It is a curious truth in the world of children's literature that the most enduring and beloved books are often those which adults initially dismiss as being too challenging, too peculiar, or too verbose for young minds. Graeme Base, the acclaimed Australian author and illustrator, has made a career out of defying such conventional wisdom, crafting wonderfully weird and fiendishly difficult picture books that have captivated generations of readers worldwide.
The Unlikely Genesis of a Global Phenomenon
By his own admission, Graeme Base had little idea what he was doing when he first ventured into the realm of children's publishing. Now 67, he reflects on his early career with a mixture of amusement and astonishment at the global success that followed. His journey began not with a burning desire to write for children, but with a simple love for drawing. "I could have very happily been a record cover designer," Base confesses. "I didn't want to be a writer. I just wanted to draw ... and it figured that there'd be stories which needed illustrating."
From Advertising Rejection to Publishing Sensation
After studying graphic design and enduring a brief, unhappy stint in advertising, which culminated in being fired from his third job in 18 months, Base gathered the artwork he had been creating "for my own sanity" and began approaching publishers. His first foray into picture books came with 1983's My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch, published after he showed his illustrations to Bob Sessions at Penguin, who would become a pivotal figure in Australian publishing.
The collaboration with Sessions proved fortuitous. When Base presented his concept for Animalia, an alphabet book bursting with opulent, detailed, and downright bizarre illustrations paired with a flashy alliterative vocabulary, his initial thoughts were self-deprecating. "I was thinking, what an idiot – as if the world needs another English-language alphabet book," Base remembers. Yet, Sessions saw its potential, championing a work that defied publishing norms, even its typography integrated into the illustrations – a practice frowned upon for translation purposes.
Breaking the Rules and Capturing Imaginations
Animalia was no ordinary alphabet book. Eschewing a simple narrative or straightforward educational purpose, it was a tome of discovery. Sentences like "Victor V. Vulture, the vaudeville ventriloquist, versatile virtuoso of vociferous verbosity, vexatiously vocalising at the Valhalla Variety Venue" challenged young readers, encouraging them to reach for comprehension. "You shoot above a child's head, and encourage them to rise to the occasion," Base explains of his philosophy, one which Sessions wholeheartedly supported.
The International Breakthrough
The book's journey to global acclaim was serendipitous. Sessions took Animalia to the influential Bologna Children's Book Fair, where it captivated Paul Gottlieb, then editor-in-chief of New York art book publisher Abrams. Despite Abrams not publishing children's books at the time, Gottlieb's enthusiasm led to its acquisition. The subsequent success was meteoric. A memorable appearance on Good Morning America, buoyed by post-Crocodile Dundee Australian cultural cachet in the US, saw host Charlie Gibson deliver a hard sell that propelled the book to number five on the New York Times bestseller list and earned it a billboard on Sunset Boulevard. Animalia has since sold over five million copies worldwide.
Crafting a Picture Book Mystery
Flush with success and travelling the world, Base began work on his next project, The Eleventh Hour. Inspired by Agatha Christie, the original concept featured a far darker mystery involving a poisoned dog. "Graeme, we can't have dead dogs in picture books – have another think about this," Sessions wisely advised. The revised plot became an elephant's stolen birthday feast, with readers tasked to identify the thief through a labyrinth of ciphers, Morse code, and symbols hidden within the lavish illustrations, even in the page margins.
Much like its predecessor, The Eleventh Hour was conceived without compromise for perceived difficulty. Its early editions included a card for readers to request a solutions pamphlet, a move that backfired spectacularly as Penguin was inundated, requiring extra staff to manage the response. Later prints sealed the answers at the back. Intriguingly, one puzzle – the name of the swan – remains officially unsolved, with Base only offering the cryptic clue: "the answer to the puzzle lies in the cards."
A Lasting Legacy and Reader Adoration
Both Animalia and The Eleventh Hour have recently been selected by Guardian readers among the 50 best Australian picture books ever published, a testament to their enduring appeal. Base expresses genuine surprise at their longevity, noting they have now captivated a third generation. "So few books manage to stick for another generation. Now it's done another generation again; there's grandparents buying these books who got it when they were kids. Which is really, really weird!" he marvels.
Reflecting on the modern publishing landscape, Base wryly observes that if he pitched either book today, "you'd fail – miserably, I suspect." His accidental masterpieces, born from a desire to draw and explore without constraint, stand as vibrant monuments to the joy of discovery in children's literature, proving that sometimes, not knowing the rules is the greatest strength of all.
