The reputation of Graeme Base precedes him. A prolific and engaging children’s story teller creating children’s picture books accompanied by his imaginative, all encompassing illustrations.
How fitting it was that The 2012 Australian Speech Pathology Awards presented him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in October 2012 for his contribution to children’s literature – we’re relieved pleased to say that it hasn’t stopped him in his tracks …. take a peek at Little Elephants.
Little Elephants mixes fantasy with the cold facts of real life to tell the story of Jim.
Jim lives on a farm with his mother. After some tough times they face an uncertain future if this year’s harvest isn’t successful. The wheat is in the field, it’s nearly ready for picking. There’s a problem. Not only is the harvester broken but a plague of locusts is threatening to destroy their hard work … unless Jim and his mother can some how manage to pick the crop before the insects devastate the wheat.
A kindly gesture to a hungry man and a strange looking horn set off an extraordinary chain of imaginative events … and yes, there are lots of little elephants!
The narrative evocatively portrays farm life whilst interweaving a story about kindness. Base’s illustrations are a rich tapestry of the dramatic and the details, in true Base style. The wordless double page featuring the elephants with pearls, bells and flags in their cars was a stand out for sure!
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