THE great mind of prolific children’s author Graeme Base will be ripe for the picking when he visits Orange as part of a national book launch.
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Mr Base is regarded as one of the world’s leading creators of picture books.
His alphabet book Animalia received international acclaim when it was first published in 1986 and has achieved classic status with worldwide sales approaching three million copies, also inspiring a TV series.
Other favourites include The Eleventh Hour, The Sign of the Seahorse, The Worst Band in the Universe and Uno’s Garden.
Mr Base said he was looking forward to bringing the launch tour of Eye to Eye to Orange as he rarely gets out of metropolitan areas.
He’ll he hosting a public talk at Orange City Library from 5.30pm this evening.
“The response so far has been great... and questions from children are interesting. They vary from, ‘How much do you get paid’? to ‘Why are you wearing yellow socks’?” Mr Base said.
“The most common question I get is, ‘Where do you get your ideas from’? which is really important. Without ideas nothing happens.”
“There’s also a generational jump with readers. There are kids who bring their books to get signed and their mum or dad say that their mum or dad brought them for a signing.”
He said the inspiration for Eye to Eye came from a trip to Antarctica. The vessel he was on passed a pod of killer whales and he came eye to eye with one as they did turns in the water.
The book explores the magic of a child’s adventure when he looks into his mind’s eye and has similar close encounters with a variety of wild animals.
Bookings for the talk can be made by contacting the library on 6393 8132.
Mr Base will then do school-based group workshops on Thursday.
ashlea.pritchard@fairfaxmedia.com.au
