Graeme Base facts for kids

Graeme Rowland Base (born 6 April 1958) is a famous British-Australian author and artist. He creates amazing picture books. He is well-known for his books Animalia, which came out in 1986, and The Eleventh Hour, released in 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 Box Hill High School and Melbourne High School in Melbourne. After that, he studied Graphic Design at Swinburne University of Technology for three years.

Graeme Base's Career Journey

After finishing his studies, Graeme worked in advertising for two years. Then, he started illustrating books for children. Soon, he began writing his own stories too. His very first book, My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch, was accepted by the first publisher he showed it to. 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 published 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)
• The Discovery of Dragons: New Research Revealed (2007)
• Enigma (2008)
• The Legend of the Golden Snail (2010)
• The Jewel Fish of Karnak (2011)
• Little Elephants (2012)
• My First Animalia (2013)
• The Last King of Angkor Wat (2014)
• Eye to Eye (2015)
• Little Bug Books (a series of six books for toddlers; 2014, 2016)
• The Amazing Monster Detectoscope (2017)
• Bumblebunnies (a series of four picture books; 2018–2020)
• Moonfish (2019)
• The Tree (2020)

The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery was re-released in 1993. This new version had a special sealed section at the back called "The Inside Story." It was labeled "TOP SECRET." Inside, it held the answers to the mystery and explained all the clues in the pictures. Graeme Base wrote that finding wisdom is not as exciting as the thrill of the chase. He encouraged readers to try hard to solve the mystery themselves.

Graeme's first and only novel is Truck Dogs (A Novel in Four Bites). It came out in both hardcover and paperback. The book includes 16 color pictures of the characters. These characters are half-dog and half-vehicle. Graeme had planned to make it a picture book, but then decided to write it as a novel for teenagers and younger readers.

Coloring books based on Animalia were published in 2002. A coloring book for The Waterhole came out in 2004. Jigsaw puzzles were also made using pictures from Animalia. Calendars featuring Graeme's artwork were popular throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. In 1987, a giant wall frieze called The Animalia Wall Frieze was released. It was over 26 feet long and came with a riddle sheet.

Adaptations of Graeme Base's Works

Many of Graeme Base's books have been turned into other forms of entertainment:

• The Sign of the Seahorse was made into 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 adapted into a play. This play first showed at the Chookahs! Kids Festival in Melbourne in 2006. It has toured different parts of Victoria, NSW, and Queensland.
• Animalia became a television series called Animalia. It is also one of the most sold books worldwide. Graeme Base was an executive producer for the TV series. He also helped compose the opening theme music.
• Animalia was released as an iPhone and iPad app in 2010. An iPhone app based on Jungle Drums was released in 2008.
• From late 2012 to early 2013, Sand Sculpting Australia held an exhibition called "Under the Sea." It featured a sand sculpture based on Graeme's book The Sign of the Seahorse. Their 2013–2014 exhibition, "Storyland," included a sculpture from The Discovery of Dragons.

Awards and Recognition

Graeme Base's books have won several awards:

• 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