Graeme Base admits he initially didn't want to be a children's book author. 'I could have very happily been a record cover designer,' he told Guardian Australia's Sian Cain. The bestselling author of Animalia and The Eleventh Hour studied graphic design before showing his illustrations to Penguin's Bob Sessions, one of the most influential figures in Australian publishing. “He said, ‘Graeme, is that maybe a little too hard for some kids?’ And I went, ‘Yeah, probably ... [But] you shoot above a child’s head, and encourage them to rise to the occasion.’ And bless him, Bob said, ‘Absolutely, I agree with you’.”Animalia went on to sell more than 5m copies around the world and is now featured – alongside The Eleventh Hour - in Guardian Australia's 50 best Australian picture books poll

Source: The Guardian January 30, 2026 06:32 UTC