Graeme Base facts for kids

Graeme Rowland Base, born on April 6, 1958, is a famous British-Australian author and artist. He creates amazing picture books. He is most known for his popular books like Animalia (from 1986) and The Eleventh Hour (from 1989).

Graeme Base's Early Life

Graeme Base was born in Amersham, England. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Australia. He has lived there ever since.

He went to high school in Melbourne. Later, he studied graphic design for three years at Swinburne University of Technology. This helped him become an artist.

Graeme Base's Career

Graeme worked in advertising for two years. After that, he started drawing pictures for children's books. Slowly, he also began writing the stories himself.

His very first book, My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch, was accepted by the first publisher he showed it to. This was a great start to his career!

Today, Graeme lives in Melbourne with his wife, Robyn. They have three children.

Books by Graeme Base

Graeme Base has written and illustrated many popular books. Here are some of his well-known works:

• My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch (1983)
• Animalia (1986)
• The Eleventh Hour (1989)
• The Sign of the Seahorse (1992)
• The Discovery of Dragons (1996)
• The Worst Band in the Universe (1999)
• The Waterhole (2001)
• Truck Dogs (2003)
• Jungle Drums (2004)
• Uno's Garden (2006)
• Enigma (2008)
• The Legend of the Golden Snail (2010)
• The Jewel Fish of Karnak (2011)
• Little Elephants (2012)
• The Last King of Angkor Wat (2014)
• Eye to Eye (2015)
• The Amazing Monster Detectoscope (2017)
• Moonfish (2019)
• The Tree (2020)

The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery

The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery was re-released in 1993. This new version had a special, sealed section at the back. It was labeled "TOP SECRET."

This secret part held the answers to the mystery in the book. It also explained all the clues and puzzles in the pictures. Graeme Base encouraged readers to try solving the mystery first. He wrote that "the getting of wisdom is no match for the thrill of the chase."

Truck Dogs: A Novel for Teens

Graeme's first and only novel so far is Truck Dogs (A Novel in Four Bites). It was released in both hardcover and paperback.

The book includes 16 color pictures of the characters. These characters are half-dog and half-vehicle. Graeme first planned this as a picture book. But then he decided to make it a novel for teenagers and younger readers instead.

Other Fun Creations

Coloring books based on Animalia and The Waterhole were published. Jigsaw puzzles were also made from some of the amazing pictures in Animalia.

Calendars featuring Graeme's artwork were popular in the 1990s and early 2000s. In 1987, a giant wall frieze (a long picture) from Animalia was released. It was over 26 feet long and came with a riddle sheet.

Adaptations of Graeme Base's Books

Many of Graeme Base's books have been turned into other exciting forms of media.

• The Sign of the Seahorse became an opera. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performed it in 2001.
• An exhibition based on The Waterhole was shown at the National Museum of Australia.
• My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch was made into a play. It premiered in Melbourne in 2006. The play has toured different parts of Australia.
• Animalia was made into a television series called Animalia. Graeme Base was an executive producer for the show. He also helped compose the opening theme music. Animalia is one of the most sold books around the world.
• Animalia also became an iPhone and iPad app in 2010. An iPhone app based on Jungle Drums was released in 2008.
• Sand Sculpting Australia created sculptures based on Graeme's books. They made one for The Sign of the Seahorse in 2012-2013. In 2013-2014, their exhibition included a sculpture from The Discovery of Dragons.

Awards and Recognition

Graeme Base's books have won several awards for their amazing stories and illustrations:

• Animalia – 1987 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Picture Book of the Year Honour book
• The Eleventh Hour – 1989 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Joint winner
• 1998 Dromkeen Medal
• TruckDogs: A novel in four bites – 2004 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers
• Uno's Garden – 2007 Green Book Award: Picture Book