Graeme Base

Today I was at the library for story time and I kept remembering books I wanted to check out for Haley - and really for me, because lets face it, at this point she probably doesn't care what I'm reading to her; but it's fun to pretend.

I had forgotten how much I adore books by Australian author Graeme Base. While I was growing up I loved these books, and I amglad to have rediscovered the. Each page I turned in Animalia brought back a flood of memories, I remember loving the Library Lions and the Goriilas with their grapes. I remember searching through the images of Eleventh Hour as if I were trying to find Waldo in a sea of red and white.

(photo from Google images)

Base is an excellent story teller. His style varies from alliteration, to rhythmic repetition, to engaging prose. Even without the illustration these humorous and through provoking books would be family favorites.

However, the books do have illustrations, breathtaking ones. artsmarts4kids put it best. "Graeme Base is one of those illustrators who covers every millimeter of page with color. Every time you read a book by Graeme Base you will discover something new in the illustrations"

For example in the Eleventh Hour there is a tiny creature lurking within the illustrations of each page. In Animalia the alliteration is extended though thoughtful illustrations and in The Water Hole animals from each ecosystem are drawn in the details of the trees and the other landscapes surrounding each thirsty herd.