and pencil on paper, courtesy of the artist.
I’m Still Awake, Still is a story with songs about the adventures that happen on the way to morning.
© Bob Graham, notebook for April Underhill, Tooth Fairy, Walker Books Ltd, 2010. Pen, pencil and watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist.
Bob Graham uses his notebooks to develop story ideas. The illustrations pictured here paved the way for April Underhill, Tooth Fairy.
© Warren Brim and Anna Eglitis, Creatures of the Rainforest, Magabala Books, 2005. Lino cut, courtesy of the artist.
This flying fox was created by Warren Brim. Warren is of the Djabugay people near Cairns, in far north Queensland. In Djabugay language a flying fox is called guginy (gu-gi-nee).
