By Stephanie Holliday
THE books we enjoy as children go on to represent fond memories of growing up, learning to read and discovering the magic of storytelling.
Animalia, Magic Beach and Just Tricking were school library staples for millennials, many of which now have their own children.
An exhibition coming to the Shepparton Library from January 19 to February 23 will showcase the career beginnings of Graeme Base, Andy Griffiths and Alison Lester, amongst others.
The exhibition, titled Juvenilia, will display works created by these and other notable Australian children’s authors and illustrators when they were young. Curated by Aimee Chan, this exhibition showcases the juvenilia of Australian children’s authors and illustrators and their early attempts at storytelling.
Even the most prominent creators of children’s books started as children, dreaming about telling their story through word or art and maybe one day publishing them to share with the world. The works in this collection have kindly been lent for display by their makers, who all want this generation of dreamers to know that everyone has to start somewhere.
The Shepparton Library is the first venue Juvenilia will be seen by the public.
To celebrate, a launch is planned for 6pm on Thursday, January 19. Andy Griffiths, a major supporter of the exhibition, will speak at the launch and be available to sign books during the launch event. Entry to Juvenilia is free for viewing during regular library open hours from Friday, January 20.
