Graham Percy facts for kids

Graham Percy (born June 7, 1938 – died January 4, 2008) was a super talented artist, designer, and illustrator from New Zealand. He was especially known for his amazing work in children's books. After he passed away, a big art show called The Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy celebrated his art. This show traveled to many art galleries all over New Zealand, like City Gallery Wellington and Gus Fisher Gallery.

His Life as an Artist

Graham Percy was born in a town called Stratford, New Zealand. He loved art and studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland. After finishing art school in the early 1960s, Graham started working as an illustrator. He drew pictures for the New Zealand School Journal, which is a magazine for schools. He also worked with other writers and artists in Auckland.

Graham helped design book covers for famous New Zealand writers like Bruce Mason. In 1964, he got a special scholarship to study art in London, England. He lived and worked in London for the rest of his life, creating many wonderful illustrations and artworks.

One cool project he worked on was the animated film Hugo the Hippo in 1973. He was the production designer, which means he helped create the look and feel of the movie. While working on this film, he met his second wife, a photographer named Mari Mahr.

For most of his career, Graham Percy focused on children's books. He illustrated more than 100 books for kids! Later in his life, he also started creating his own art for adults. He passed away on January 4, 2008.

Cool Books and Films He Worked On

Graham Percy illustrated many popular children's books. Here are some of them:

• Illustrations for La Belle au bois dormant (1977) by Charles Perrault
• Illustrations for When Dad cuts down the chestnut tree (1988) by Pam Ayres
• Illustrations for the Fantastic Flying Journey (1987) and Fantastic Dinosaur Adventure (1989) by the famous writer and naturalist Gerald Durrell
• Illustrations for The Woodland Gospels According to Captain Beaky and His Band (1990)
• Illustrations and text for The Cock, the mouse, and the little red hen (1992)
• Illustrations and text for Lullabies: Poems and Rhymes to Dream on (1995)
• Design and illustrations for his own series, Graham Percy's Animal Tails (1995)
• Illustrations for the classic Mother Goose (1997)
• Illustrations for The Wind in the Willows (1997)
• Illustrations for The mailbox mice mystery (1999) by Juli Mahr
• Illustrations for Mama tiger, Baba Tiger (2001) by Juli Mahr

He also worked on an animated film for children:

• He was the production designer for the full-length animated film Hugo the Hippo (1970–1972).

His Amazing Art Shows

After Graham Percy passed away, a really special art show was put together to celebrate his work. It was called The Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy. This big exhibition was created by City Gallery Wellington and Gus Fisher Gallery in New Zealand. A famous New Zealand poet and art critic named Gregory O'Brien helped put the show together.

A book was also written about Graham Percy's life and art, also by Gregory O'Brien. It's called A Micronaut in the Wide World: The Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy. This book was even a finalist for some big awards! A copy of the book was given to every high school in New Zealand, so many students could learn about his amazing art.

The art exhibition traveled to many places across New Zealand, including:

• City Gallery Wellington, Wellington (2011)
• Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland (2011)
• Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui (2011-2012)
• Rotorua Museum, Rotorua (2012)
• Southland Museum and Art Gallery, Invercargill (2012-2013)
• Hocken Collections, Dunedin (2013)
• Nelson Provincial Museum, Nelson (2013-2014)
• Puke Ariki, New Plymouth (2014)
• Waikato Museum, Hamilton (2014)

Images for kids

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  Crime and the Law was a book for schools, illustrated by Graham Percy in 1969.