tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63841454944645299322024-03-05T12:05:04.368+02:00Articles by Marjorie van HeerdenWriter and Illustrator of Children's Books.Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-65700290390092851242013-02-17T00:54:00.003+02:002013-02-17T00:55:51.646+02:00Challenges in Developing Countries for Picture Book Authors & Illustrators <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">by
Marjorie van Heerden</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">A PowerPoint Presentation at AFCC Conference in Singapore May 2012</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Let me start with a personal experience: I remember when I was about four years old my
mother gave me a book called <i>Ferdinand
the Bull</i>. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">More than half-a-century later I realise what a profound
impact that little book had on me – Not only did it trigger in my young mind a
fascination with the interaction between words and pictures, but I believe that
Ferdinand played a role in me becoming the peace-loving adult I am today.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">The book is about a little bull - he lived in Spain – and
he loved smelling the flowers. He did not like to fight. Years later I learnt
that <i>Ferdinand the Bull</i> was one of
the earliest anti-war picture books ever published, if not the very first. It
was first published in 1937 and is still in print today! 1937 was, of course,
right in the middle of the Spanish Civil War. But, when I was four years old I
could not be bothered with boring issues like civil wars. I remember pouring
over that wonderful book and loving lines like:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 40.2pt 0cm 1cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">“His mother saw that he was not lonely, and because she
was an understanding mother; even though she was a cow, she let him just sit
there and be happy.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I remember some of the pictures showed far away scenes
with big, empty, white areas on the rest of the page. Other pictures showed
close-up figures completely filling the page. And I wanted to draw pictures
like that.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Ferdinand loved to smell the flowers – like the American
flower children of the sixties did. In those days my husband and I were also
flower children, but we did not protest against some faraway war in Southeast
Asia we had read about; we protested against an unbelievably scary thing right there
in our own land, a thing called apartheid... </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">The sixties became the seventies and my head was buzzing
with thoughts; anti-apartheid thoughts, anti-war thoughts, anti sexism
thoughts… I was a painter and sculptor
and I tried to express my feelings through my work.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">And then, in 1977, something happened that changed the
course of my life as a human being, but also as an artist, in so many ways. I
became a mother. Our daughter was born in 1977 and our son in 1980.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"> Becoming a mother
brought my focus back to children’s books. I started illustrating and then writing my own
picture books. I started collecting and studying literally thousands of
illustrated children’s books. And I realised and became fascinated with what a
powerful genre it was.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I studied how the young mind develops. And I learnt how high-quality
picture books were much more than entertainment; how a single picture book can
play a role in shaping a child’s mind; how it could even contribute to that
child becoming a compassionate, caring adult. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">And I dreamed of creating that one really beautiful
picture book...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But the reality is that to be a children’s book writer and illustrator
in Africa you can never forget how desperate the needs of Africa’s children
are. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I had to modify my dream. I now dreamed of creating picture books
that might help our kids break out of their vicious cycle of poor education and
poverty, give them self-esteem and stimulate their creativity and initiative. I
really wanted to create books that could do for them what <i>Ferdinand</i> did for me all those years earlier.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The reality in the developing countries that I know, is that there are
only a very small number of children who grow up with books, who have mothers
and fathers who have the time to read to them or who have the<i> ability</i> to read to them... The reality
is that there are only a very small number of children whose situation is suitable
for developing a love for reading or even whose parents can afford to buy them books.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The reality is that the unemployment figures are high and the literacy
rate is low and education is inadequate. And due to current world economics it does not
look as if this will improve in the near future. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So what can be done? How can that very young child, who will be very
young only once, and whose mere survival is often uncertain, how can she or he be
stimulated and inspired to get educated... to break out of this vicious cycle of poor
education and poverty? And to, in the very first place, develop a measure of self-esteem?
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What can we, writers and illustrators of children’s books, what can we
do? And how? If we do write and illustrate books, how will they ever reach the children?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">While painting this bleak picture, I realise that I am actually
talking about war. And we, the writers and the illustrators of children’s
books, we need to arm ourselves – in the developing countries we must arm ourselves
by getting educated ourselves. We need to <i>really<b> </b></i>understand how a child’s mind
develops. We need to understand that the genre we work in could have a <span style="color: black;">profound impact – profound, even if it is on only one
single child. We need </span>every book we create to be our best work. Our work
may never carry the label “it’s good <i>enough</i>
for... (dot, dot, dot)”.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Through our words and our pictures,
a child can glimpse happiness, laughter, can come to terms with his or her
fears, can feel understood, obtain clarity, find their dreams, realise that
nothing has to be impossible . Through our words and our pictures the child can
obtain those special ingredients he will need to develop an Inquiring Mind, Logic,
Lateral Thinking, Self Initiative, Creativity.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The child could learn to be humane, to have respect for the
environment, respect for himself, respect for other people and especially for people
different from himself. He could learn codes of civilised social behaviour. He
could learn the knowledge necessary to protect himself and to develop inner
strength to cope with whatever the future may throw at him. And he or she could
develop a love of books which will make his or her education that much easier.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I absolutely believe that, for a young child to become a healthy
well-functioning adult, it is as important that he or she should be given good
quality books, as it is that he or she should be given good quality drinking
water and food.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You might think I’m a dreamer? NO, I’m a realist who knows about a dream that
can become true.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, what <b><i>can</i></b> we, writers and illustrators, do and how can we do it?</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let me tell you about a journey <i>I</i>
took:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My early books, like<i> A Monster
in the Garden</i>, published in South Africa in 1987, had very subtle
anti-racism messages imbedded in the illustrations, and today some local university
lecturers even use them as examples of early South African anti-racism picture
books. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Although these books were bought by libraries, I realised that most of
our children seldom visit a library or even saw a book before they got to
school. And I
realised that to get books to children, books like <i>Ferdinand</i>, I would have to look at alternative methods to get the
books to them.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I became involved in projects “work-shopping” books specifically
for children in underprivileged areas. We were divided into groups and in each
group would be a teacher, a writer and an illustrator. The books we produced
were good - our <i>Little Library</i>
collection won the IBBY Asahi Award in 1996. But in the end there was simply not
enough money to reach as many children as we hoped to do.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then came a lucky break. I was commissioned to design and illustrate
educational posters to be distributed to preschools in rural farming areas.
Most of these schools had no classrooms. Lessons were given under shady thorn
trees. I thought the posters might be handy, but I sold the project manager
another idea. This was in 1993. I knew
most of these kids had hardly ever seen a picture book and certainly none of
them owned one.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I wrote and illustrated twenty-one stories with interesting black
& white line drawings. And I laid each story out on the two sides of an A3
page – four pages on the one side and four pages on the other side. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And then
the child or the teacher could simply fold it, staple it and cut the top off. This way the child could end up with her very
own eight-page picture book – her very first book! A book to keep, to colour
and to read aloud to grandma back home. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These A4 “master pages” were distributed across the rural areas in
South Africa. The local doctor or police chief or post mistress was persuaded
to make available their photocopier to Xerox a free copy for each kid in the
class. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">These twenty-one titles became the first picture books owned by
thousands of youngsters in our land. The master copies spread quickly… A colleague
of mine even saw copies of these little self-made books in Nigeria, more than
halfway across the African continent!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And then a publishing house approached me to develop the twenty-one
stories into a literacy series of books for beginner readers. Books
specifically to be used in the first
three years of a child’s schooling - the foundation phase. And these were to become prescribed books across the country. This
was my chance! Here was my opportunity to create books that will not feel like
school books, but like picture books. And still they will reach young readers
all over South Africa. So, back to the drawing board... without the pencil.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I realised, educationally speaking, that there were gaps in the 21-story
folding-book project. I’m a mother, but I am not a trained educationist. I did
not know enough about how children learn, how children develop, their fears,
their needs. I also realised that there were many teachers and even educational
specialists in our country who were poorly trained.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Writers and illustrators working in the developed countries have the
luxury of simply riding on the wave of their imagination – but in a developing country
(what is also known as “the Third World”) we need to <i>educate</i> ourselves before we ride that wave. That’s what I meant
when I said you need to “arm” yourself.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I started arming myself to tackle this challenging project of
turning my twenty-one little stories into a proper literacy series for beginner
readers, for little children who were to become future book lovers and scholars
and researchers and leaders. I started by activating my inner child - tapping
into my own memories - remembering what it was like to be a child - remembering
what I really enjoyed and explored - remembering my worries and my
uncertainties and my fears. I thought back to what I experienced while reading <i>Ferdinand the Bull</i> and why that one book
had such a lasting effect on the four-year-old child who was me.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I started doing
research on how a child’s brain develops and exactly how a child learns. I
studied the works of brilliant scholars, like:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b>Bruno Bettelheim</b>: He was a
well-known child psychologist and writer who wrote up and published his work
from the nineteen-forties into the nineties.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b>Ursula Le Guin</b>, academic and
writer of fantasy and science fiction.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b>J<span style="color: black;">oseph Schwarcz</span></b><span style="color: black;">, particularly his 1983 book, <i>Ways of the Illustrator: Visual Communication in Children’s Literature</i>
and the one he published in 1991: <i>The
Picture Book Comes of Age: Looking at Childhood Through the Art of Illustration</i>.
One of his comments had a particularly strong influence on my own approach to
picture books: he said, </span>“Do
not let us treat children’s literature as a well-kept garden, thus robbing it
of it’s nature as a windswept field.” And...</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b>Joseph Campbell</b>, the<b> </b>mythologist, writer and crystal-clear
lecturer. I cannot over-emphasize the impact Campbell’s thoughts and brilliant
insights had on my own thinking and my work. He is the one who said, <i>“...stories are the only lasting way to
teach children codes of social behaviour.”</i> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And
there were many others... These people opened up my world – they helped me to
get rid of boundaries and limitations.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And then I let my imagination loose and I
wrote and illustrated a series of sixteen books. It was a series for beginner readers and each
one was a picture book. And we called it the <i>Bright Books Literacy Series</i>.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But let me tell
you how I went about creating these books. I realised that, in our third world
circumstances, the school system was probably the best way to get books like <i>Ferdinand</i> to the child. I realised that many
of our children, through circumstances outside of their parents’ control, had
already missed out on essential early development, but I was not concentrating
on the problems - those I accepted - I was concentrating on solutions.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I started by
identifying and analysing various areas of development in the young child and
then I wrote a story to address each of those areas. Some stories were built on
ones I had written for the folding books, and others were new.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Taking each
story, I made a list of playful activities the teacher can use to take the
child on a journey of experience, exploration, fun and learning. And in doing
so, developing that specific neglected area of development. The earlier stories
can be “read” (in inverted commas) without the words, but each illustration has
some words associated with it and those words are also listed at the end of the
story. I made a list of the elements in each story that are suitable for
discussion and/or practical activities for the kids. And the publisher also
commissioned some excellent, highly-experienced educators to create a
teacher’s guide for those teachers who might not have enjoyed training of a
very high quality themselves.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The objective of
the <i>Bright Books</i> seems to be to lead
learners along the early steps towards learning to read and write. In fact, the
<u>primary objective</u> is for the children to learn about basic values and
about life in general. And, at the same time, to develop neglected areas of
development like counting and basic maths concepts. To develop spatial
awareness - concepts like up, down, in, out, over, under. To learn about: shapes;
opposites; food groups; personal safety; night and day; names of the body parts; emotions, and many more... </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Such focus areas
form the core of each story, but the stories are told in such a manner that the
tale and the characters always come first, while the lessons are unobtrusive,
discreet and learnt through the fun of reading and enjoying the pictures. The
situations and characters described, and the colourful illustrations are often
humorous and this creates an easy, light-hearted learning situation, where the
development of reading skills is associated with pleasure.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I developed a
number of families for the stories, and the same characters appear again and
again in different stories. And often the element of subtle humour in the
characters or the situation is introduced, to make the learning process as enjoyable
a possible.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <i>Bright Books</i> package for the first year
consists of the following: Eleven reader books – the books are graded from one
to eleven and are meant to be introduced to the child in that order. Each book
contains four or five stories illustrated in full colour and a list of
activities after each story. In the package is also a Workbook that the child
can work and write in, the Teacher’s Guide, and two wall charts, one with the
alphabet and the other with numbers, both illustrated with the familiar
characters from the books.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For the second
school year there are four books, each with six illustrated stories. These
stories are populated by amusing and familiar characters in exciting situations
and often tinged with humour. The reader is very subtly and unobtrusively
introduced to the basic codes of social behaviour, such as: Respect for yourself and for other people,
whether they are similar or different to yourself; Respect for the environment; Pride in who you are. The stories, while
developing the learner’s reading and literacy skills also help the reader to
develop self-confidence, initiative and skills such as communication and
entrepreneurship on a basic level.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here are some
thoughts on children learning the codes of civilised social behaviour: According to Joseph Campbell, learning these
codes through the story format at an early age has proven to be lasting – and I
agree with that. On the other hand, learning the codes of social behaviour
through an authority figure, as is so often the case, has the danger that as
the child grows older there is the distinct possibility (which happens more
often than not) that the child becomes disillusioned by that authority figure.
Sadly, the next step, almost inevitably, is some form of violence. We have too
many examples in our own South African society... I believe it is essential that young children
should be exposed to wonderfully entertaining, stimulating and memorable stories
that will help them develop literacy, a love for reading and, at the same time,
subtly help them to learn the basic codes of how to behave in the social
environment.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In the stories I
also incorporated all the phonics to help the child to develop a good grounding
in spelling and pronunciation. As with the stories of the first year’s books,
the activities of these stories are phonics games and exercises that help the
learner to connect sounds with specific letters and groups of letters to
develop a good grounding in spelling and pronunciation.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <i>Bright Books</i> package for the second year
consists of the following: Four thicker reader books – the books are graded
from one to four and are meant to be introduced to the child in that order.
Each book contains six stories illustrated in full colour and a list of
activities after each story. In the package is also the Teacher’s Guide and two
wall charts, one with Animals in their Environments, and the other with People
and Places, both illustrated with the familiar characters from the books.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For the third
school year there is only one book of 186 pages with a number of illustrated
stories and activities after each story. There is also a separate Educator’s Guide. In the third year book I
concentrated on developing the child’s individual creativity and self-initiative
and to broaden his or her horizon by introducing the young reader to the outside
world. I used the device of “pen pal” letters, ostensibly written by children
of the same age, but from foreign parts of the world and from cultures totally
different to those in South Africa, such as China, Egypt, Canada and the Amazon
forest in Brazil. The activities are more advanced than in the first two years.
Learners are provided with fun,
appealing material in a combination of fact and fantasy, that will encourage
them to discover more about the exciting, challenging and changing world they
live in.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In South Africa,
a developing country, the following is very important: On all sixteen reader books there is never an
indication of a suggested age for the reader, simply levels one, two and three.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Although these
books were very carefully conceptualised and planned, I took great care to set
aside all the planning and intellectualising while I wrote and illustrated the
stories. My focus was on telling the story to a child, trying to create stories
that are fun and exciting – really enjoyable for the child. Riding on that wave of one’s imagination! I worked exactly the same way as I
do when I write and illustrate a picture book - a <i>Ferdinand the Bull</i> type book! And only when the book was completed, did
I check if it did in fact cover the areas I listed beforehand.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Of course the
publishers extensively tested each book and it was carefully evaluated by
consultants and specialists and formally approved by the Departments of Education,
before the series was accepted for the Government schools.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This whole
project took me five years, until 1999, to complete. They are still in print and
schools are still using the <i>Bright Books</i>
today.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I
have shared with you some of my own, personal experiences as a mother and a
children’s book writer and illustrator from a developing country. The
challenges that face us are daunting, but at the same time exciting and stimulating.
Over the years as a creative artist, and although my true dream is simply to
create lovely picture books for young readers, I have found myself being drawn
closer and closer to the world of formal education. I am no educationist and I
will never pretend to be one. But I am not blind to what is going on around me
in the country where I was born and brought up. And, as a writer and
illustrator of picture books for young readers, I believe I can also make a
contribution to the basic education of our kids and, much more importantly, to
their development of civilised codes of social behaviour. In Africa
storytelling has been going on for millennia and it is through the stories that
I tell, that I am trying to make my own small contribution.</span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For
the <i>Bright Books</i> series I identified
a number of very specific development areas I wanted to focus on. And then I
covered each of these focus areas through the stories and the pictures.
Different stories may cover one or more focus area, but the primary objective
in each story is to provide enjoyment and stimulation for the young reader</span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
first very important focus area I want to mention, is the <b><i><u>Cog</u>nitive Development</i></b>
of the young child. <span style="color: black;">The child’s
cognitive skills are concerned with understanding, thinking and knowing – how
the child learns and processes information and organises systems of the mind. <u>Cog</u>nitive
development involves language, mental images, thinking, reasoning, problem-solving,
memory development, and so on. Remember, a</span> child learns seventy percent
of all he learns in his whole life, in the first seven years.</span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The
story <i>The fat cat</i> is very early in
the graded series of books in the first year. It is the second story in the
first book. Therefore the language is simple, but the images are engaging. The primary
focus area, the child’s <i>Cognitive Development</i>,
is stimulated by the pictures and the text: “A fat cat. A fat fish. Where is
the fat fish? The fish is in the fat cat!”</span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I’d
like to underline one of these Cognitive Development areas, and that is the
area of <b><i>Language Development</i></b>:
Language Development in the very young child involves many things...
These include things like spoken words, body language, communicating with someone
else, understanding someone else... And, in time, the ability to recognise and to
read written words and to have conversations. Clearly, the development of
language skills at a very young age will help lead to literacy and literacy is
critical in the future of developing countries.</span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">When the <i>Bright Books</i> reach Level 2, the second year, the language used in
the stories becomes more complicated as is illustrated by this story: <i>The big bad blue fly</i>:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 120.5pt; text-indent: -120.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Another
focus area in the <i>Bright Books</i> is the
area of <b><i>Social and Emotional Development</i></b> in the young child. This
starts with the dynamics and relationships within the immediate family circle,
and then the extended family circle. Then it includes the interaction with
people outside the family circle, like other children and adults. Focusing on<i> Social and Emotional Development, </i>some
of the<i> Bright Book</i> stories look at
feelings, fears and emotions and typical problems that the young child may
experience at some point. Stories related to the child’s fear, read in a safe environment, will help the
child develop the inner strength to cope with those fears. Stories can enable
the young child to deal with the scary things in his or her life. The child can
identify with a story character who experiences similar fears, and
subconsciously the child confront his or her own monsters, like the character
in the story does. And all this can happen on Mum’s lap or in the safety of the
armchair in the child’s own home. </span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">In the story <i>My brother</i>, a young girl learns to accept a new baby into her small
family circle and to share her home and her parents with him...</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">In the
story <i>New Friends</i>, a young girl makes
a new friend, a girl who happens to be deaf, and the two of them learn to
communicate...</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">An important part of <i><span style="color: black;">Social and Emotional Development</span></i><span style="color: black;"> is developing a <b><i>Sensitivity and Respect for the Environment</i></b>. This is a focus
area in the <i>Bright Books</i> that looks
at Nature and the Animals around us. </span>The children’s book writer and illustrator,
Robert McCloskey wrote: “The picture
book may well be the child’s first and most meaningful introduction to the
beautiful. And it may even play a role in making future citizens more sensitive
to our natural environment.”</span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">The story, <i>The little elephant</i>, also looks at
nurturing and respecting the environment and the creatures around us.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">In this
story, <i>My Bed,</i> various animals appear
in a young girl’s personal environment, her bedroom. They also need a place to
sleep. Then the story focuses on basic issues of ownership and sharing.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Another
development area I focused on when I created the <i>Bright Books</i> stories, is the area of <b><i>Creativity</i></b>. I find the
development of <i>Creativity</i> of the
utmost importance in the early years of a young child’s life. Creativity cannot
be learnt – it is a subconscious development . It happens while the young child
looks and sees, while he or she experiences the “messages” (in inverted commas)
in and around the images he or she is seeing and observing. These images may be
three-dimensional, like the world around the child, or they may be
two-dimensional, like illustrations or pictures in a book. This impact is
especially great when an image is unfamiliar, or stimulating, or interesting,
or beautiful, or puzzling, or whatever – so long as it triggers an <u>emotional</u><i> </i>response. Ideally this emotional
response will end in a question mark, a “What If ?” And to find an answer, the
imagination is triggered and the result is <i>Creativity</i>!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Creativity is
basically a form of problem-solving – and often through lateral thinking. It involves
adaptability and flexibility of thought. Creativity involves solving problems
for which there are no easy answers: that is, problems for which popular or
conventional responses do not work. Creativity involves expanding existing
knowledge.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Although
educators often point to creativity as very important in the learning process, the
developing and stimulation of creativity and creative thinking is very often
neglected, even in the early years of school! Even educators often link
creativity to artistic talent only. Intuitively many people feel that one only
needs to develop creativity if you are going to be a painter or a writer or a
composer. Obviously this is extremely narrow- minded, and it is clear that
creativity and creative thinking will play a role throughout the curriculum, in
science, in social studies and in other areas. For a proper understanding of
creativity in the young child, one must immediately distinguish creativity from
intelligence and talent. Research has shown that intelligence and creativity
are independent of each other - a highly creative child may or may not be
highly intelligent, and vice versa.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">The
story, <i>Our colourful hut</i>, opens up
the child’s mind to lateral thinking: It tells about a city family who has to
downsize – the father takes them back to his roots in the country, but he does
not paint the hut they move into. He wants them to see the way nature will
change the colour of the walls as the seasons and the time of day changes. –
Lateral thinking!</span><b> </b></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">This story also helps the young reader
to develop a sensitivity for the fact that one can only see the beauty around you if you take the time to look.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Another
development area I focused on when I wrote the <i>Bright Books</i> stories, is the area of basic <b><i>mathematics and science concepts</i></b>.
<span style="color: black;">In the developing countries of
Africa I’ve found that, for very young children, the learning areas around <b><i>mathematical
and scientific</i></b> thinking have very often been neglected. I believe,
however, that the ability to develop rational and logical thinking skills can
be nurtured from a very early age.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here’s
an example: The story <i>The magic chicken</i> is later in the graded
series of books in the first year. It is the first story in book eleven. It
tells the story of a chicken who could change her shape. This story, together
with the <i>Bright things to do</i> section
at the end of the story, introduces basic mathematical shapes to the beginner
reader. Although the main focus is on <span style="color: black;">introducing some<b> <i>mathematical
and scientific concepts</i></b>, the story also contains some other elements.
It has elements of <b><i>creativity</i></b> – seeing and identifying the different shapes – and
also elements of <b><i>Social and Emotional Development</i></b>, like the element of
self-discovery – who am I? And the element of copying and imitating someone or
something else.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span>The <b><i>mathematical concepts</i></b> are
important components of rational and logical thinking. It also involves the children’s
interaction with their environment and with other people in their world - how they
begin to see order in and make sense of their world. Learning to count is a
process similar to learning the alphabet - recognising and understanding numbers,
to add, subtract, divide and multiply. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But mathematical understanding does not
only involve numbers... On an introductory level Maths is to explore ideas
related to patterns, shapes, numbers, and space.... to understand concepts such
as tall and short, empty and full, near and far, first and last, high and low,
in and out, few and many, light and heavy, all and none... It goes together
with <span style="color: black;">developing basic skills
like how to pair, to group, to sort in a logical way, the concept of
comparing... Recognising sequences helps
the young child to develop a sense of order, logic, and reason – and eventually
it helps the child to start developing a basic mind-set for rational and
logical thinking.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Another development area I focused on,
is the area of basic <b>scientific concepts</b>.
In Book Four of Level Two I tell the</span> story of <i>A magician on the moon</i>. </span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One
night a magician cannot fall asleep because the moonlight is too bright in his
bedroom. So he uses his <span style="color: black;">great-grandmother’s
book of magic spells to catch all the moonbeams... and then things go wrong. Eventually the magician jumps onto the moon
to take the moon’s beams back and to tie them to the trees on the moon – but he
cannot find any trees! (quote) “So the magician decided that he had to stay on
the moon and hold the moonbeams himself, so that they would shine down on the
earth below...”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">This fantasy story about the man on
the moon intrigues the young children’s imagination. They know the story is not
true and they are </span>amused by the use of the old nursery rhyme of the cow
who jumped over the moon and that the magician creates magic while he is
sitting on the moon. This playful reference to other well-known stories and the
creation of new versions is a way to release the child from constrictive
thinking – it also stimulates his or her creativity. At the same time, in a
subtle and entertaining way, through fantasy, the story introduces some basic<b><i> scientific
concepts</i> </b>to the young reader.</span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Some time ago<i> </i>I read an article by Chet Raymo, an American professor of Physics,
in the Horn Book magazine – this is a very good</span> bi-monthly periodical
about literature for children<span style="color: black;">. The article was called<i> Dr Seuss and Dr Einstein: children’s books and scientific imagination</i>.
Raymo talks about the importance of developing the young child’s imagination,
because (quote) “if you cannot imagine that there could be something like an
atom, how will you every go looking for it?” (end of quote) I’ll read it again:
“if you cannot imagine that there could be something like an atom, how will you
every go looking for it?” </span></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">My conclusion: If we, the children’s
book writers and illustrators in developing countries, can contribute to free
our children’s imagination, and if we can make them realise that anything is
possible, then I think we have made quite a good start.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And I constantly remind myself that
every book I create for our children has to be as good as I possibly can do it
– because that book might just be some little girl or some little boy’s very
first book. Or maybe... his or her only book.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="bodytext" style="margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Thank you.</span></span></span></div>
Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-9373810295312653632013-02-16T23:47:00.002+02:002013-02-17T00:49:23.772+02:00The Function of Illustrations in a Children’s Book<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">by Marjorie
van Heerden</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">PowerPoint Presentation at the AFCC conference in Singapore May 2012 </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I have often been asked the question:
Do children’s books really need all those illustrations? Is it not better to
allow the child to use his or her own imagination? Or does the child need the
pictures to understand the story? I have thought about this a lot. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">More than forty years ago, in 1970,
the American futurist Alvin Toffler wrote a book called <i>Future Shock</i>. It was the first in a series of books in which he
deals with what he calls “future shock”. He defines future shock as “too much
change in too short a period of time”. He also looks at the impact of new technologies
on individuals in a rapidly changing world. Just think about this impact on
individuals here in the twenty-first century! On you. On me. On our children. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Toffler predicted that this change,
the accelerated rate of technological and social change, will overwhelm people,
leaving them disconnected and suffering from “shattering stress and
disorientation”. Toffler went so far as to say that the majority of
social problems were symptoms of this future shock.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Looking at the world around us today,
it seems as if many of Toffler’s predictions have come true. Today people are really
being bombarded by technology and by the media. And I’m sure you can recognise
the symptoms of the “shattering stress and disorientation” that Toffler
predicted.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">We are mostly talking about the adults
living in this modern world. But the reality is that most of these “media messages”
meant for the adults also radiate towards our children. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Now… just imagine for a moment what
the effect of that bombardment, the bombardment of new technology and the
bombardment from the media, have on a child – on a child who is experiencing
and discovering life with wide-open young eyes!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">From colourful packaging, advertisements,
billboards and posters to television screens, mobile phones, iPhones, laptops
and personal computers – this is all part of the continuous bombardment of
very, very loud visual noise to which these wide-eyed young children are being
exposed day after day! TV’s and
computers are becoming more and more a major part even of every-day family life.
They even take up a prominent space in many households. And very often, and
very unfortunately, the PC or the TV is even used by adults as a convenient babysitter.
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">And it’s becoming more and more
commonplace. Today it has even become part of households in the lower-income communities
where the TV and related overwhelming media noise have become part of the
people’s everyday lives. And also part of the lives of their young children.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Of course one cannot deny that there
is a lot of positive, even educational value in the use of mobile devices,
television and computers. These technologies have made our lives more
comfortable and safer and they have made information more accessible. But the problem is that young children are,
by nature, like sponges. And they absorb the bad with the good. Unfortunately they
are too young to discriminate for themselves.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Something else, very often today’s
young child does not develop a certain part of his or her brain at all. For example,
in many cultures kids do not have to memorise, through rote learning, the times
tables any more – they just use a pocket calculator, or even a <i>mobile phone</i>! And that little part of
the brain remains undeveloped. But that little part of the brain actually has
many different functions (not only to remember what nine-times-eight or
six-times-seven is) – important functions that may play a part in the child’s
social and other life skills. But it is not stimulated and developed, because that
function has been taken over by a little electronic device.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">That is just one, tiny example. One
of my great concerns is to what extent today’s children miss out on crucial <i>development</i> when these devices are over-used,
or used wrongly. Think what is happening to our children’s language
development. Not only language development; what about the all-important <i>cognitive</i> development processes? I’m
talking about processes that include things like the ability to concentrate, to
pay attention, to remember, the ability to <i>truly
</i>understand words and concepts, to solve problems, to make decisions. I’m
concerned that many of these things may be left behind today.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Of course there are concerned parents,
who diligently protect their children from the bombardment of the visual media
and technology – parents who try to control it. However, I suspect that the
largest percentage of today’s adults allow their children to be deafened by this
media and technology noise. This may be through ignorance. Or maybe they say
“these are the times we live in”. It may be that these adults are technology
addicts themselves. Or maybe they simply
do not care...</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Think of some of the children you
know yourself. And remember, a day has only 24 hours. What do these kids do
with these 24 hours? Think about some things they <i>could be</i> doing, like imaginative play, non-systematic learning, free
exercise, down-time relaxation, time to think, time to do just nothing, time to
rest, time to recover… Do those kids have the time to do these things? Do they
have the time simply to be a child? Simply to be a toddler? Simply to be a baby?</span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A question: Is it not us – the
responsible adults – is it not maybe <i>our</i>
duty to try and balance that bombardment of our very young children? This is a
question I have wrestled with for years and years. One of the paths I followed
was to study children’s <i>picture</i> books
and to analyse them in depth. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I became totally fascinated when it
dawned on me what a powerful genre this was. And what an incredibly important
role it can play, not only in the development of our very young and
impressionable wide-eyed little ones –
that is obvious. ..</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">But what about the role these picture
books can play in the <i>social</i> and <i>cognitive</i> sensibility and development
of the adults and the parents and the leaders and the decision-makers of
tomorrow and the day-after-tomorrow! Those who will grow out of these wide-eyed
little ones...</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">First I studied exactly how the young
mind develops. And I learnt how high-quality picture books were much more than fun
and entertainment. I learnt how a single high-quality picture book can play a
role in shaping a child’s mind. I learnt how it could even contribute to that little
child becoming a compassionate, caring adult.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Here I want to mention a few of the
brilliant scholars I came across during my own journey of discovery:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">I
was much impressed by the writings of <b>Bruno
Bettelheim</b>: He was a well-known child psychologist and writer who wrote up and
published his work from the nineteen-forties into the nineties.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">I
was fascinated by the immense depth in the published works and the children’s
books of <b>Ursula Le Guin</b>: She is a brilliant
academic and writer of fantasy and science fiction and she started publishing
in the 1960’s when I was an art student at university in Cape Town.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">A<span style="color: black;"> lot of what I talk about here today I
gathered from my studies of the books by <b>Joseph
Schwarcz</b>, particularly his 1983 book, <i>Ways
of the Illustrator: Visual Communication in Children’s Literature</i> and the one
he published in 1991: <i>The Picture Book
Comes of Age: Looking at Childhood Through the Art of Illustration</i>. One of
his comments had a particularly strong influence on my own approach to picture
books: he said, </span>“Do not let us treat children’s literature as a
well-kept garden, thus robbing it of it’s nature as a windswept field.” I think
that’s brilliant!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">And then, of course, there was </span><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Joseph Campbell</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">,
the<b> </b>mythologist, writer and
crystal-clear lecturer who had such a profound influence on George Lucas and
his <i>Star Wars</i> series. I cannot
over-emphasize the impact Campbell’s thoughts and brilliant insights had on my
own thinking and my work. He is the one who said, <i>“...stories are the only lasting way to teach children codes of social
behaviour.”</i> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our own
children – those little ones who will one day be the adults and the leaders –
if they<i> </i>could really learn and absorb
the codes of social behaviour! ... the codes of <i>civilised</i> social behaviour! And Campbell said that, if those little
ones are to live the rest of their lives according to those codes and values,
then they must learn at a young age and through the medium of tales and <i>stories</i>.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">“...stories are the only lasting way to teach children codes of social
behaviour.”</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> This is so immensely important and fundamental
and challenging that I am tempted to get stuck here, but unfortunately we don’t
have time to go into that discussion – we’ll have to leave it for another time.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">These clever people helped me to open
up my little world – they got rid of the boundaries and the limitations for me.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">And so, this brings me specifically
to the importance of illustrations in books for children. <span style="color: black;">E</span></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">very newborn baby is like a
clean sheet of white paper – ready for adults to start writing on it. And then
that young, impressionable and hungry little mind, from the very start, is
bombarded with messages, as I mentioned before, often through the noise of the
various media and technologies. </span><i><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">But</span></i><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">, what if we, if you, <i>could</i><b> </b>balance or <i>even intercept</i>
that bombardment?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">T</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">he creative artist who focuses specifically on a child audience, implicitly
accepts the responsibility of supporting parents and care-givers in shaping the
young minds. And also the responsibility of helping the young ones to discover
and to develop</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">. Little children</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> learn
subtly and naturally, almost intuitively, wh</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">ile</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> experienc</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">ing</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">, wide-eyed and with pumping heart and bated breath, the exciting
and unforgettable actions and adventures of the characters</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> in the </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">stories we tell them. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">And, I must stress, this apparently “educational” (in inverted
commas) challenge should never be pursued at the cost of joy and pleasure,
wonder and excitement – <i>the wide eyes and
bated breath</i> I talk about. The children’s book and specifically the picture
book for the younger ones, is one of the few art forms specifically practised
with the child in mind. And in my experience it is nearly always practised by
individuals who honestly care for the child, the child’s interests and,
eventually, the adult and future parent who will emerge out of that child. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">The kind of children’s book I am talking about here has the
potential to powerfully balance, to counteract and even to defuse the
relentless bombardment I speak about.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Those few moments of
reading the illustrated book or being read to in the safety of the parent’s or
care-giver’s or teacher’s arms is like a safe island in a wide and chaotic sea;
they are like a few moments of calm. The information can be absorbed without fear
and in the child’s own time – wide-eyed and with bated breath.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">For example, a child with a problem, whether a perceived or a real
problem, can find comfort and strength in reading about <i>another</i> child or even an animal who is in the same situation.</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> He or she can then build
up the inner strength to cope with similar situations. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">The toddler can learn to cope with</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> fears – fears such as <i>Where’s my mommy?</i> or <i>There
are monsters under my bed!</i> This way they can gain the security that will help
propel them to the next stage of development.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">The young child, through the right books or stories, </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">can</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> learn how to cope with the schoolyard bully. Having learnt and
absorbed this lesson lastingly, that same child, later in life, will be able to
cope better with prejudice, with abuse, with racism, with the world around us, with
nature, with people who seem to be different. He or she </span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">can learn</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> about patience, tolerance, fears, uncertainties, blame and no
blame, self respect, self confidence – another endless list... </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">If we keep in mind that every writer and illustrator was also a
child once, and that they usually tend to tap from memory and personal
experience, we will understand why there is a suitable illustrated story for
practically every situation the young child may find him- or herself.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Keeping all that in mind, let’s look for a moment at the aesthetic
development of the young child. I suppose I’m talking about what is broadly
known as “good taste”.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Picture books definitely play a fundamental role in the aesthetic
development of young children. I have mentioned the development of social and
cognitive sensibilities and codes of social behaviour, but those kids who are fortunate
enough to grow up with stories and high-quality illustrated picture books will
also learn a visual sense of using shape and form and space and they could even
develop good taste later in life...</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">These children will also develop <i>visual</i> literacy which is as important as <i>verbal</i> literacy in the real world. Many people do not realise that
an important part of being fully literate is to be able to understand visual
symbols and visual messages, as well as words.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> But there’s even more:
through the spontaneous interaction with an illustration’s aesthetic qualities
and beauty, there is the aspect of liberation – of escaping <i>into</i> the picture and leaving the cruel
world behind… Escaping, and then, beyond that, experiencing the world out
there, beyond the limited borders of the child’s own environment and his or her
own little world of reference… <i>Escaping...
and broadening the mind.</i> This, once
again, can only be done through the visual images. The images aid the text to
make the story real.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">An illustration in a children’s book communicates information and
emotion in a unique way. It could cultivate a growing child’s ability to
develop his or her own creativity and through that even the ability to think
laterally. It could also play a role in developing the child’s self-initiative
skills. If, for instance, the child reader registers a certain dignity in a
character illustrated with aesthetic beauty, it could lead to a process of
humanization in the child’s mind. This way the images in an illustrated
children’s book could contribute to developing a certain <i>humaneness</i> in the individual child reader’s emerging personality. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">An illustration can, through subtle communication of information
and emotion, through the way the illustrating artist handles the subject,
defuse stereotyped messages and labels the child might have been exposed to. An
obvious example used in many children’s stories is the old assumption: “all
that’s beautiful is good and all that’s ugly is bad”. But, even a very young child,
when reading a well-illustrated version of the old fairy-tale <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>, will quickly learn
that this is simply not true.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Another example is how young readers, through sensitive
illustrations, can become aware of the physical beauty of nature and the world
around us. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">They can also learn about its vulnerability. These young readers
can then develop a healthy respect and a love for the environment – something
mother earth could certainly benefit from. Obviously this could be achieved
through field trips or through sensitive documentaries on TV or through other
media, but having seen the impact of a
high-quality illustrated children’s book on a sensitive young mind, I tend to
agree with Joseph Campbell when he says, </span><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">“...stories are the
only lasting way to teach children codes of social behaviour.”</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> I stress, ...<i>the only <b><u>lasting</u></b> way
to teach children codes of social behaviour.”</i> And surely this social
behaviour will include the children’s behaviour towards Mother Nature and <i>her</i> world.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">At this point I’d like to spend a moment to look at the way
children <i>see.</i> How do they actually
see something when they look at it? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">The illustrations in children’s books are usually two-dimensional.
And to be able to understand how children perceive these two-dimensional images,
we need to first look at how we, adult people, see. To learn more about this, I
turned to </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Donald Weisman.
He is a professor of Art at the University of Texas. He is also a painter and
an art historian. And Professor Weisman has done a lot of research on exactly
this subject: our <i>visual perception</i>. In
other words, how we see things. In 1970 he published a fascinating book on the
subject, and he called it <i>The Visual Arts
as Human Experience</i>. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Weisman describes three different
kinds, or levels, or ways of seeing: 1) functional, 2) associational, and 3) pure.
Let’s have a closer look at each of these three ways of seeing:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -21.3pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -21.3pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">In
the first, the “operational” way of seeing there are no remembered feelings or ideas
concerning the object, and the object is left unexplored. An example of this
type of seeing is when a person sees a ball rolling towards him, he thinks, “I
must be careful, otherwise I can fall over it.” This kind of seeing looks towards
the <u>future</u> all the time. That he calls the <i>functional </i>way of seeing.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -21.3pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">In
the second, the “associational” way of seeing, a chain of reactions is
unleashed when the viewer associates the object with a word or a memory. To
follow the example of the ball, the object is related to the word “ball”. Y</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">ou look at the ball and from your memory you remember, perhaps
fondly, of playing with such a ball.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <i>–</i> This way of
seeing looks at and collects from the <u>past</u> all the time. That he calls
the <i>associational</i> way of seeing.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: -21.3pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">In
the third, the “pure” mode of seeing, we are interested in the aesthetic
properties of the object; in the specific qualities of the object. This mode of
viewing is a learning discovery process through the study of the qualities,
characteristics, and attributes of the object. The <i>pure</i> mode of seeing also triggers emotion. In the example of the
ball again, we might say, “How gracefully the ball glides towards me!” OR “How
complete the sphere’s shape is!” This is seeing the situation in the <u>present</u>
the <u> now</u>. Weismann calls this <i>pure</i> way of seeing. And, interestingly,
this is the way we see art, when we look at it.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">To summarise; In the <i>functional</i> way of seeing, we look
towards the <u>future</u>. In the <i>associational</i>
way of seeing, we collect from the <u>past</u>. And, in the <i>pure</i> way of seeing, we see the situation
in the <u>present</u>, in the <u>now</u>.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Adults mostly view using <u>all three
ways</u> of seeing at the same time, but, mostly due to all the media noise,
many adults are consciously or unconsciously suppressing the third kind of
seeing, the <i>pure</i> seeing. As Weisman
puts it, “One hasn’t the time to sit down and smell the flowers”. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The problem is that these adults do
not see detail, because they are too intent on gathering information and
looking ahead – while they look at something, instead of also using the <i>pure </i>way of seeing, they’re using their
brain for other processes.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It is very interesting to note that
more and more adults today are actually trying “to sit down and smell the
flowers” again. They call it mindfulness – experiencing the moment – getting
rid of the clutter and really seeing again. A state of heightened awareness. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This takes us all the way back to the
days of the hippies – those days when I was also one. There is a much simpler
way of looking at this: <i>simply use <b>all</b> of your senses to the full!</i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Now, young children instinctively use
all of their senses. And Weismann found that they use the third way of seeing,
the <i>pure</i> way, much more than the
functional or the associational ways. They immediately zoom in on detail and
their reaction to illustrations is pure emotion. And emotions play a very
important role in aesthetic processing. They identify with the main character,
whether a child or an animal or another creature, and they experience the story
together with this character - in real time. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><span style="line-height: 115%;">But</span></u><span style="line-height: 115%;">, because it is a two-dimensional visual image and it doesn’t
rush past him or her, the child experiences the story <i>through</i> the illustration at their own, natural pace – at their own
inner rhythm.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Let’s now look at some clear,
tangible elements concerning illustrated children’s books: The illustrated
children’s book is a special case of visual communication created by adults but
specifically with the child in mind. It is therefore one of the few art forms
where adults take information and transform it into material that is digestible
specifically for the young child.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">An important element of these illustrated
children’s books is that their <i>use</i> is
different to that of formal textbooks. They offer <i>other</i> possibilities. For instance, these illustrated children’s
books are not normally linked to a fixed time or place – like the classroom.
They can be picked up at any time – the child is in control! And, crucially,
there is no time limit to how long or short the child can experience the
visuals in the illustrated book. Have you ever watched a child totally
engrossed in a picture book – totally lost in the world of that one picture? </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In picking up any book, one’s first
impression is the <i>cover illustration</i>,
if there is one. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In the case of an illustrated
children’s book, it is the emotional appeal of the picture on the cover that
attracts and draws the child into the book. A cover has to reflect the story
but it should also have an element of mystery that stimulates and attracts the
potential child reader. I always regard a cover like a poster – it must attract
attention from a distance and when viewed from closer-up, it should have a bit
of magic in it… The subject matter, the figure or figures, the shapes and the colours
should invite the child to open the book and to try and understand what it’s
all about and what it means. Inside the book the first picture should lead to
the text, the story, and from the text to the next picture and so on… The rhythm and the pacing of the text and the
pictures then take over and carry the child along the storyline to the final conclusion. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">When I start planning a picture book
for a story, the first thing to consider, is the <i>size</i> and the <i>format</i>. Typical
formats are portrait, landscape or square, but of course there are all the
shapes in-between as well. Normally the story itself, its rhythm and energy
intuitively guides me to which format I should use. There are no strict rules,
but usually the story itself indicates to me what format I should use. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">For instance, if it’s a story about
the stars, a portrait format is generally more suitable. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Or, let’s say the story is about a
journey, a physical <i>or</i> a mental
journey. Or maybe it’s a really fast-moving and quick-paced story that moves a
head quickly. Then I find that a landscape format usually works best.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">And if it’s a really quiet or
intimate story, I find a square format often works very well. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The story <i>tells</i> me in which format it would like to be told. The same is true
about the <i>size</i> of the book: does the
story want to be told in a large, loud, dramatic book? Or does it want to
create a smaller, more attentive, <i>quieter</i>
experience?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The next step is to work out the how
the story should develop over the sequence of pages. Remember, a picture book
is not only a <i>mental</i> experience; it
is also a <i>physical</i> experience. The
handling and the turning of the page, forwards <i>or</i> backwards, is part of the experience. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The child immediately experiences the
drama of the book’s size and its format, and then turning the page becomes part
of the excitement of the unfolding story. The picture book illustrator not only
draws pictures to decorate the text of a story, he or she designs the whole
book - the book which will become the flying carpet that’s going to transport
the child reader all the way through the story. To decide what portion of the text
fits on what page, you have to look at the key elements of the story and how they
fit into the fixed number of pages the book will have. The pacing, the <i>visual</i> rhythm of a picture book is often
a key factor in its success or failure – the illustrator of a story becomes like
a <i>musician</i> interpreting a piece of
music, playing softer or louder, stronger or gentler... </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Or like a <i>filmmaker</i> shooting a script, zooming in or zooming out, cutting
tightly or cutting loosely... </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The illustrator uses colour and shape
and space to lead the reader through the sequence of pages all the way to the
story’s final conclusion. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So, it is clear that the
illustrations in a children’s book or in a picture book should take the story
to the next level. The relationship between the words and the pictures is a
complex one. But it is also a unique one. The words and the pictures should be
complementary to each other – never a duplication; Do not put into words what
can better be shown in an illustration, and do not illustrate what can better
be put into words.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Let’s look briefly at a few different
kinds of children’s books. And let’s start with <i>picture books</i> and <i>illustrated
storybooks</i>:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In a perfectly constructed <i>picture book</i> neither the words nor the
pictures can stand alone - they depend on each other. Neither the pictures nor
the words are totally complete until they are combined together - <i>together</i> they show the full picture – create
the magic. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The <i>illustrated storybook</i>, however, is quite different; Although there may
be a picture on every page, here the story can stand on its own and <i>can</i> be read and understood without the
illustrations. Here the illustrations are
provided to visually create a sense of place and atmosphere, and further to extend
the text. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">As children grow older, they move
from storybooks to <i>readers</i>. Readers
are very much like storybooks, mostly fully illustrated, but here the text is very
carefully written, specifically to help the child with the process of learning
to <i>read</i> him- or herself.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">And then, as children grow even older,
they move from readers to <i>chapter books</i>.
The books get longer, the font size gets smaller, the stories become more
complex and there are fewer illustrations.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">To me, personally, a very exciting
genre is the <i>picture</i> book for the <i>older</i> child. These books often cover
quite complicated subject matter. I’ve seen many of them that are gloriously
illustrated. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Although the subject matter may be
challenging, there are sensitive and highly gifted writers and illustrators who
make these books quite accessible and digestible to young child readers.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">To conclude: There are many different
types of illustrated books specifically aimed at child readers. I have tried to
focus on the different functions of the illustrations in the different types of
children’s books. But, whatever the type, the illustrator has a key role to
play in the creation of that book. And, specifically in <i>illustrated storybooks</i> and in <i>picture
books</i> the illustrations are key. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I have often been asked the question:
How do you know when an illustration is
of good quality? And of course it is something I have thought about deeply...</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Over the years I have come across a <i>number</i> of children’s book illustrators
whose work made a deep impression on me. These are colleagues I <i>admire</i>. I admire their originality, their
imagination, the depth in their work, and the fact that they create their work<b><i> </i></b><i>for<b> </b></i>the
child – whether all of this is consciously done or unconsciously. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I have seen the genius in the
simplicity of their work. I have noticed the rhythm and I have discovered the
powerful story embedded in their images... the few words... the brave
creativity of their work. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">But the <i>one</i> element that stands out the strongest for me, is that their illustrations
seem alive. <i>Alive</i>! It’s these
illustrators’ <i>passion</i> for their work
that is clearly reflected in the pictures they create - it seems to transfer
into their images and make them appear really alive.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">That <i>passion</i> I’m
talking about somehow becomes an <i>energy</i>
that is clearly reflected in their work, whether they use <u>just a few lines</u>,</span><span lang="AF" style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> like Shel Silverstein or Quentin Blake,</span><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">or whether they create <u>lavishly
luxurious illustrations</u>,</span><span lang="AF" style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> like
David Wiesner or Trina Schart Hyman.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This is not an easy question to
answer, but if I may give a <i>short</i>
answer, I will say: Let a <i>child</i> tell
you whether the illustration is good or not. My four-year-old granddaughter
once spent a <i>long</i> time looking at one
illustration in a picture book. Eventually, without looking up, she asked
softly, “Ouma, is it alive?” And then I <i>knew</i>
that illustration was a good one. My second, three-year-old granddaughter
became absorbed in a picture the other day. And, eventually, after quite a
while, when she turned the page, she drew in her breath... and she whispered,
“wow!”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Thank you.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">April
2012</span></span></span></div>
Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-14599780678312491082013-02-16T23:42:00.001+02:002013-02-17T00:43:39.154+02:00Die Rol van Illustrasies in Kinderboeke<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="AF" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: AF;"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">deur Marjorie van Heerden</span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;"> April 2012 - PowerPoint praatjie - ATKV Skryfskool in Johannesburg.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Mense
vra my soms: Is al daai prentjies regtig nodig in ‘n kinderboek? Is dit nie
dalk beter vir die kind om sy of haar eie verbeelding te gebruik nie? Of het
die kind dalk die illustrasies nodig om die storie te verstaan? Ek het al baie
hieroor nagedink.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">So ver
terug as 1970 het die Amerikanse futuris Alvin Toffler ‘n boek geskryf met die
naam <i>Future Shock</i>. Dit was die eerste
in ‘n reeks boeke waarin hy met die konsep van “future shock” gewerk het. Sy
definisie van “future shock” is: “té veel verandering in ‘n té kort periode van
tyd”. Hy kyk ook na die impak van nuwe tegnologie op indiwidue in ‘n
vinnig-veranderende wêreld. Dink net ‘n bietjie oor daardie impak op indiwidue
hier in die een-en-twintigste eeu! Op jou. Op my. Op ons kinders.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Toffler
het voorspel dat hierdie verandering, dié versnellende tempo van tegnologiese
en sosiale verandering, mense gaan oorweldig. Dat dit mense gaan laat lei aan,
wat hy noem, “shattering stress and disorientation”. Toffler het selfs so ver
gegaan as om te sê dat die meerderheid van sosiale probleme die gevolge is van
hierdie “future shock”. As ons so rondom ons kyk, lyk dit baie asof Toffler se
voorspellings waar geword het. Vandag word mense regtig gebombardeer deur die
tegnologie en deur die media. Ek is seker ons kan die simptome sien van die
“shattering stress and disorientation”, wat Alvin Toffler voorspel het.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Ons
praat hoofsaaklik van die grootmense wat in hierdie moderne wêreld lewe. Maar
die werklikheid is dat die meeste van hierdie “media boodskappe”, wat eintlik
op grootmense gemik is, ook oor ons kinders uitgestraal word. Nou... probeer
jou net vir ‘n oomblik indink wat die effek van hierdie bombardement van nuwe
tegnologieë en die bombardement van die media op ‘n kind kan hê – op ‘n kind
wat besig is om die lewe met groot, wyd-oop oë te ervaar en te leer ken!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Van
kleurvolle verpakkings en advertensies en advertensieborde en plakkate tot
televisie-skerms en selfone en iPhones en laptops en PC’s – dis alles deel van
die aanhoudende bombardement van baie, baie harde visuele geraas waaraan daai
wyd-oog kindertjies elke enkele dag blootgestel word! Televisies en rekenaars
word deesdae ‘n baie belangrike deel van alledaagse familie-lewe. Hulle neem selfs
‘n baie prominente plek op in baie huishoudings. En baiekeer, en dis baie, baie
jammer, gebruik grootmense die televisie of die rekenaar as ‘n gerieflike
kinder-oppasser. En dit word meer en meer algemeen. Deesdae het dit selfs deel
geword van huishoudings in die laer-inkomste groepe, waar die televisie en die
selfoon en die oorweldigende media-geraas deel geword het van mense se
alledaagse lewens. En dan ook die lewens van hulle jong kindertjies.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Natúúrlik
kan mens nie ontken dat daar positiewe, selfs opvoedkundige, waarde kan wees in
die gebruik van die televisie en rekenaars en so aan nie. Hierdie goed maak ons
lewens meer gerieflik, hulle maak informasie makliker beskikbaar, hulle gee ons
selfs ‘n mate van veiligheid... en so aan. Maar die probleem is dat jong
kinders van nature soos ‘n spons is. En hulle suig alles op – goed én sleg.
Ongelukkig is hulle nog te klein om self te kan onderskei.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Nog
iets: Dikwels ontwikkel vandag se jong kinders ‘n sekere deel van hulle brein
gladnie. Hulle hoef byvoorbeeld gladnie meer die vermenigvuldiging tafel uit
hulle kop te leer nie – hulle gebruik sommer ‘n rekenaar of selfs ‘n <i>selfoon</i>! En ‘n deeltjie van die brein
bly onder-ontwikkel. Maar daardie deeltjie van die brein het eintlik heelwat
verskillende funksies (nie net om te onthou wat nege-maal-agt of ses-maal-sewe is
nie) – belangrike funksies wat ‘n rol speel in die kind se sosiale en ander
lewens-vaardighede. En dit word nie gestimuleer en ontwikkel nie, want daardie
funksie word deur ‘n elektroniese apparaatjie oorgeneem.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Dit is
maar een, klein voorbeeldjie. Een van my groot bekommernisse is dat vandag se
kinders <i>uitmis</i> op noodsaaklike <i>ontwikkeling</i> wanneer hierdie apparate
verkeerd gebruik word, of te véél gebruik word. Kyk byvoorbeeld na wat aan die
gang is met die taal wat ons kinders praat. Maar, afgesien van <i>taal</i>-ontwikkeling - ek is baie meer
bekommerd oor die ontwikkeling van ons kinders se <i>kognitiewe</i> prosesse – noem dit “prosesse van bewussyn”. Ek praat
van prosesse wat dinge insluit soos konsentrasie-vermoë, geheue, om woorde en
begrippe <i>regtig</i> te verstaan, om
probleme op te los, om besluite te maak. Ek is bevrees baie van hierdie dinge kan
vandag maklik agterbly.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Natúúrlik
is daar besorgde ouers wat hulle kinders probeer beskerm teen die bombardement
van die visuele media en die tegnologie – ouers wat dit probeer beheer. Ongelukkig
vermoed ek dat die meerderheid moderne ouers hulle kinders toelaat om verdoof
te raak deur die media en tegnologiese geraas. Dis dalk deur onkunde. Dalk sê
hulle, “dis maar die tyd waarin ons lewe”. Dalk is die ouers ook verslaaf aan
tegnologie. Of dalk gee hulle net nie om nie...</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Dink nou
aan een of twee kindertjies wat jy self ken. En onthou, ‘n dag het net 24 ure.
Wat doen daai kleintjies met daai 24 ure? Dink aan ‘n paar goed wat hulle <i>sou kon</i> doen, soos om met verbeelding te
speel, soos om nie-sistematies te leer, soos vrye oefeninge doen, soos
rondlê-ontspan, soos ‘n tydjie om te dink, ‘n tydjie om sommer net heeltemal
niks te doen nie, ‘n tydjie om bietjie te rus, ‘n tydjie om net te herstel...
Het daai kleintjies die tyd om hierdie dinge te doen? Het hulle die tyd om
doodgewoon ‘n <i>kleintjie</i> te wees? Om
doodgewoon ‘n <i>kleuter</i> te wees? Om
sommer net <i>‘n kind </i> te wees?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">‘n
Vraag: Is dit nie dalk ons – die verantwoordelike grootmense – is dit nie dalk
óns plig om daai bombardement van ons kleintjies te probeer uitbalanseer nie?
Dis ‘n vraag wat ek al jarelank mee stoei. Een van die paadjies wat ek geloop
het, was om kinder-<i>prente</i>boeke te
bestudeer en om hulle in diepte te analiseer. Ek was totaal gefassineer toe ek
begin besef het wat ‘n magtige genre dit is. Ek het begin besef wat ‘n enorme
belangrike rol hulle kan speel, nie net in die ontwikkeling van ons baie jong
en wyd-oog kleintjies nie – dis voor-die-hand-liggend. Maar wat van die rol wat
hierdie prenteboeke kan speel in die <i>sosiale</i>
en die <i>kognitiewe</i> bewussyn en
ontwikkeling van die grootmense en die ouers en die leiers en die besluitnemers
van môre en oormôre! Dié wat uit hierdie kindertjies gaan groei...</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Ek het eers
‘n studie gemaak van presies hoe die jong bewussyn ontwikkel. Ek het besef dat
‘n hoë-kwaliteit prenteboek baie meer kan wees as pret en plesier. En ek het
besef dat een enkele hoë-kwaliteit prenteboek ‘n rol kan speel in die vorming
van ‘n jong kind se gemoed. Ek het besef dat so ‘n boek selfs ‘n rol kan speel
om van daardie jong kindjie ‘n sensitiewe, liefdevolle grootmens te maak.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Nou wil
ek graag die name noem van net ‘n paar briljante geleerdes wat ek op my eie
ontdekkingsreis raakgeloop het: </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Ek was baie beïndruk deur <b>Bruno Bettelheim</b>: Hy was ‘n bekende
kinder-<span style="font-size: small;">s</span>ielkundige en skrywer. Hy het sy werke tussen die neëntien-veertigs en
die negentigs gepublisser het. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Ek was regtig gefassineer deur die
geweldige diepte in die gepubliseerde werke en die kinderboeke van <b>Ursula le Guin</b>; Sy is ‘n briljante
akademikus en sy skryf ook fantasie- en sci-fi-boeke. Sy het begin publiseer in
die sestigs, toe ek nog ‘n kunsstudent by die Universiteit van Kaapstad was. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="AF" style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Baie van die dinge wat ek vandag hier
oor praat, het ek versamel tydens my studie van die boeke deur <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6384145494464529932" name="OLE_LINK4"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6384145494464529932" name="OLE_LINK3"><b>Joseph Schwarcz</b></a>, spesifiek
sy 1983 boek <i><span style="color: black;">Ways
of the Illustrator: Visual Communication in Children’s Literature</span></i><span style="color: black;"> en die een wat hy in 1991 gepubliseer het: <i>The Picture Book Comes of Age: Looking at
Childhood Through the Art of Illustration</i>. Een ding wat Schwarcz
neergeskryf het, het veral ‘n baie groot invloed op my eie benadering tot
prenteboeke gehad – hy’t gesê: </span>“Do not let us treat children’s
literature as a well-kept garden, thus robbing it of it’s nature as a windswept
field.” Ek dink dis baie goed gesê! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">En dan was daar natuurlik ook <b>Joseph Campbell</b>, die bekende mitoloog,
skrywer en kristal-helder lektor wat so ‘n enorme invloed gehad het op George
Lucas en sy <i>Star Wars</i> film-reeks. Ek
kan nie oorbeklemtoon hoe ‘n groot invloed Campbell se idees en sy briljante
insigte op my eie manier van dink en my eie werk gehad het nie. Hy’s die een
wat gesê het: <i>“...stories are the only
lasting way to teach children codes of social behaviour.”</i></span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Ek dink
dit sou wonderlik wees as ons kinders van vandag – daai kindertjies wat eendag
die grootmense en die leiers van ons land moet word – as hulle werklik die
kodes kan leer van sosiale gedrag! ... Die kodes van <i>beskaafde</i> sosiale gedrag en optrede. En Campbell sê dat as die
kinders daardie kodes en waardes vir die res van hulle lewe gaan uitleef, dan
moet hulle dit kleintyd deur middel van <i>stories</i>
leer. <i>“...stories are the only lasting
way to teach children codes of social behaviour.”</i> Hierdie is so ‘n enorme
onderwerp dat ek amper ‘n bietjie hierby wil vassteek, maar ongelukkig het ons
nie genoeg tyd nie – kom ons los dit vir ‘n ander dag.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Hierdie
slim mense het my wêreldjie vir my help oopmaak – hulle het my gehelp om
ontslae te raak van die beperkings en van die grenslyne.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">En dit
bring my nou spesifiek by die belangrikheid van illustrasies in kinderboeke.
Elke pasgebore babatjie is soos ‘n skoon vel wit papier – gereed vir die grootmense
om op te begin skryf. En dan word daardie jong, oop en honger klein verstandjie,
reg van die begin af, gebombardeer met boodskappe, soos ek vroeër gesê het,
dikwels met die visuele geraas van die media en die tegnologie. Máár... wat daarvan as ons, as <i>jý</i>, daardie bombardement kan uitbalanseer, of selfs kan <i>onderskep</i>?</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Die
skeppende kunstenaar wat spesifiek fokus op die jong kind, aanvaar by
implikasie die verantwoordelikheid om die ouers en die kinder-versorgers te
ondersteun met die vorming van jong gees, die jong verstand, die jong gemoed.
En ook die verantwoordelikheid om die kleintjies te help ontdek en te help
ontwikkel. Jong kinders leer op ‘n subtiele, natuurlike manier, amper intuïtief,
terwyl mens hulle van die opwindende en onvergeetlike aksies en die avonture
van die karakters in die stories vertel, en hulle dit sélf ervaar en deurleef
terwyl hulle met groot ogies en opgehoue asem en met ‘n klop-kloppende hartjie
ervaar. En ek moet beklemtoon, hierdie sogenaamde “opvoedkundige” taak mag
nooit aangepak word ten kóste van pret en plesier nie, van wonder en opwinding
nie – van daai <i>groot ogies en opgehoue
asem</i> waarvan ek praat, nie. Die kinderboek en meer spesifiek, die
prenteboek vir die kleintjies, is een van die min kunsvorms wat juis met die
kind in gedagte beoefen word. En, in my ervaring word hierdie kunsvorm feitlik <i>altyd</i> beoefen deur mense wat regtig vir
die kind omgee, en vir die kind se belange, en uiteindelik vir die grootmens en
die toekomstige ouer wat eendag uit daardie kind na vore gaan kom. Die soort
kinderboek waarvan ek hier praat, het regtig die potensiaal om daai geweldige
bombardement kragtig te balanseer, teen te werk, en selfs te ontlont.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Daai
tydjie wanneer die kleintjie ‘n prenteboek lees, of as dit vir haar gelees word
in die veligheid van haar ouer of oppasser of onderwyser se arms, is soos ‘n
veilige eilandjie in ‘n wye en chaotiese oseaan – ‘n tydjie van kalmte. Die
informasie kan sonder vrees ingeneem en verteer word, en, in die kind se eie
tyd – met groot ogies en opgehoue asem.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Byvoorbeeld:
‘n Kind met ‘n probleem, of dit nou ‘n regte probleem of ‘n verbeelde probleem
is, kán troos en sterkte kry as hy of sy kan lees oor ‘n <i>ander</i> kindjie, of selfs ‘n diertjie, wat in dieselfde situasie is.
Dan kan hy of sy ook die innerlike krag opbou om soortgelyke situasies vorentoe
te hanteer.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Die
kleuter kan leer om vrese te hanteer – vrese soos <i>Waar’s my Mammie?</i> of <i>Daar is
‘n monster onder my bed!</i> Sodoende kan hy dan die sekuriteit kry wat gaan
help om hom vorentoe te neem na sy volgende stadium van ontwikkeling.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Die
kleintjie, met die hulp van die regte stories of kinderboeke, kan leer hoe om
die skool-boelie te hanteer. As hierdie kleintjie dan die les behoorlik geleer
en vir die toekoms geabsorbeer het, dan sal daardie selfde mensie, later in sy
of haar lewe, weet hoe om verskeie situasies beter te hanteer; hoe om
vooroordeel te hanteer, of mishandeling, of rassisme, of hoe om met die wêreld
rondom ons om te gaan, met die natuur, met mense wat oënskynlik anders is as
jy. Hy of sy kan leer van geduld, verdraagsaamheid, vrese, onsekerhede, skuld
en onskuld, self-respek, self-vertroue
- nóg ‘n eindelose lys.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">As mens
in gedagte hou dat elke skrywer en elke illustreerder self eendag ‘n kind was,
en dat hulle gewoonlik uit persoonlike ervarings en uit eie herinneringe put,
dan verstaan mens hoekom daar ‘n toepaslike geïllustreerde<i> </i>storie is vir feitlik elke situasie waarin die jong kind hom of
haar kan bevind.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Met dit
alles in gedagte, kom ons kyk vir ‘n oomblik na die estetiese ontwikkeling van
die jong kind. Ek praat nou van wat algemeen bekend staan as “goeie smaak”.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Prenteboeke
speel sonder enige twyfel ‘n rol in die estetiese ontwikkeling van jong
kinders. Ek het gepraat oor die ontwikkeling van ‘n sosiale en ‘n kognitiewe
bewussyn en die aanleer van kodes van sosiale gedrag en optrede, maar daardie
kinders wat gelukkig genoeg is om met stories groot te word en met
hoë-kwaliteit geïllustreerde prenteboeke, sal ook ‘n <i>visuele gevoel</i> ontwikkel van hoe om ruimte en gestalte en vorm te
gebruik – hulle mag selfs, soos hulle groter word, goeie smaak ontwikkel...</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Hierdie
kinders sal ook ‘n <i>visuele</i>
geletterdheid ontwikkel, wat in die regte wêreld netso belangrik is as <i>verbale</i> geletterdheid. En as ‘n mens
regtig, <i>volledig</i> geletterd gaan wees,
dan moet jy ook <i>visuele simbole</i> en <i>visuele boodskappe</i> vlot kan lees, en nie
net woorde nie.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Maar
daar is selfs meer: deur die spontane
interaksie met die estetiese eienskappe en die skoonheid van ‘n illustrasie,
kom daar ook ‘n sekere bevryding – dis asof jy binne-in die prent in ontsnap en
die wrede ou wêreld buite los. ... Ontsnap - en dan ervaar die kind ‘n ander
wêreld, ‘n wêreld wat verby die grense van die kind se eie omgewing strek en
verby sy of haar eie klein verwysings-wereldjie. <i>Om te ontsnap ... om jou gedagtes te
verbreed.</i> Weereens, vir die kleintjies, is dit net moontlik deur die visuele beelde.
Die illustrasies help die teks om die storie ‘n werklikheid te maak.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">‘n
Illustrasie in ‘n kinderboek dra informasie en emosie op ‘n unieke wyse oor.
Dit kan selfs help met die vermoë van ‘n groeiende kind om sy of haar eie kreatiwiteit
te ontwikkel en sodoende, uiteindelik die vermoë om lateraal te kan dink. Dit
kan ‘n rol speel in die kind se ontwikkeling van eie-inisiatief-vaardighede.
As die kleintjie, byvoorbeeld, ‘n sekere waardigheid raaksien in ‘n karakter
wat met estetiese skoonheid gïllustreer word, dan kan dit help met ‘n proses
van humanisering in die kind se jong gemoed. Só kan die illustrasies in ‘n
kinderboek bydra tot die ontwikkeling van ‘n sekere <i>menslikheid</i> in die indiwiduele jong leser se ontluikende persoonlikheid.
Deur die <i>manier</i> waarop die
illustreerder die onderwerp hanteer, deur subtiele kommunikasie van informasie
en emosie, kan die illustrasie selfs negatiewe stereotipiese boodskappe en
etikette waaraan die kind blootgestel is, ontlont en teenwerk. ‘n Bekende
voorbeeld wat in baie kinderstories na vore kom, is die ou aanname: “Alles wat
mooi is, is goed, en alles wat lelik is, is sleg.” Maar selfs ‘n baie jong
kindjie, as hy of sy ‘n goed-geïllustreerde uitgawe lees van die ou sprokie oor
<i>Beauty and the Beast</i>, sal hulle
gou-gou leer dat dit doodgewoon nie waar is nie.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Nog ‘n
voorbeeld is hoe jong lesertjies, deur sensitiewe illustrasies in ‘n boek,
bewus kan raak van die fisieke skoonheid van die natuur en die wêreld rondom
ons. Hulle kan ook leer van sy kwesbaarheid. Hierdie jong lesertjies mag dan ‘n
gesonde respek en ‘n liefde vir die omgewing ontwikkel – Ou Moeder Aarde het
deesdae ‘n bietjie gesonde respek nogal broodnodig... Dit kan natúúrlik ook
gedoen word deur die kinders op natuur-uitstappies te neem, of om vir hulle
goeie dokumentêre films te wys, of deur ander media te gebruik, maar ek het al
gesien wat die impak van ‘n hoë-kwaliteit geïllustreerde kinderboek op ‘n
sensitiewe jong mensie kan wees. Ek is geneig om met Joseph Campbell saam te
stem wanneer hy sê: <i>“...stories are the
only lasting way to teach children codes of social behaviour.”</i> En ek wil onderstreep: ...<i>the only <b><u>lasting</u></b> way to teach children codes of social behaviour.”</i>
En hierdie sosiale gedrag, of optrede, sluit tog sekerlik die kind se gedrag in
teenoor Moeder Natuur en háár wêreld.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Nou wil
ek graag ‘n paar oomblikke gebruik om te kyk na hoe ‘n jong kind eintlik <i>sien</i>. Presies hoe sien hulle iets as hulle daarna kyk?</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Die
illustrasies in kinderboeke is gewoonlik twee-dimensioneel. En as ons wil
verstaan hoe kinders hierdie twee-dimensionele beelde sien, dan moet ons eers
kyk na hoe ons, grootmense, sien. Om meer hieroor te verstaan, het ek gaan kyk
na die werk van Donald Weisman. Hy’s ‘n professor van Kuns by die Universiteit
van Texas. Hy is ook ‘n skilder en ‘n kuns-historikus. En Professor Weisman het geweldig baie
navorsing gedoen oor presies hierdie onderwerp : Ons <i>visuele persepsie</i>. Met
ander woorde, <i>Hoe sien ons iets?</i> In
1970 het hy ‘n fassinerende boek oor die onderwerp gepubliseer, onder die
titel: <i>The Visual Arts as Human
Experience</i>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Weisman
beskryf drie verskillende maniere van sien – “vlakke”, of “wyses” of “maniere” van sien: 1) funksioneel, 2)
assosierend, en 3) suiwer. Kom ons kyk nader na die drie maniere van sien:</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">By die eerste, die “funksionele” manier
van sien, is daar geen spesifieke idees of herinneringe wat betrekking het op
die voorwerp wat gesien word nie. En die voorwerp word ook nie verder ondersoek
nie. ‘n Voorbeeld van hierdie manier van sien, is wanneer iemand ‘n bal sien
wat besig is om na hom aangerol te kom. Hy dink, “Ek moet versigtig wees,
anders val ek dalk oor hom!” Hierdie manier van sien, kyk die heeltyd na die <u>toekoms</u>.
Weisman noem dit die <i>funksionele</i>
manier van sien.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">By die tweede, die “assosierende” manier
van sien, word ‘n hele kettingreaksie losgelaat wanneer die siener die
voorwerp wat gesien word met ‘n woord of ‘n herinnering assosieer. Om weer die
bal-voorbeeld te gebruik: Die voorwerp wat gesien word, word onmiddellik gekoppel
aan die woord “bal”. Jy sien die bal, en uit jou herinneringe onthou jy,
moontlik met plesier, hoe jy met so ‘n bal gespeel het. – Hierdie manier van
sien kyk die heeltyd na, en versamel
uit, die <u>verlede</u>. Weisman noem dit die <i>assosierende </i>manier van sien.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">-<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">By die derde, die “suiwer” manier van
sien, is ons geïnteresseerd in die estetiese eienskappe van die voorwerp wat
gesien word. Hierdie manier van sien is ‘n leer-proses, ‘n ontdekkings-proses
deur die waarnemning van die funksies, die eienskappe, die kenmerke van die
voorwerp. Die “suiwer” manier van sien aktiveer ook emosionele reaksie. Ek
gebruik weer die balvoorbeeld: Die een wat sien se reaksie is dalk, “Daardie
bal gly met grasie op my af!” OF “Die vorm is ‘n perfekte sfeer!” Hierdie
manier van sien, kyk die heeltyd na die <u>hede</u>, die <u>nóú</u>. Weisman
noem dit die <i>suiwer </i>manier van sien.
En, baie interessant, dís die die manier waarop ons kuns sien as ons daarna
kyk.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Om op te
som: By die <i>funksionele</i> manier van
sien, kyk ons na die <u>toekoms</u>. By die <i>assosierende</i>
manier van sien, kyk ons na die <u>verlede</u>. En, by die <i>suiwer</i> manier van sien, kyk ons na die situasie in die <u>hede</u>,
die <u>nóú</u>.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Die
meeste grootmense, wanneer hulle kyk, gebruik meestal <u>aldrie</u> die maniere
van sien gelyktydig. Maar gewoonlik, hoofsaaklik as gevolg van al die visuele
geraas en die media-geraas, onderdruk die meeste grootmense die derde manier
van sien, die <i>suiwer </i>manier – hulle
doen dit bewustelik of onbewustelik. Soos Weisman dit stel: “One hasn’t the
time to sit down and smell the flowers”. Die probleem is dan dat hierdie
grootmense geen detail raaksien nie, want hulle is te besig om informasie in te
samel en om vooruit te kyk – terwyl hulle na iets kyk, in plaas daarvan om ook <i>suiwer</i> te sien, is hulle brein besig met
ander dinge.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Dis baie
interessant om te sien dat meer en meer grootmense vandag eintlik besig is om
te probeer om weer <i>“to sit down and smell
the flowers”</i> Hulle noem dit “awareness” – om die oomblikte ervaar – om
ontslae te raak van al die chaos – om ‘n slag net weer te <i>sien</i>. ‘n Toestand van suiwer bewustheid. Dit vat ons heelpad terug
na die dae van die hippies – daai dae toe ek ook een was! Daar is regtig ‘n
baie eenvoudiger manier om na dit alles te kyk: <i>Gebruik doodgewoon <b>al</b> jou
sintuie ten volle!</i></span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Nou
- jong kinders gebruik instinktief al
hulle sintuie. En Professor Weisman se navorsing het gevind dat die kleintjies
die derde manier van sien, die <i>suiwer</i>
manier van sien, <u>baie</u> meer gebruik as die <i>funksionele</i> of die <i>assosierende</i>
maniere van sien. Hulle zoom onmiddellik in op die detail, en hulle reaksie op
‘n illustrasie is suiwer emosioneel. En mens moet onthou dat emosie ‘n geweldige
belangrike rol speel in die estetiese verwerking van iets. Die lesertjie
identifiseer met die sentrale karakter, of dit nou ‘n kind is, of ‘n dier, of
selfs ‘n ander kreatuur – en dan ervaar hulle die hele tyd die storie sáám met
hierdie karakter, en in regte tyd. <u>Maar</u>, omdat dit ‘n twee-dimensionele
visuele beeld is, en omdat dit nie by hom of haar <i>verbyflits</i> nie, ervaar die kind die storie <i>deur middel van</i> die illustrasie, en teen sy of haar eie, natuurlike
pas – teen sy of haar eie, innerlike ritme.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 21.3pt; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Kom ons
kyk nou na ‘n paar duidelike, tasbare elemente van geïllustreerde kinderboeke:
Die geïllustreerde kinderboek is ‘n spesiale soort visuele kommunikasie wat
deur grootmense geskep is, maar wat spesifiek geskep is met die kind in
gedagte. Dit is dus een van die min kunsvorms waar volwassenes informasie vat
en dit omskep in materiaal wat verteerbaar is spesifiek vir die jong kind.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">‘n Belangrike
element van hierdie geïllustreerde kinderboeke is dan ook dat hulle <i>gebruik</i> anders is as dié van formele
teksboeke. Hulle bied <i>ander</i> moontlikhede.
Byvoorbeeld, hierdie geïllustreerde kinderboeke word nie normaalweg gekoppel
aan ‘n gegewe tyd of plek– soos die klaskamer – nie. Hulle kan enige tyd nader
getrek word – die kind is in beheer! En, baie belangrik, daar is geen beperking
op hoe lank of hoe kort die kind die visuele beelde in die geïllustreerde
boek kan ervaar nie. Het jy al ooit ‘n kleintjie dopgehou wat totaal verdiep is
in ‘n prenteboek – totaal ingetrek in die wêreld van een enkele illustrasie?</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Wanneer
mens ‘n boek optel, enige boek, dan is jou heel eerste indruk die illustrasie
(as daar een is) op die buiteblad. In die geval van ‘n geïllustreerde
kinderboek, is dit die emosionele prikkel van die tekening op die buiteblad wat
die kind in die boek intrek. Die buiteblad moet die storie reflekteer, maar dit
moet ook ‘n element van misterie hê, wat die potensiële lesertjie gaan aantrek
en gaan laat wonder. Vir my is ‘n buiteblad altyd bietjie soos ‘n plakkaat –
dit moet van ver af aandag trek, en as dit dan van nader bekyk word, moet daar
so ‘n bietjie toordery aangaan... Die onderwerp, die figuur of figure, die
vorms, die kleure, moet die kind uitnooi om die boek oop te maak en te probeer
verstaan waaroor dit alles gaan en wat
dit beteken. Binne-in die boek moet die eerste prentjie lei na die teks, na die
storie, en ván die teks, na die volgende prentjie, en so aan... Dan neem die
pas en die ritme van die teks en die prentjies oor, en die kind word al met die
storielyn langs gedra, tot by die finale ontknoping.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Wanneer
ek begin om ‘n prenteboek vir ‘n storie te beplan, dan besluit ek heel eerste
oor die <i>grootte</i> en die <i>formaat</i>. Die mees algemene formate is
“portrait”, “landscape” en “square”, maar daar is natuurlik al die ander
formate tussen-in ook. Normaalweg laat ek my deur die storie lei –die storie se
ritme en sy energie laat my intuïtief aanvoel watter formaat ek moet gebruik.
Daar is geen vaste reëls nie, maar gewoonlik dui die storie self vir my aan
watter formaat om te gebruik. Byvoorbeeld, as die storie oor die sterre gaan,
dan vind ek gewoonlik ‘n “portrait”-formaat die beste. Of, sê maar die storie
gaan oor ‘n reis... dis dalk ‘n fisieke reis. Of dalk ‘n geestelike reis. Of
dalk het die storie regtig ‘n vinnige pas, en dit beweeg vinnig vooruit... Dan
vind ek dat die “landscape”-formaat gewoonlik die beste werk. En as die storie
intiem of saggies of stil is, dan vind ek dikwels dat die “square”-formaat goed
gaan werk. Die storie <i>vertel</i> my self
in watter formaat dit graag vertel wil word. Dieselfde geld vir die <i>grootte</i> van die boek: Wil die storie
graag vertel word in ‘n groot, luidrugtige, dramatiese boek? Of wil dit graag
‘n kleiner, meer intieme, <i>stiller</i>
ervaring wees?</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Die
volgende ding om te beplan, is presies hóé die storie oor die volgorde van
bladsye gaan ontwikkel en gaan afspeel. Onthou, ‘n prenteboek is nie net ‘n <i>verstandelike</i> ervaring nie; dit is ook <i>fisieke</i> ervaring. Die hantering en die
omblaai van die bladsy, vorentoe óf agtertoe, is deel van daardie ervaring. Die
kind ervaar onmiddellik die drama van die boek se grootte en formaat, en dan
word die omblaai van die bladsye deel van die opwinding van die ontvouende
storie. Die prenteboek-illustreerder teken nie net prentjies om die teks van ‘n
storie te dekoreer nie, hy of sy ontwerp ‘n hele boek – ‘n boek wat ‘n vlieënde
tapyt gaan word wat die jong lesertjie dwarsdeur die hele storie gaan vervoer
en meevoer. Om te kan besluit watter deel van die teks op watter bladsy gaan
pas, moet jy mooi kyk na die sleutel-elemente van die storie en bepaal presies
hoe hulle gaan inpas in die vasgestelde aantal bladsye wat die boek gaan hê.
Die gang, die <i>visuele</i> ritme van ‘n
prenteboek speel dikwels ‘n sleutelrol in die boek se sukses of mislukking –
die illustreerder van ‘n storie word soos ‘n <i>musikant</i> wat ‘n stuk musiek vertolk; sagter speel en harder,
sterker speel en minder sterk. Of soos ‘n <i>film-maker</i>
wat ‘n draaiboek skiet, wat <i>in</i>-zoom
of wat <i>uit</i>-zoom, wat losweg sny of
wat minder losweg sny... Die illustreerder gebruik kleur en vorm en ruimte om
die leser dwarsdeur die reeks bladsye te lei, heelpad, tot by die storie se
finale ontknoping.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Dit is
dus duidelik dat die illustrasies in ‘n kinderboek, of in ‘n prenteboek vir
kinders, die storie na die volgende vlak moet dra. Die verhouding tussen die
woorde en die prente is kompleks. Maar dit is ook uniek. Die woorde en die
prente moet mekaar altyd aanvul – nooit dupliseer nie. Moet nooit in woorde sê
wat sterker deur ‘n illustrasie gesê kan word nie. En moet nooit illustreer wat
sterker in woorde gesê kan word nie.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Kom ons
kyk nou kortliks na ‘n paar verskillende soorte kinderboeke. En kom ons spring
weg met <i>prenteboeke</i> en <i>geïllustreerde storieboeke</i>.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">In ‘n
perfek-geskonstrueerde <i>prenteboek</i> kan
die woorde nie alleen staan nie, en die prente ook nie – hulle is totaal
afhanklik van mekaar. Die prente is nie volledig nie, en die woorde ook nie,
totdat hulle <i>saamgebring</i> word. Eers
wanneer hulle <i>saam</i> staan, dán vertel
hulle die hele storie – dan maak hulle die <i>magic</i>!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;"> Maar die <i>geïllustreerde
storieboek</i>, is heeltemal iets anders; Al is daar moontlik ‘n illustrasie op
elke bladsy, kan die storie hier op sy eie staan. Dit <i>kán</i>, sonder die illustrasies, gelees word en verstaan word. Die
illustrasies word hier bygesit om visueel ‘n gevoel van plek en van ruimte te
skep en ook om die teks verder aan te vul.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Soos die
kinders groter word, beweeg hulle aan, van die <i>storieboek</i> na die <i>leesboek</i>.
Leesboeke is baie soos storieboeke en ook dikwels volledig geïllustreer, maar
in húlle word die teks baie versigtig geskryf, spesifiek met die oog daarop om
die kind te help om self te leer <i>lees</i>.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">En dan,
soos die kinders nóg groter word, beweeg hulle aan, van leesboeke na <i>hoofstuk-boeke</i>. Nou word die boeke
langer, die lettergrootte word kleiner, die stories word meer-en-meer
ingewikkeld en die illustrasies word al minder.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Daar is
‘n genre wat vir my, <i>persoonlik</i>, baie
opwindend is. Dit is die <i>prenteboek vir
ouer kinders</i>. Hierdie boeke dek dikwels taamlik ingewikkelde onderwerpe.
Ek het al baie van hulle gesien wat pragtig geïllustreer is. Al mag die
spesifieke onderwerp dalk ingewikkeld en uitdagend wees, is daar gelukkig baie
sensitiewe en hoogs-bekwame skrywers en illustreerders wat hierdie boeke heel
toeganklik en goed verteerbaar maak vir die jong lesertjies.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Om af te
sluit: Daar is baie verskillende tipes geïllustreerde boeke wat spesifiek
bedoel is vir kinders. Ek het hier probeer fokus op die verskillende funksies
van die illustrasies in die verskillende tipes kinderboeke. Maar, wat die tipe
ookal is, die illustreerder het ‘n sleutelrol om te speel in die skepping van
daai boek. En, veral in die <i>geïllustreerde
storieboek</i> en die <i>prenteboek</i> is die illustrasies ‘n groot
rol.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Die
vraag is al baiekeer vir my gevra: Hoe weet jy of ‘n illustrasie goeie
kwaliteit is? En dis natuurlik iets waaroor ek al baie diep nagedink het...</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Oor die
jare het ek ‘n hele paar kinderboek-illustreerders raakgeloop wie se werk ‘n
groot indruk op my gemaak het. Hulle is kollegas wat ek <i>bewonder</i>. Ek bewonder hulle oorspronklikheid, hulle
verbeeldingskrag, die diepte in hulle werk, en veral die feit dat hulle hulle
werk doen spesifiek <i>vir</i> die kind – of
dit alles nou bewustelik is, of onbewustelik.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Ek het
die briljantheid gesien in die eenvoud van hulle werk. Ek het die ritme
raakgesien en ek het die kragtige verhaal ontdek wat opgesluit lê in die beelde
wat hulle skep .. in die min woorde ... die moedige kreatiwiteit van hulle
werk.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Maar die
één, enkele element wat die sterkste vir my uitstaan, is dat hulle illustrasies
altyd lyk asof hulle <i>lewe</i>. Dit is die
<i>passie</i> van hierdie illustreerders wat
duidelik uitgestraal word uit die illustrasies wat hulle maak – asof daardie
passie opgeneem word in die visuele beeld en dit laat <i>lewe</i>.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Daai <i>passie</i> waarvan ek praat, word, op een of
ander manier, ‘n <i>energie</i> wat duidelik
in hulle werk weerspieël word, of hulle nou <u>net ‘n paar lyntjies</u> gebruik
(soos <i>Shel Silverstein </i>of <i>Quentin Blake</i>), en of hulle nou <u>luukse
en weelderige, kleurvolle</u> illustrasies skep (soos <i>Trina Schart Hyman</i> of<i> David
Wiesner</i>). ...</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Dis nie
‘n maklike vraag om te beantwoord nie, maar as ek ‘n <i>kort</i> antwoord kan gee, dan sou ek sê: Laat ‘n <i>kind</i> jou vertel of die illustrasie goed is of nie. My vier-jaar-oud-klieindogter<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6384145494464529932" name="OLE_LINK1"> </a>sit eendag en sy kyk vir ‘n baie lang tyd na dieselfde
illustrasie in een van haar prenteboeke. En uiteindelik, sonder dat sy opkyk,
vra sy saggies, “Ouma, is dit lewendig?” En toe <i>weet</i> ek dat die illustrasie ‘n goeie een is. My tweede,
drie-jaar-oud kleindogterjie, raak nou-die-dag totaal verdiep in ‘n
illustrasie. Sy’t lank gesit en daarna gekyk. En, uiteindelik, na ‘n hele ruk,
toe sy omblaai, toe trek sy haar asem in ... en toe fluister sy, “wow!”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="AF" style="line-height: 115%;">Baie dankie.</span></span></span></div>
Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-36060742578308012742013-02-16T21:12:00.001+02:002013-02-17T00:32:47.417+02:00My Reis as ’n Kinderboekskrywer/illustreerder - 2011<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Deur <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Marjorie van Heerden</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Julie 2011 - PowerPoint praatjie - ATKV Skryfskool in Johannesburg </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wat kan ek julle vandag vertel?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Julle het na hierdie kongres gekom om te leer hoe om kinderboeke te skryf en te illustreer. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Professor DJ Opperman het vir sy eerstejaarklas gesê, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Ek kan jou help om te leer hoe om woorde te spel en wat daardie woorde beteken. Ek kan jou selfs leer hoe om rympies te maak. Maar ek kan jou nie leer hoe om ‘n digter te word nie.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Nouja, uit my eie ondervinding kan ek jou help om te leer hoe om ‘n potlood te gebruik. Of hoe om prentjies van kinders te teken. Maar dit gaan nie van jou ‘n kinderboek-illustreerder maak nie. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek kan jou ook help om te leer hoe om ‘n storie aan mekaar te sit of hoe om dialoog te skryf. Maar dit gaan nie van jou ‘n kinderboek-skrywer maak nie.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In die heel eerste plek is ‘n kinderboek-skrywer ‘n storie-verteller. Jy vertel die storie met woorde, of jy vertel die storie met prentjies, of jy gebruik woorde en prentjies saam. Maar wat van jou so ‘n storie-verteller maak, is dit wat binne-in jou kop aangaan. DIT maak van jou ‘n kinderboek-skrywer ... dit wat binne-in jou kop aangaan. Binne-in jou kop moet jy kan oor-kliek na die wêreld van die kind. Daardie kind wat met opgehoue asem na jou woorde sit en luister of wat met groot, blink ogies na jou prentjies kyk. Jy moet kan losbreek van die kettings van jou ouderdom, jou grootmens-wees. Dop jouself binnekant buite. Vat hande met die kind wat bínne-in jou lewe ... en dán eers kan jy ‘n leë vel papier vat en begin om die storie te vertel en die prentjies te teken.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hoe doen mens DIT?, vra julle my dalk. Kan ek vir ‘n kursus inskryf? Hoe het JY geleer om jouself binnekant buitentoe te dop? Om hande te vat met die kind wat binne-in jou lewe? Hoe moet ék te werk gaan om dít wat hier bo in my kop aangaan op ‘n leë vel papier neer te sit?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het regtig baie hard hieroor nagedink. En toe besef ek: Soos Opperman, kan ek nie vir julle sê presies wat om te doen of hoe om dit te doen nie. Maar ek wou vir julle IETS kom vertel... en toe draai ek om en kyk terug oor my eie lewe, oor die meer-as-dertig jaar wat ek my al voltyds besig hou met kinderboeke skryf en illustreer. En al wat ek kan doen (as ek so terugkyk oor my eie reis as ‘n kinderboekskrywer en –illustreerder), is om met julle ‘n klompie oomblikke te deel, ‘n klompie van daardie baie spesiale oomblikke, daardie WOW-oomblikke, wat mý gehelp het om my eie werk, my eie gedagtes, my eie insigte, na die volgende vlak te neem.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Op my reis was daar baie sulke oomblikke. Maar, as ek so terugkyk, is daar party van daardie oomblikke wat bo die ander uitstaan. En die fassinerende ding van daai uitstaan-oomblikke is dat hulle almal met boeke te doen het, of met die mense wat daardie boeke gemaak het.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Nou wil ek julle almal nooi om vir ‘n rukkie saam met my te kom. En dan neem ek julle op ‘n deel van my reis. En dan wys ek julle die boeke en dan vertel ek julle van die oomblikke wat my geraak het, of liewer, daardie oomblikke wat my ingesluk en in hulle towerkrag verteer het. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hier is die heel eerste boek wat ek duidelik kan onthou. Dis <i>The Story of Ferdinand </i>wat die Amerikaanse skrywer Munro Leaf in 1936 geskryf het. Ek onthou dat ek omtrent vier jaar oud was toe my ma Ferdinand vir my gegee het. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Meer as ‘n halwe eeu later besef ek wat ‘n diep, diep impak hierdie boekie op my gehad het. Êrens in my jong bewussyn was ek gefassineer deur die interaksie tussen woord en beeld. Ek onthou hoe ek urelank deur daai boekie gekyk het en hoe ek mal was oor lyne soos “His mother saw that he was not lonely, and because she was an understand¬ing mother, even though she was a cow, she let him just sit there and be happy.” Ek onthou dat party van die illustrasies ver weg tonele gewys het, met groot, oop, wit ruimtes op die res van die bladsy en ander illustrasies was van naby figure wat die bladsy heeltemal vol gemaak het. Ek onthou dat ek ook tekeninge soos dít wou maak. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As kind het ek al agtergekom dat my disleksia dit moeiliker maak om met woorde te kommunikeer, as met tekeninge… Toe begin fokus ek daarop om myself liewer uit te druk deur prente te teken. Ek het agtergekom dat tekeninge my idees net so goed, indien nie beter nie, as woorde kon uitdruk. Ek het daai tyd selfs ‘n paar boekies gemaak… en dit het alles begin by ‘n klein bulletjie wat baie lief was daarvoor om die blomme te ruik. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Baie jare later het ek uitgevind dat The Story of Ferdinand (uitgegee in 1936, drie jaar vóór die Tweede Wêreldoorlog) een van die heel eerste anti-oorlog prenteboeke is wat ooit gepubliseer is, indien nie die heel eerste nie. En daardie boekie is vandag nog steeds in druk!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hierdie prenteboek, met sy sterk onderliggende boodskap, het ‘n groot invloed op my gehad. So, in die sestigs was Johann (nou my man en die pa van ons twee kinders) en ek natuurlik ook “flower children”. Maar ons het nie geprotesteer teen een of ander oorlog ver weg in Suidoos-Asië nie – óns protes was teen ‘n ongelooflike bangmaak-ding hier in ons eie land, ‘n ding wat hulle genoem het “apartheid”. Die sestigs het oorgevloei na die sewentigs en my kop het gezoem van allerhande gedagtes en idees ... anti-oorlog, anti-apartheid, anti-seksisme ... Daardie jare was ek ‘n skilder en ‘n beeldhouer en ek het probeer om my gevoelens in my werk uit te druk.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Maar die manier waarop ek na die wêreld om my gekyk het, het verander met die geboorte van my kinders. Ons dogter is in 1977 gebore en ons seun in 1980. Hulle het my fokus teruggebring na kinder-literatuur. Ek het begin om prenteboeke vir kinders te illustreer en later ook te skryf en illustreer. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My heel eerste gepubliseerde kinderboek-illustrasies het ek vir Alida Potgieter van Human & Rousseau in 1983 gedoen. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Alida was die eerste een wat ‘n kans met my gewaag het en dis Alida wat my beroep as ‘n professionele illustreerder geloods het. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Oor die volgende twee jaar het ek nog twee boeke vir haar geïllustreer, en toe, aangemoedig deur haar en my man het ek, aanvanklik baie aarselend, ook begin om te skryf – Johann het altyd my disleksiese spelling en grammatikale foute vir my reggemaak. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die eerste storie, <i>Die een groot bruin beer</i> is in 1984 gepubliseer. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek was angsbevange. Ek het totaal onbeholpe gevoel. Ek MOES net meer uitvind oor hierdie werk! Ek het na boeke begin soek om my te help. Maar oor die boeke wat ek wel gevind en gelees het, het ek gevoel, “hulle het dit net nie reg nie!” – “dit voel nie asof hulle kinders regtig verstáán nie!” </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die boeke wat ek oor kinder-literatuur gelees het, was... “patronizing”! Skryf ou storietjies vir ou kindertjies en teken ou prentjies daarby as dekorasie! Dis tog nie ál waaroor dit kan gaan nie! Ek het onthou wat Ferdinand, die Bul aan my gedoen het toe ek vier jaar oud was. Ek het aanhou soek...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe kom ek af op ‘n boek, The Art of Maurice Sendak deur Selma Lanes. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Met Sendak kon ek identifiseer. En met die probleme waarmee hy geworstel het toe hý begin het om kinderboeke te skryf en te illustreer. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het ure lank deur sy boeke sit en kyk...<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>boeke soos <i>Where the wild things are</i>... en <i>In the night kitchen</i>... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het die briljantheid van hierdie boeke se eenvoud gesien. Ek het hulle ritme aangevoel. En ek het die kragtige storie gesien wat ingebou was in Sendak se baie min woorde. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En ek het besef dat ‘n goeie prenteboek netso veel op die visuele staatmaak as op die woorde – indien nie selfs méér so nie. Dit lyk miskien “obvious”, maar jy sal verbaas wees oor hoe baie skrywers, selfs kinderboekskrywers, nie hiermee saamstem nie.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe begin ek kinder-prenteboeke versamel... en bestudeer – letterlik derduisende van hulle. Soveel as wat ek my hande op kon lê. My persoonlike versameling is vandag meer as dertig-duisend. Ek het totaal gefassineerd geraak oor hoe kragtig hierdie genre is.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het verlief geraak op mense soos Maurice Sendak en die dapper kreatiwiteit van hulle werk. En ek het gedroom daaroor dat ek eendag daardie een, regtig beeldskone prenteboek vir kinders kan maak.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ons eie twee kinders was nog baie jonk, maar gelukkig was hulle altwee baie flukse “lesertjies” - op daai ouderdom natuurlik in aanhalingstekens, maar nogtans het hulle gesorg dat ek die perfekte lab gehad het waar ek die nuwe prenteboeke kon toets wat ek ontdek het.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het begin om te verstaan wat hierdie werk eintlik behels en ook die verantwoordelikheid wat die inhou – my instink het my vertel dat hierdie baie belangrike werk is.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die ontstellende werklikheid is dat ‘n pasgebore babatjie soos ‘n skoon wit vel papier is – gereed vir grootmense om op te begin skrywe. En dwarsdeur sy of haar kleintyd word daardie kindjie gebombardeer deur die media, deur advertensies, deur verpakkings, deur die TV -boodskappe wat ons nie regtig vir ons kinders wil hê nie. Kinders leer deur na te aap. Hulle word nie wreed gebore, of onverdraagsaam, of rassisties of anti-Semities nie. Hulle leer deur na te aap, om die voorbeelde na te aap - en ongelukkig leer hulle dan ook die slegte saam met die goeie.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die kinder-prenteboek is een van die min kunsvorms wat spesifiek met die kind in gedagte gemaak word, en deur mense wat regtig vir kinders omgee. Sulke boeke kan hierdie bombardement in ‘n groot mate balanseer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Omdat ek van nature baie nuuskierig is en omdat ek gefassineerd was om te sien hoe my kinders die wêreld ontdek, het ek agtergekom dat hulle vermoëns het wat grootmense nie noodwendig het nie, byvoorbeeld hulle baie skerp sintuie, hulle natuurlike kreatiwiteit... Vrae het aanhoudend by my opgekom, soos, Hoekom verloor so baie mense hierdie vermoëns soos hulle ouer word? - Ek wou regtig verstaan...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Maar ek het sterk verskil van die soort goed wat party van ons Suid-Afrikaanse kinderboek-kenners te sê gehad het. Hier was mense met vaste idees en wat nooit bevraagteken is nie. My instink het vir my gesê dat hulle verkeerd móét wees as hulle dinge sê soos: Jy kan nie oor die dood praat in boeke vir jong kinders nie, en jy moet altyd altwee die ouers wys. Boeke vir jong kinders moet altyd sterk, helder kleure hê. Jong kinders moet nét boeke in hulle moedertaal kry, anders sal hulle deurmekaar raak. Ek het selfs gehoor dat alle fantasie weggehou moet word van jong kinders, anders kan hulle Sataniste word! Drie-jaar-oud Sataniste ??</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As ek aan daai jare terugdink, dan laat ek myself dink aan die Engelse uitdrukking: Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Ek het goed instinktief aangevoel, maar ek het geen bewyse gehad nie – so ek het meestal maar stil gebly.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe glimlag die engeltjies op my! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Johann het besluit om vir sy sabbatsjaar by Northwestern University in Chicago te gaan werk, en toe gaan woon ons in Amerika vir bietjie meer as ‘n jaar. En dís waar ek vir die eerste keer kontak gemaak het met wêreldbekende kinderboek-skrywers en –illustreerders - en hulle werk leer ken het. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het ook mense ontmoet soos Ethel Heins, daai tyd die redakteur van The Horn Book Magazine. Met haar warmhartigheid en vrygewigheid het Ethel my uiteindelik in die regte rigting beduie. Sy het my vertel watter kongresse om by te woon, watter mense om mee kontak te maak... Sy sou vir my iemand se kontak-details gee en dan sê sy, “Sê net vir hulle Ethel Heins het gesê jy moet met hulle praat.” Dit het natuurlik baie deure vir my oopgemaak, want Ethel is beskou as ‘n Kinderboek-Guru in Amerika.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sy het baie keer vir my gesê, “You MUST read the works of...” En dis hoe ek mense ontmoet het soos Joseph Campbell... baie, baie invloedryke Amerikaanse mitoloog, en skrywer en lektor. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Bruno Bettelheim... prominente kinder-sielkundige en skrywer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En Ursula le Guin... die wonderlike skrywer, roman-skrywer, digter, skrywer van kinderboeke, essays, kortverhale en veral, briljante skrywer van fantasie en sci-fi. Die ongelooflike diepte in haar werk...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe ek die kongresse begin bywoon, toe besef ek dat ek gladnie so odd is nie! Ek onthou baie duidelik hoe ek eendag by die opening van ‘n kongres gesit het en toe ek so in die saal rondom my kyk, toe besef ek dat ek omring is van mense presies soos ek! En op daai oomblik het ek besluit dat ek in Suid-Afrika ons eie Kinderboek-Kongres gaan organiseer en dat ek al die regte Kinderboek-mense in Suid-Afrika in een saal bymekaar wil bring!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Nóg ‘n baie belangrike ding het by daardie kongres gebeur; ek het ‘n lesing bygewoon deur Joseph Schwarcz... Hy was een van die mees gerespekteerde kinderboek-navorsers in die wêreld. Baie hoog aangeskryf in sy eie land, Israel, maar ook in die res van die wêreld, veral in Duitsland en Engeland en Amerika. Sy lesing daai dag was oor hoe prenteboeke die ontwikkeling van ‘n jong kind beïnvloed. En terwyl Joseph Schwarcz, ná jare-en-jare se akademiese navorsing, so briljant al sy bevindinge formuleer, het ek besef dat hierdie man besig is om baie van die dinge te bevestig wat ek instinktief aangevoel het, my eie, private gut-gevoelens. En terwyl ek so na hom sit en luister het, het ek besluit om op te hou om altyd my eie idees en gedagtes vir myself te hou. Vorentoe, as ek sterk genoeg oor iets voel, dan gaan ek dit sê ... selfs al ís ek verkeerd.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek was op ‘n mission...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het al die boeke gelees wat Ethel vir my aanbeveel het. Ek het ‘n studie gemaak van hoe die jong kind se gemoed ontwikkel, en hoe hoë-kwaliteit kinder-prenteboeke soveel meer kan wees as net vermaak. Hoe een, enkele prenteboek kan saamwerk om ‘n kind se denkwêreld te help vorm – hoe dit selfs kan help om van daardie kind ‘n regte omgee-grootmens te maak. Onthou vir Ferdinand die Bul!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het iets geleer wat in Afrika oor duisende jare niks nuuts is nie, maar wat vandag tog lewensbelangrik geword het: Ek het geleer dat stories die manier is om kinders te vertel hoe ‘n mens behoort te lewe - stories, legendes, mites: Soos Joseph Campbell dit sê, “...stories are the only lasting way to teach children codes of social behaviour.” ...Codes of social behaviour! Hoe belangrik is DIT nie in die ontwikkeling van die jong kind se lewens-benadering nie!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het ook geleer dat my job – Om ou storietjies vir ou kindertjies te skryf en om dan ou prentjies daarby te teken – dat dit in werklikheid baie belangrike werk is, en dat dit ernstig opgeneem behoort te word...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Daardie jaar in Chicago was baie waardevol; die kinderboek-kongresse, die storievertel-groepe, die skywer-sirkel... Ek het die hoofkwartier van Book Link besoek. Ek het baie, baie vriende gemaak. Kinderboek-mense word baie maklik vriende – hulle is gewoonlik daai soort mense.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Joseph Schwarcz het gespesialiseer in navorsing oor die illustrasies in kinderboeke en dan die sielkundige uitdrukking in kinders se eie kunswerke. Ek het sy boek, Ways of the Illustrator: Visual Communication in Children’s Literature oor-en-oor gelees en ongelooflik baie daaruit geleer. Hier is een aanhaling:</span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“Do not let us treat children’s literature as a well-kept garden, thus robbing it of it’s nature as a windswept field.”</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dis hierdie boek van Joseph Schwarcz wat my bevry het van die grense om altyd net te doen wat veilig is... In daai tyd het ek A tiger took me to the circus geskryf en geïllustreer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hoe ookal - Ná ons tyd in Chicago het ons teruggetrek Stellenbosch toe en oor die volgende klompie jare was ek gelukkig genoeg om boeke te illustreer vir ‘n paar uitstekende kinderboekskrywers en ek was ook baie gelukkig om ‘n hele paar prenteboeke wat ek self geskryf en geïllustreer het, te publiseer, soos die<i> Korrelkonfyt-reeks</i> (<i>The Peanutbutter Series</i>) in die laat-Tagtigs. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Korrelkonfyt was die groot, groen hoof-karakter in dié stories. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Terug in Suid-Afrika het ek maandelank gesukkel om mense te oortuig dat ons ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse kinderboek-kongres moet hou. Dit was nou regtig ‘n opdraande stryd. Maar uiteindelik het ek iemand ontmoet wat gedink het soos ek. Professor Jeanne Tötemeyer het klas gegee by die Information Science and Library Department by die Universiteit van die Wes-Kaap. En sy was in die posisie om my droom te laat waar word. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En dit is dan hoe die heel eerste Internasionale Kinderboek-simposium in Afrika ‘n werklikheid geword het – dit was in Julie 1987. Ons het die Simposium genoem: Towards Understanding – Op Weg na Begrip. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ons het vyfhonderd-en-vyftig mense by ons simposium gehad en ek het dit reggekry om ‘n klompie briljante internasionale gas-sprekers te kry – en een van hulle was Joseph Schwarcz, wie se lesing ek in Amerika gehoor het en wie se boeke my soveel beïnvloed het.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Gedurende ons kongres het Schwarcz aangedring dat ek my boeke vir hom wys. Ek was ontsettend skaam en selfbewus, maar toe doen ek dit tog. Hy het my boeke saam met hom geneem en in sy eie tyd na hulle gaan kyk. Toe ons later ontmoet, het hy my eenkant geneem, eers ‘n paar komplimentêre opmerkings gemaak, en toe begin hy om elkeen van my boekies vir my te ontleed, in die grootste detail en met wonderlike skerp insig. Oor die volgende paar dae het hy elke vrye oomblik saam met my deurgebring en dan het hy met my gepraat oor kinderboeke en oor al die insigte wat hy ontwikkel het oor dekades van hoogs gefokusde studie en navorsing in die veld. In daardie een enkele week het ek meer oor kinder-prenteboeke van hierdie briljante man geleer as wat ek moontlik in ‘n hele universiteitskursus daaroor sou kon leer. Dit was nou regtig een van my groot WOW-oomblikke in hierdie wonderlike ontdekkingsreis!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die Towards Understanding Simposium het direk gelei na ‘n groter bewustheid van die belangrikheid van hoë kwaliteit boeke vir die kinders van Suidelike Afrika en as gevolg daarvan is daar al ‘n hele paar kleiner simposiums en kinderboek-feeste rondom die land gereël. ‘n Ander, baie belangrike gevolg van die Towards Understanding Simposium was dat dit gelei het tot die stigting van die South African Children’s Book Forum, wat vandag deel van die internasionale IBBY is, en nog landswyd baie goeie werk doen. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Party van my vroeë prenteboeke, soos<i> ‘n Monster in die Tuin,</i> wat in 1987 gepubliseer is, het baie subtiele anti-rassisme en ander boodskappe in die illustrasies opgesluit. In haar dissertasie gebruik Professor Tötemeyer dan ook hierdie boeke as voorbeelde van vroeë Suid-Afrikaanse anti-rassistiese prenteboeke. Maar ek het die meeste van hierdie subtiele boodskappe gladnie bewustelik ingebou nie. Die groot, groen monster in ‘n Monster in die Tuin was gladnie daar om, byvoorbeeld, Alex se selfvertroue op te bou nie. Schwarcz het destyds al aan my verduidelik dat die meeste skrywers of digters daarop fokus om geboorte te gee aan die storie of die gedig en dat hulle onderbewuste gedagtes en insigte gewoon deel van daardie storie of gedig word. Die skrywer raak dikwels eers bewus van al hierdie lae in haar werk wanneer die resensente, of die akademiese navorsers, of die kinderboek-spesialiste die stories in die hande kry. Ek is bevrees presies dieselfde ding gebeur met kinderboek-illustreerders! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mettertyd het ek baie aktief geraak in plaaslike kinder-literatuur en ek het baie praatjies en werkwinkels gegee. En toe, in 1989, vat my man Johann se werk ons Johannesburg toe. Ons het ‘n pragtige groot huis in Linden gevind. Daar was ‘n enorme tuin... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">...en toe bou ons ‘n houthuisie in die agterplaas en ek maak dit my ateljee. In daardie ateljee, onder ‘n groot ou Eucalyptus-boom, het ek vir tien jaar gewerk. Hierdie was tien ontsettend belangrike vormingsjare in my werk as ‘n illustreerder en ‘n skrywer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die realiteit is dat, as ‘n mens in Afrika wil werk as ‘n skrywer/illustreerder van kinderboeke, dan kan jy nie verby-kyk by die desperate behoefte aan boeke nie. So, onvermydelik het ek meer-en-meer betrokke geraak by die skepping van boeke vir die opvoedkundige wêreld. Ek moes my droom aanpas – ek moes meer-en-meer boeke maak wat aan sekere behoeftes voldoen. Ek moes my kop uit die wolke trek... My boeke het meer-en-meer op die groot verskeidenheid van kindertjies in Suidelike Afrika begin fokus. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Selfs al het die biblioteke dwarsoor die land altyd my boeke gekoop, het ek besef dat die meeste van Suid-Afrika se kinders nooit ‘n boek sien totdat hulle die dag by die skool inloop nie. En toe raak ek betrokke by projekte wat boeke ge-“workshop” het, boeke spesifiek gemik op kinders in die minder-bevoorregte gemeenskappe en boeke wat spesifiek deur die skole versprei is. So was ek toe in 1990 die mede-skrywer en die illustreerder van Baba’s Plan, die eerste gepubliseerde boek wat in so ‘n workshop ontwikkel is. Dit is deur die READ Organisasie uitgegee. - Sue Hepker het indertyd daai workshops georganiseer. In so ‘n workshop het redakteurs, skrywers, illustreerders en gemeenskaps-werkers almal bymekaargekom en dan workshop hulle nuwe kinderboeke vir die “Nuwe Suid-Afrika”.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek en Sue het aangehou om saam te werk. Haar volgende projek was “The Little Library”. Ek was die kuns-direkteur van die projek en ek het ook twee van die boeke geïllustreer. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hierdie Little Library projek het in 1996 die gesogte IBBY Asahi Reading Award gewen (IBBY is die groot internasionale kinderboek-organisasie wat in 1953 in Switserland gestig is). Die boeke in die Little Library was baie goed, maar op die ou end was daar nie genoeg geld om al die kinders te bereik wat ons graag wou nie.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Oor die jare het ek aangehou om baie boeke te skryf en te illustreer – en die hele tyd het aangehou lees oor kinder-literatuur. Teen hierdie tyd het ek al ‘n hele spul skrywers en illustreerders gehad wie se werk ek bewonder het. Ek sou graag sulke werk wou lewer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kom ek wys julle ‘n paar van dié skrywer/illustreerders wat ek bewonder – ek bewonder hulle veral omdat daar soveel diepte in hulle werk is: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jan Ormerod - het ‘n ongelooflike insig in die manier waarop jong kinders dink. En sy verstaan ook die fisieke liggaam van die kind en presies hoe hulle dit gebruik... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Trina Schart Hyman - met haar betowerende gebruik van kleur en die briljante manier waarop sy die natuur gebruik om atmosfeer mee te skep en te manipuleer... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Helen Oxenbury - en die intense kommunikasie tussen haar karakters. Ook haar fyn begrip van kinders se gevoelens... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Satoshi Kitamura - wat lyk asof hy binne-in die kind se gemoed, sy of haar binneste bewussyn, kan inkruip en dan maak hy tekeninge van wat hy daar binne kan vind en sien... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tony Ross - met sy heerlike sin vir humor! En nogtans is sy karakters so sensitief... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Anthony Browne - het so baie verskillende lae in sy stories. ‘n Kind lees (of ervaar) ‘n Anthony Browne-storie op ‘n spesifieke vlak en ‘n paar jaar later, soos wat die kind se verwysings-wêreld verbreed, lees sy of hy die storie weer en ervaar dit op totaal ‘n ander vlak! Briljant! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Stephen Lambert - met sy pragtige gebruik van lig en die simplistiese manier waarop hy sy verskillende media gebruik... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Chris van Allsburg – Nou hier is towerkuns! – Hy neem jou na plekke in jou eie kop waar jy nog nooit was nie! – Suiwer, suiwer kreatiwiteit... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">...en dan is daar David Wiesner! Sy werk is nou regtig daai deurmekaar, ongepoetste tuin waarvan Joseph Schwarcz gepraat het – ‘n plek waar enigiets moontlik is en waar enigiets kan gebeur...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het net nege van my gunstelinge gekies om met julle te deel, maar die feit van die saak is dat ENIGE kind wat gelukkig genoeg is om met hierdie soort prenteboeke groot te word, sal besef dat absoluut NIKS in hierdie ou lewe onmoontlik is nie!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kom ek vertel julle van nog ‘n baie opwindende WOW-moment op my reis: Eendag stuur ‘n vriendin vir my ‘n aansoekvorm vir ‘n beurs. Dit was ‘n beurs om die Highlights Foundation se Children’s Book Writers Workshops in Amerika te gaan bywoon. Ek het dit nie eens ingevul nie – hoe kon ek nou so iets wen? Maar my vriendin het aangehou vra of ek dit al ingestuur het – en toe doen ek dit maar. Niemand was meer verras as ek toe ek die beurs wen nie! En voor ek dit weet, is ek op ‘n vliegtuig na Chautauqua in die noordooste van die VSA.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die werkswinkels het vir ‘n week lank aangehou - en al die deelnemers was kinderboek-skrywers en –illustreerders. En elkeen van ons het ‘n baie ervare en hoogs bekwame, persoonlike mentor gekry om vir die hele week saam met jou te werk. Tussen die werkswinkels fokus jou mentor dan spesifiek op jóú werk en evalueer dit saam met jou in groot detail, sodat jy jou vaardigheid en jou kuns kan ontwikkel. Ek kon my ore nie glo toe ek hoor dat Ed Young my persoonlike mentor gaan wees nie! Ed Young gaan vir ‘n hele week lank na my werk kyk en dit evalueer. En hy gaan my help om my eie kuns te verbeter! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ingeval party van julle nie weet wie hierdie geniale man is nie, hier’s ‘n vinnige skets: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ed Young is een van die beste kinderboek-skrywer/illustreerders in Amerika. Hy het die Caldecott Honors al tweemaal gewen en in 1990 het hy die Caldecott Medal gewen. Baie mense beskou die Hans Christian Andersen Award as die Nobel-prys vir kinderboeke – Ed Young het die Hans Christian Andersen ook gewen ... TWEE keer! – in 1990 en weer tien jaar later, in 2000. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hy is in 1931 in Sjina gebore en hy het Amerika toe gegaan om argitektuur te gaan swot toe hy twintig was, en toe bly hy daar. Alhoewel hy al van 1951 af in Amerika woon, het hy nog altyd na die lewe gekyk deur Oosterse oë – en mens kan dit ook in sy werk sien. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ed Young het urelank met my oor mý werk gepraat. Maar, op ‘n manier, het hy eintlik meer gepraat oor die filosofie wat ágter die skryf en die illustreer van kinderboeke lê. Sy fokus en sy insig was duidelik heelwat dieper as ‘n oppervlakkige, kommersiële benadering tot ‘n mens se lewenswerk...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dit was waarskynlik onvermydelik dat daai week van ongelooflike workshops, en my onvergeetlike sessies met Ed Young, my goed sou laat kyk na my benadering tot my eie werk. Om die waarheid te sê, my benadering het totaal verander – totaal. Ná daai week in Chautauqua was my werk nooit weer “werk” vir my nie. Ek het ‘n baie spesiale vlak van plesier in my werk bereik – amper die benadering van ‘n avonturier. Ek is die hele tyd gereed om iets nuuts te probeer. Ek het ‘n soort varsheid in my werk ontdek – en verskeie van my redakteurs het dieselfde gesê. Ek was verbaas om agter te kom dat ek skielik nogal heel dapper geword het in my benadering – ‘n soort vreesloosheid. Ek het dinge begin probeer wat ek nooit voorheen sou gewaag het nie. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het begin om die media wat ek gebruik te verander. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het die papier verander wat ek toe al dekades lank gebruik het... </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe begin ek met my Bright Books. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dis ‘n leesprogram vir begin-lesertjies. Dit was heeltemal my eie konsep - ek het dit geskryf en ook geïllustreer. Die Brights Books-reeks is deur die opvoedkundige departemente aanvaar en by skole dwarsoor Suid-Afrika voorgeskryf. Dis ‘n projek wat ek nooit voorheen sou aangepak het nie! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Met die Bright Books het ek probeer om dieselfde soort stories te vertel as dié waaroor my eie kinders so mal was. Dit was bedoel as skool-leesboeke, maar my benadering tot die stories en die illustrasies was dieselfde as vir “trade books”. Ek wou ‘n lees-kursus maak wat sports was vir die kindertjies.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het probeer om lees-boeke met die atmosfeer van prente-boeke te maak - boeke wat ‘n bydrae kon maak. Ek wou boeke maak wat die kinders kon help om uit te breek uit die bose kringloop van swak onderwys en armoede. Boeke wat hulle kon help om hulle selfbeeld te verbeter. Boeke wat hulle kreatiwiteit en hulle eie inisiatief kon prikkel. Boeke wat hulle kon help om “Codes of Social Behaviour” aan te leer. Wat ek eintlik wou doen, was om boekies soos The Story of Ferdinand te maak. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Vir die Bright Books projek het ek ‘n in-diepte studie gemaak van hoe kinders leer. Ek het ook die curriculums ontleed en al die verskillende ontwikkelings-areas van die jong kind geanaliseer. En toe sit ek dit alles eenkant neer - en ek fokus daarop om lekker stories te skryf. Lekker stories wat elke area van die jong kind se ontwikkeling kan dek. Hierdie projek het my ses jaar van baie harde arbeid gekos... </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe... Dis was ‘n Desember-aand: Ons dogter, Alexia, was by die huis van UCT af en ons seun, Markus, was net klaar met matriek en ook van plan om by UCT te gaan swot - Toe laat val Johann ‘n bom in die sitkamer: “Wat sal julle sê as ek en Mamma vir vier jaar of langer in Griekeland gaan bly?” Hy het daai tyd vir M-Net gewerk en hulle het hom ‘n kontrak by ‘n suster-maatskappy in Athene aangebied. As ons dit sou aanvaar, moes hy op 1 Maart 1999 in Griekeland begin werk – dit was nét meer as twee maande later.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dit was twee baie besige maande! Toe ek weer grondvat, het ons sak-en-pak getrek na ‘n pragtige huis in Euripides [EF-RI-PI-THOE] Straat 21, Dionysos [THEE-Ó-NI-SOS]. Dionysos is in ‘n pragtige inheemse dennewoud bo-op ‘n berg omtrent 30 kilometer noord van Athene se middestad. En die berg bestaan uit soliede wit marmer. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die huis se sonnige solderkamer was perfek vir ‘n kunstenaar se ateljee. En die vensters het noord gekyk, in die rigting van Marathon en Thessalonika. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Op ‘n helder dag kon ek van my werktafel af uitkyk oor vyf bergreekse, tot by die Parnassos-gebergtes, waar Delphi teen die hange sit. As ek my oë toemaak kon ek die Orakel by Delphi hoor dreun-sing en ek kon Zeus se arende hoor roep soos hulle oor die dak bo my kop terug-vlieg na die Naeltjie-van-die-Aarde in die middel van die Orakel se heiligdom in Delphi.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe pak ek my kinderboek-biblioteek uit en ek pak al my kuns-materiale uit en ek voel die oer-oue towerkrag van Antieke Hellas orals om my... Dit was baie anders as die towerkrag van Afrika, wat my vroegste invloed en inspirasies was.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My liewe vriendin, Joan Rankin – julle sal almal Joan se pragtige kinderboeke ken... in elk geval, - Joan het die normale ses sintuie wat alle vroue het, maar dan het sy nóg ‘n paar! Toe ek haar vertel ons trek Griekeland toe, was haar heel eerste reaksie, “I wonder how your illustrations will change?” Joan het ‘n wonderlike, intuïtiewe begrip van die lewe en van die wêreld waarín ons lewe. En toe verduidelik sy vir my dat sy glo dat wáár ‘n mens ookal lewe, dat jou kreatiwiteit ook beïnvloed word deur die sterre en hulle kosmiese effek. Ek was gefassineer... Ek kon nie wag om te sien óf en hóé haar teorie in mý geval gaan werk nie. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In die duisend-jaar-oud natuurlike woud rondom ons huis op die berg in Dionysos groei die inheemse dennebome gladnie so vinnig, of so regop soos in die ingevoerde denne-plantasies hier in Suid-Afrika nie. Daai bome groei stadig en hulle vleg hulle pad rustig op na die son. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Uit my ateljee op die boonste verdieping kon ek die sonstrale deur die dennenaalde sien speel en soos lang vingers die vloer van die woud sien raak. Die vyf bergreekse wat ek kon sien, was almal in verskillende skakerings van blou en die kleure het minuut-na-minuut deur die dag verander. My stories en my illustrasies het die invloed van die kleure, en die lig, en die skaduwees rondom my begin optel. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die Gode van die Griekse Mitologie het my duidelik met ope arms verwelkom en het op my geglimlag - ‘n Griekse Uitgewery het vir my drie pragtige kinderboeke gegee om vir hulle te illustreer – die woorde was in Grieks en my illustrasies was in daardie universele taal wat elke kind op aarde kan verstaan. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En terwyl dit alles aan die gebeur was, het ek besef dat Joan se voorspelling besig was om waar te word: In daai laaste paar jare in Johannesburg was ek amper eksklusief besig met die ontwikkeling, die skryf en die illustrasie van opvoedkundige boeke. Ek het met onmoontlike deadlines gewerk en op ‘n manier het ek altyd my deadlines gemaak! Ek het begin vind dat ek meer en meer moes vertrou op my geheue vir verwysings-material en vir kleur en vir lig. My illustrasies het ‘n wêreld begin word waar die klem op karakters geval het wat in ‘n omgewing lewe waar daar baie min werklike of interessante agtergrond is. Die opvoedkundige boeke was belangrik en dit het goed gevoel dat ek ‘n persoonlike bydrae kon maak, maar, op ‘n manier, was my wêreld - as ‘n illustreerder - besig om te krimp. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Maar nou, hier in Dionysos se woude en tussen hierdie berge, het my visie weer begin oopmaak en my verbeelding het weer begin vlieg... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek was verwonderd deur die sagte spel van die sonlig in die woud... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek kon lae van kleur sien wat afstande baie verder kon wys as wat die oog eintlik behoort te kan sien – baie verder as wat enige foto jou kan wys...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Soms het ek in Athene gaan rondloop. En dan het ek oogkontak gemaak met baie, hartseer honde en ek het draaie moes loop rondom baie meer lui, loom katte. En my sintuie het lewendig geword – om te sien, om te ruik, om te proe, om te hoor – sommer net om die lewe te VOEL. En ek wou dit alles in my illustrasies opvang... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek is meegesleur - en ek was honger om te probeer om ‘n spesifieke kleur vas te vang, of ‘n spesifieke beweging wat ek êrens raak-gesien het. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My papier en my potlode en my kryte en verf was nie meer media vir illustrasies nie – hulle was voertuie om my op ‘n reis te neem. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dit het ‘n obsessie geword om PRESIES uit te werk wat die lig besig is om te doen en presies hoe om die kleure en die lig en die skaduwees rondom my uit te beeld.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En sover dit my stories aangaan; Op ‘n tyd was ek besig om regtig baie te sukkel met ‘n stuk teks. Ons kinders was op besoek in Griekeland en ons het almal oorgery na Delphi vir die dag. Toe besluit ek om my teks saam te neem en weer te probeer terwyl ek in die Orakel se Heiligdom is. Delphi is regtig een van daai magiese plekke waar mense al duisende jare geraak word – plekke soos die Egiptiese Piramides, of die Victoria-waterval, of Meteora, of die Notre Dame-katedraal in Parys. Hierdie is baie spesiale plekke – en vir my, persoonlik, is Delphi baie, baie spesiaal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Terwyl Johann en die kinders gaan verken het, het ek op die trappies van die oorblyfsels van Apollo se tempel gaan sit en my half-klaar teks uitgehaal. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dit klink dalk baie corny, maar dis die heilige waarheid: Die muses het agter die bome uitgekom, vir my geglimlag... en die woorde het sommer net begin vloei. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Maar dit was nie net die magiese plekke en die wonderlike tonele en die natuurlike skoonheid wat ‘n rol gespeel het in die veranderinge wat in my kop en in my werk plaasgevind het nie – ek het ook ménse ontmoet wat ‘n groot effek op my werk gehad het. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het ‘n hele paar Griekse kinderboek-skrywers en –illustreerders leer ken. Die een skrywer het my vertel van S C B W I – die internasionale Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators – en toe vra sy dat ek haar moet help om ‘n Griekse tak van die vereniging te stig. Toe doen ek dit. En toe vind ek die SCBWI ‘n baie interessante organisasie... Hulle hoofkantoor is in Amerika, hulle het meer as twintig-duisend lede en hulle is in meer as 40 lande rondom die wêreld.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Terwyl ons in Athene gewoon het, het ek ook die SCBWI se eerste Internasionale Kinderboek-kongres in Griekeland georganiseer. Ons het dit op die beeldskone eiland Hydra gehou. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ons tema was May the Myth be Your Muse en op die ou-end was dit groot sports. Ons was gelukkig om uitstekende sprekers soos die briljante skrywer/illustreerder Tony Ross te kry. En daar’s baie min plekke mooier, as hierdie pragtige eiland naby Athene. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek onthou ‘n gesprek met Harriett Barton, ‘n art director uit Amerika, wat die Hydra-kongres bygewoon het. Sy het my gewys hoe, wat sy genoem het, “a sense of place” my illustrasies na ‘n ander dimensie kon neem. Met net ‘n paar woorde het sy my laat sien hoe ek al die dinge waarmee ek in my agterkop besig was, kon saambring en in my illustrasies kon insit... Vir my was dit ‘n verstommende oomblik! Soms is dit ál wat ‘n mens nodig het... Nét presies die regte woord op die regte oomblik – en dan val alles in plek...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“A Sense of Place”! Ek het skielik ingesien dat dit nie net ‘n boom is, daar in die agtergrond van my illustrasie nie – dit is ook die skaduwee van die boom, ín die boom en óm die boom – dis die wind wat deur die takke en die blare speel – dis die sonstrale wat elke, individuele blaartjie raak... Dis baie meer... Harriet Barton het dit reggekry om presies die regte knoppie te druk...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Kom ek vertel julle van nóg ‘n WOW-moment: Gedurende die jare wat Johann en ek in Europa gewoon het, het ons ook taamlik baie rondgereis. Op ‘n slag toe ek New York toe gegaan het, het ek by my ou vriendin Simone Kaplan gaan bly – sy is ook ‘n kinderboek-redakteur. Simone het baie met my oor my werk gesels. En toe sê sy iets... Dis iets waaraan ek elke dag werk, maar sy het dit net skielik vir my onder die mikroskoop gesit en skielik het ek met nuwe oë daarna gekyk. Sy’t gesê, “Kyk ‘n bietjie na presies hoe jy kinders teken. Gaan kyk ook na die kinders in Maurice Sendak se tekeninge...” </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Toe doen ek dit. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe ek terugkom in Athene, toe gaan kyk ek na die tekeninge van kinders in al my gunsteling prenteboeke (ek het vyftien duisend boeke uit my eie kinderboek-versameling saam-geneem Griekeland toe). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het gekyk na kinders wat in die park speel. Ek het gekyk na foto’s van kinders... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het gekyk na tekeninge van kinders... en ek het gekyk, en gekyk... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe begin ek teken.... en ek teken en teken... En toe kliek iets in my kop! Ek het begin om eenvoudige wiskundige beginsels in my tekeninge in te bou. Skielik het dinge wat my vroeër gepla het – wat op die papier net nie reg gelyk het nie - in plek begin val... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die tekeninge het ‘n energie begin kry wat nie vroeër daar was nie. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek kon net nie glo dat so ‘n eenvoudige konsep so ‘n groot verskil kon maak nie! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het terug gegaan na my boeke en die illustrasies en die woorde versigtig ge-analiseer... Ek het selfs ‘n paar van my boeke oorgeskryf en die illustrasies oorgeteken...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Die vier jaar in Griekeland was wonderlike jare, maar uiteindelik het dit weer tyd geraak om op te pak. My man sê altyd, “As jy by die einde van ‘n hoofstuk kom, blaai om en lees verder. Die volgende hoofstuk is dalk net lekkerder as die een wat jy nou-net klaargemaak het.” Johann kyk nooit agtertoe nie. Hy is gedurig op die uitkyk na wat om die volgende hoek wag. Daar’s nog ‘n gesegde wat hy graag aanhaal: “When you’re on a journey and the end keeps getting further and further away, then you realize that the real end is the journey.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En toe was dit tyd om op te pak – tyd om die bladsy om te slaan. Die sneeu het swaar op die woud rondom ons huis geval terwyl die pakkers al ons goedjies toegedraai en in ‘n reuse container gepak het vir die lang reis oor die oseaan. En toe ons in Kaapstad aankom, toe skyn die Afrika-son helder! Ons het volsirkel gestap en nou was ons terug in die Kaap, waar my reis oorspronklik begin het. Ons het ‘n heerlike huis in Gordonsbaai gevind en my ateljee is weer in die dakkamer. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En daar’s weer ‘n venster bokant my lessenaar. En nou is die uitsig oor Valsbaai, met die Kaapse Skiereiland op die horison. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, ná ‘n reis van 15 jaar is ons weer terug in die Kaap – soos vroeër, toe ons ná Amerika weer terug was in die Kaap. Johannesburg en Dionysos was heerlike hoofstukke in my storie, netsoos die VSA vroeër... Maar hier in die mooiste, mooiste Kaap is die lig net so betowerend. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ons is nou van 2003 af terug, en vandat ons terug is, het ek weer kontak gemaak met baie van my ou vriende - kinderboek-skrywers en –illustreerders. Ek het weer baie bedrywig geraak in die Suid-Afrikaanse kinderboek-wêreld en ek het ook die SA-tak van die SCBWI begin. Ek het weer kontak gemaak met die plaaslike uitgewers en kort-voor-lank was ek baie besig om kinder-prenteboeke te illustreer en soms ook te skryf. Oor die volgende paar jaar was ek ongelooflik gelukkig met die illustrasiewerk wat vir my aangebied is... die meeste van daardie joppies het ‘n bietjie towerkuns nodig gehad.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Oor die laaste paar jaar het ek baie, baie kinders geteken, en towenaars, en feëtjies, en goblins, en gargoyles, en dinosaurusse wat praat, en ‘n Panda-beer, en so baie ander, soveel kreature, baie meer as wat ek kan onthou. En ook monsters! Baie, baie monsters – selfs ‘n delicious monster! En dan kon ek hulle almal plaas in tower-woude, of in enorme kastele vol silwer maanlig, of op die strande van wilde oseane, of onder hulle malende branders. En ek kon die wêreld verf in die kleure wat ek voor lief is.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Enigiets is moontlik as jy ‘n tekenkryt in jou hand het en ‘n leë vel papier voor jou.. Die resep is eenvoudig: Meng saam die skrywer se wonderlike woorde, ‘n goeie knippie van die onmoontlike en ‘n stywe doppie towerkuns. En dan laat jy die ou verbeelding die res doen! Op een-of-ander manier kom die beelde altyd by my uit – ek kry hulle altyd êrens – hulle is orals rondom my; in die stadige skuifel-stap van ‘n ou omie in die Mall; in die wilde rondhollery van ‘n hond op die strand; in die knoestige stam van ‘n oeroue Melkhoutboom...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Michaelangelo het gesê dat die marmerblokke wat uit die myne kom alreeds die figure binne-in hulle opgesluit het – al wat die beeldhouer moet doen, is laat hulle vry! My marmerblokke is dikwels die woorde wat ‘n skrywer vir my deurstuur. Die visuele beelde is binne-in begrawe – al wat ek hoef te doen, is laat hulle vry! Ek glo nogal in towerkuns. En omdat ek in die towerkuns glo, kan ek hierdie beelde help om tussen al daai woorde uit te kruip... </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In 2008 het ek en Wendy Hartmann die M.E.R.-Prys gewen vir die beste geïllustreerde kinderboek wat in die vorige jaar gepubliseer is. Nina en Eendjie is deur Human en Rousseau uitgegee, deur Wendy geskryf en ek het dit geïllustreer. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dit was wonderlik om so erken te word deur my kollegas in die kinderboek-wêreld, maar ek sou dit nooit kon doen as ek nie so passievol was oor my werk nie – dis daai passie wat my die ekstra myl laat loop op hierdie reis waarvan ek julle vandag vertel. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ek het onlangs Alice se Avonture in Wonderland geïllustreer. André P Brink het Carroll se woorde pragtig in Afrikaans vertaal en hierdie nuwe uitgawe, met mý oorspronklike illustrasies, is uitgegee om André se vyf-en-sewentigste verjaarsdag te vier.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dit was vir my wonderlik om die haas in die gat af te volg tot binne-in die betowerende wêreld van Alice se Wonderland. DIT is nou ‘n kinderboek-illustreerder se dream-job! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">En op die oomblik is ek besig om twee prenteboeke vir ‘n Sjinese Uitgewer te illustreer... </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Elke dag teken ek Pandas! En dan wéér Pandas... En nóg ‘n paar Pandas! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Meer as vyftig jaar en meer as ‘n honderd-en-twintig boeke later, en ek is nog altyd ‘n flower child! Dit is steeds my passie om die regte boeke by kinders te kry. Ek voel steeds asof ek aan die begin van my reis is en ek voel baie opgewonde oor wat dalk rondom die volgend hoekie vir my wag... And so the journey continues... </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">BAIE DANKIE!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span>Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-13208951849542980262013-02-16T17:58:00.003+02:002013-02-17T00:05:11.968+02:00Were adults influenced by the books they read as children?<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"> By Marjorie van Heerden</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">A talk given by Marjorie at the 2009 Cape Town Book Fair</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Were
adults influenced by the books they read, or that were read to them, as
children? One cannot generalise about a question like this, but after many
years of being involved in children’s books, I have noted down some thoughts I
would like to share with you today.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Let me
start with a personal experience: I remember when I was about four years old my
mother gave me a book called <i>Ferdinand
the Bull</i>. Half a century later I realize what a profound impact that little
book had on me – Not only did it trigger in my young mind a fascination with
the interaction between words and pictures, but I believe that Ferdinand played
a role in me becoming the peace-loving adult I am today.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">The book is about a little bull - he lived in Spain - who
loved smelling the flowers and did not like to fight. Years later I learnt that
<i>Ferdinand the Bull</i> was one of the
earliest anti-war picture books ever published, if not the very first. It was
first published in 1937 and is still in print today! 1937 was, of course, right
in the middle of the Spanish Civil War.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">But, when I was four years old I could not be bothered with
boring issues like civil wars. I remember pouring over that wonderful book and
loving lines like: </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 73.45pt 0.0001pt 45.1pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">“His mother saw that he was not lonely, and because she was
an understanding mother; even though she was a cow, she let him just sit there
and be happy.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I remember some pictures showed far away scenes with big,
empty, white areas on the rest of the page. Other pictures showed close-up
figures completely filling the page. And I wanted to draw pictures like that.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Ferdinand loved to smell the flowers – like the American
flower children of the sixties did. In those years my husband and I were also flower
children, but we did not protest against some faraway war in Southeast Asia we had
read about; we protested against an unbelievably scary thing right here in our
own land, a thing called apartheid...</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">The sixties became the seventies and my head was buzzing
with thoughts; anti-apartheid thoughts, anti-war thoughts, anti sexism thoughts…
I was a painter and sculptor and I tried to express my feelings though my work.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">And then, in 1977, something happened that changed the
course of my life as a human being, but also as an artist, in so many ways. I
became a mother. Our daughter was born in 1977 and our son in 1980. Becoming a
mother brought my focus back to children’s books. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I started illustrating and then writing my own picture
books. I started collecting and studying literally thousands of illustrated
children’s books. And I realised and became fascinated with what a powerful
genre it was.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I studied how the young mind develops. And I learnt how
high-quality picture books were much more than entertainment; how a single
picture book can play a role in shaping a child’s mind; how it could even
contribute to that child becoming a compassionate, caring adult. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">And I dreamed of creating that one really beautiful picture
book. More than thirty years and almost a hundred published picture books later
I am still a flower child. And today my
passion is to get the right books to children. And that’s why I write this
article today. Frankly, I would much rather be drawing pictures in my studio in
Gordon’s Bay.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">But enough about me and about <i>Ferdinand the Bull</i> and about what brought me here. Let’s look a bit
at the world we (and our children) find ourselves in today. Here we are at the
end of the first decade of the twenty-first century: I don’t know about you,
but in many ways I find it quite a scary place. Sometimes, when we look at the
world around us today with all its religious, political and other intolerance, the
racism, the violence and the hatred, it feels as if everything is spinning out
of control. Every day one hears stories of inhuman and cruel behaviour that are
almost impossible to believe – how can people do such things to other people? </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Maybe it has always been like that, but maybe we experience
it differently today because we no longer live somewhere in “the big, wide,
world”, but all of us live in one “global village.” In a sense we are one, big
community living in this one global village. And, like when we were all living
in our own small communities, there are certain rules that govern our humanity
and our social behaviour. And every single individual who is part of that
community has to live and act according to certain codes of social behaviour. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Maybe our problem is that not enough people learn those
codes of social behaviour, codes of <i>civilized</i>
social behaviour, at an early age and then live their lives accordingly. Just
maybe it’s all as simple as that...</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">A man, whose thoughts and brilliant insights have played an
important role in shaping my own thinking, was the American teacher, writer and
philosopher Joseph Campbell, who died at the age of eighty-three in 1987. He
was also known as a mythologist. Campbell was fascinated by the role that mythology,
and story-telling in general, played in the shaping and the survival of
societies and the individuals in those societies. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Describing the world in which he found himself in the late
twentieth century, Joseph Campbell spoke about “a demythologized world”. He
looked at the people and saw them living in a society without, what he called, “the
guidelines of ritual”. He saw a society which lacked the unconscious awareness
of long-established patterns of civilized behaviour. And, sadly, this often
resulted in destructive violence. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Campbell looked around him and, commenting specifically on his
native USA, he saw a society made up of a jumble of people from different
nationalities, different cultures and different traditions. By the twentieth
century Americans had become a society which lacked the web of assumptions
about social behaviour that you find in deep-rooted homogeneous culture. Instead
this society was held together by the long arm of the law. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">It had become a “demythologised” society, a society without
the myths and legends handed from generation to generation and providing each
generation with the guidelines to those codes by which to live, the codes of <i>civilized</i> social behaviour within the
society.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Those were Joseph Campbell’s conclusions concerning the
world and the society in which he lived. He draws a disturbing and rather
gloomy picture. And each of us can look around us today and decide whether and
to what degree we agree or disagree with him. But, whatever we decide, the fact
remains that each individual newly born into Campbell’s, and into every other
society, is born with a natural, deep and ancient hunger for myths, legends,
stories and guidelines to inherit and to live by. No matter what the reason, be
it evolution or whatever, I believe it is part of our natural human instinct
and nature.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 18pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Unfortunately it is a fact that in most societies today’s
children are born into a world where there are no such myths for them to
inherit. Interestingly, one result is that some then create their own myths.
These myths then become the guidelines and the codes of social behaviour by
which they live their lives. For instance, they would form social groupings
like gangs, and these gangs would create their own morality, their own rules,
their own laws. What is also very interesting is that the leaders of such a
group would then develop their own myths to sanction their own behaviour and
the behaviour of the gang.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">In earlier societies, before Campbell’s “demythologized
world” the myths and legends were handed over from generation to generation to
generation. These were myths that had been tried and tested in societies. Over
many years they were developed into instructive illustrations of clear codes of
social behaviour. And these exciting and unforgettable myths and legends
instructed the young and formed the basis of their future social behaviour and became
almost part of their nature and instinct.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">But today, without any such myths, we find that many young
adults have trouble to establish their moral boundaries or even their
individuality. The <i>instinct</i> for sound
codes of social behaviour are still there in each of them, that is inborn. But they
are not given the <i>guidelines</i> to
civilised social behaviour. In, what Campbell would have called, the
“mythologized” societies, those guidelines were learnt at a very young and
impressionable age at mother’s knee. Significantly, they were not learnt
through the teaching of rules and regulations and laws, like many societies are
attempting today. They were learnt subtly and naturally, almost intuitively,
when the young child experienced, wide-eyed and with pumping heart and bated
breath, the exciting and unforgettable actions and adventures of the
characters, the heroes and the villains of the myths, the legends and the
stories told to them repeatedly at the fireside before bedtime. The concepts of
good and bad, the codes of social behaviour, as illustrated by those heroes and
villains became the codes by which they would intuitively live their own lives.
In a “demythologised” society this process cannot take place.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I believe, like Joseph Campbell, that to heal a society we
have to bring back the myths. We must keep the myths of our society alive and
the only people that can do that are the artists, the writers and the
storytellers. In a way one function of today’s artists is the “mythologization”
of their world and their society. And in that sense, the modern artist has
inherited the mythmaking function of the shaman and the seer of olden days.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Let’s look at some of the challenges of today’s reality. As
always, since the days of Adam and Eve, every newborn baby is like a clean
sheet of white paper – ready for the adults around it to start writing on. And
then that young mind, from the very start, is bombarded with messages via the
various media, advertising, packaging, television, the Internet, computer games
– the list seems endless! The question as to whether any of these media, such
as, quote, “educational television” or CBeeBees on DSTV, can take the place of
myths and legends handed down from grandmothers and mothers through many
generations is debatable. Certainly this is a very interesting debate and one
I’ve had many times with my husband who used to be not only and academic and an
educator, but also a television executive responsible for the content scheduled
for national broadcast. I suspect you’ll guess which side of the debate I’m on.
A fascinating question, but unfortunately we do not have the time to dip into
that can of worms today. I want to keep focused on the influence specifically
of children’s books on the development of the young mind.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">From a very, very young age children learn by imitating and
copying. Children are not born violent or racist or intolerant. Sadly they
learn the bad together with the good. And today they learn it much more
powerfully and intensely than in days gone by, because they learn it through
the incessant and relentless bombardment they are subjected to in this modern
world of technology and media. This world of screens, glass windows into which
our children stare mesmerised.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">As I suggested a minute ago, the artist, and specifically
the artist who focuses on a child audience, has the responsibility to support
parents in shaping the young minds and helping the young ones to discover and
develop a sound code of social behaviour. And I must stress, this seemingly
educational challenge should never be pursued at the cost of joy and pleasure,
wonder and excitement – the wide eyes and bated breath I mentioned before. The
children’s book and specifically the picture book for the younger ones, is one
of the few art forms specifically practised with the child in mind. And in my
experience it is always practised by individuals who honestly care for the
child, the child’s interests and, eventually, the adult and future parent who
will grow out of that child. The kind of children’s book I am talking about
here has the potential to powerfully balance, to counteract and even to defuse
the relentless bombardment I speak about. And to those who suspect that I might
be massively quixotic or even a teeny bit naive: I remind you of a recent phenomenon
called Jo - better known as J.K. Rowling - and the fascinating mythology she
has been spreading to ever nook and cranny, palace and hut in this global
village. Need I mention Tolkien or C.S. Lewis? What I’m saying is that it can
be done.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I honestly believe that the only lasting way of helping the
young child to learn and fully internalise real codes of civilised social
behaviour is through the story format. Our children need and they deserve
stories with characters and heroes who act and behave in a way that will not
only amuse and entertain them, but will help them to develop values and
intuitions in such a way that they will become equipped to function well in the
world we live in.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Yes, there may be other ways to teach children about the
basic codes of social behaviour. This may be done through lessons or lectures
by an authority figure like the parent, the teacher, the policeman. The rules
will be learnt and even remembered, but to what degree will they be
internalised, will they become part of the child’s value system and intuition?
There is even the danger that the child may become disillusioned by that
authority figure and with that disillusionment the codes of social behaviour may
fall away and the next inevitable step will be resistance or rebellion. Once
those codes fall away it becomes OK to take another kid’s stuff and eventually
even OK to take another person’s life. But if the fundamental codes of civilised
social behaviour are learnt at an early age and through the time-tested medium
of story-telling, stories experienced in the safety of a loving parent’s lap, I
believe it will last. It will last at least for a lifetime.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">When Campbell talks about myth, he talks about the “Tree of
Stories”. This tree has branches. Fantasy forms a branch, folktales form
another, and so do legends, fairytales, folklore, fables... In today’s world
stories are still being told, old stories and new ones. Writers are writing
them down and illustrators are building the bridges for the children to cross
over, into those worlds of wonder. Mothers and fathers, grandmothers and
grandfathers read them to the little ones. But how many of them are doing it? How
many? How common is it in today’s world? I passionately believe that these
stories must keep on reaching our children. As many of them as humanly possible.
And there lies the challenge in this new world of ours.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">Basically the needs of the young child in terms of learning
to cope with life in the social environment are no different than in earlier
generations. Circumstances have changed dramatically, but the development of a
child’s intuition and awareness of codes of social behaviour is as fundamental
and as basic as it has always been. The young child still needs to learn how to
cope with the schoolyard bully, and later with prejudice, abuse, racism, the
world around us, nature, people who are different. He or she needs to learn
about patience, tolerance, fears, uncertainties, blame and no blame, self
respect, self confidence – another endless list... If we keep in mind that
every writer and illustrator was also a child once, and that they usually tend
to tap from memory and personal experience, we will understand why there is a
suitable story for practically every situation. For example, a child with a
problem, whether perceived or real, can find comfort and strength in reading
about another child or even an animal in the same situation. Picture books play
a role in the aesthetical development of the children – those who are lucky
enough to grow up with high-quality illustrated picture books can learn a sense
of using space and could even develop good taste later in life. They could also
develop visual literacy which is as important as verbal literacy in today’s
world. Having stories read to them will help to develop their vocabulary.
Through books children can develop a healthy respect and a love for the
environment – something our damaged earth sorely needs today.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I realise that I have to stop myself – particularly with
these endless lists! But let me say this: Even if we create the most beautiful
books and we do not revive the habit of reading to our little ones and
installing a love for reading as they grow bigger, those beautiful books will
remain sitting on bookshelves, unread and unhappy. Our children need stories.
Each of those stories has an energy that will only come alive when a child
reads or hears it.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;">I started by asking the question; “Were adults influenced
by the books they read as children?”. I hope you will agree with me that the
answer has to be a resounding <b>“Yes!”</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
(2009)</div>
Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-81032889491793915852008-08-12T18:57:00.007+02:002013-02-18T12:20:45.774+02:00The Mind of an Illustrator<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;">The Mind of an Illustrator:</span><br /><span style="font-size: 100%;">illustrating Nina and Little Duck</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">by <st1:personname st="on">Marjorie van Heerden</st1:personname></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Talk delivered by Marjorie at the AGM of IBBY SA - 7th August 2008</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67f1OqCGq-PmuaXpHkUCd4ZlyIQ5f6W2fcGJN1d-m93Ipzn79tVQxgx9YStUoZw1qulghnNkabmvVfEUpM0mLakYCDlraSr2_p4COUwBXy7yOJSh-wmBfWFbLN368ui4CiA5AwjGQXV8/s1600-h/Nina-&-Little-duck-cover.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233682616657431218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67f1OqCGq-PmuaXpHkUCd4ZlyIQ5f6W2fcGJN1d-m93Ipzn79tVQxgx9YStUoZw1qulghnNkabmvVfEUpM0mLakYCDlraSr2_p4COUwBXy7yOJSh-wmBfWFbLN368ui4CiA5AwjGQXV8/s320/Nina-&-Little-duck-cover.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Nina and Little Duck - 2008 M-Net/Via Afrika Literary Award Winner!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">In June 2008 the M.E.R Prize for best illustrated children’s book was awarded to <st1:personname st="on">Wendy Hartmann</st1:personname> (author) and <st1:personname st="on">Marjorie van Heerden</st1:personname> (illustrator) for Nina and Little Duck published by Human & Rousseau (SA) in 2007 (also available in Afrikaans as Nina en Eendjie)</span></div>
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As a child I was fascinated to read how animators look into a mirror and then proceed to draw characters that look completely different to them! Only much later, when I started to illustrate children’s books myself, and had to visually develop the characters that appear in the story, in words only, I understood how those animators’ minds work...</div>
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You have to work like a actor, for a while you must become the character you draw – you have to feel as if their body is part of you; feel what their muscles do... Whether it is a cat, a small child, an elephant, an old man or a duck – your body must transform for a while. That animator did not see his own face in the mirror... What he did see, was the character behind the face in the mirror.</div>
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In writing this, it dawns on me why I cannot work when someone is watching me. Subconsciously I probably know that I look very strange while drawing, because I’m continually acting out the movements, feeling the muscles move, pulling faces to see what muscles are being used. I probably looked very silly being this little duck. </div>
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Many years ago I attended a workshop given by Marcel Marceau, the brilliant French mime artist. He told us that every movement he makes starts in the pit of his stomach. Even when he simply points with his finger, the gesture starts in his stomach and behind the finger he points with every muscle in his body. Since that day I have used that same approach in my drawing, always conscious of what every muscle is doing behind every movement of the character’s body and behind every expression on his or her face. </div>
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Before I start with my rough drawings (and I go through many different stages with those) I sketch a lot of character studies. I make the character do all kinds of stuff so that I can discover their unusual, eccentric, individual personality – visual as well as mental. And no character is let off! Even a spider in the background has to be analyzed to discover its specific and unique personality. In this way I work out exactly what things the character carries with him – how he or she or it interacts with things and other individuals. And so on...</div>
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To be able to do this, I read the text over and over and over again... And then I make lists of specific words used in the text, words that become clues, indications and even subtle suggestions (sometimes not obvious at all!) to the character’s appearance and personality. What was in the back of the author’s mind... even subconsciously? Where and how does the character interact with the other characters in the story? And how does he or she or it react to the situation? Going through this process the people and the animals portrayed in a story become real to me. And then they climb out of my head, walk around the studio and peep over my shoulder while I work! And they are quick to tell me when I get something wrong: “Hoi! I would not do that! And my nose is not that big!”</div>
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There are of course certain things that I love to draw... like hair! Hair is a wonderful visual feature of a character (...even of a Little Duck!). Hair is something that says a lot... and that is lots of fun to draw... and to go wild with!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmDKEqW_oUWHZsbJFtKlu_76LuLtu7_UGZAUTnHWhCDKnNusTbvlWGrQV8HYHC0MNcq3t4Enpn44w9JXcTP2SKCYwO3t1SaWQKQZt8M2kS3KbyGorMk-BFlUSKk1U4WeALALyHrufoc4/s1600-h/027-50&51-Ducklings---poem.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233682210698563266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmDKEqW_oUWHZsbJFtKlu_76LuLtu7_UGZAUTnHWhCDKnNusTbvlWGrQV8HYHC0MNcq3t4Enpn44w9JXcTP2SKCYwO3t1SaWQKQZt8M2kS3KbyGorMk-BFlUSKk1U4WeALALyHrufoc4/s320/027-50&51-Ducklings---poem.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGh5LFLKm1_WBwwOX5jHNxA5hGxm5gHRBcWKmaDIv930X35ski7NRLCID5Ai31ivWnjr9aVHqzzD6_ZoxlbHkJcV6iQ1Z52O5hexTXp-kJUn0kGyD8WGXovtUPVfM5CvUyJwsQltFP7Y/s1600-h/close-up-28&29-Magician.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233682211729050434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGh5LFLKm1_WBwwOX5jHNxA5hGxm5gHRBcWKmaDIv930X35ski7NRLCID5Ai31ivWnjr9aVHqzzD6_ZoxlbHkJcV6iQ1Z52O5hexTXp-kJUn0kGyD8WGXovtUPVfM5CvUyJwsQltFP7Y/s320/close-up-28&29-Magician.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3NektwuH3ikSg_cL8rEizCu88n-U7hx3UJRoFMzGYoMSn65ADo8f9oG8P-ExpkB2UR6c5bL15SXKocQVmZwengpgYSW2p7HVI9izYy5ysiek9CAQ2M6YBMJgXjXL-_ADi4XMMynFl2U/s1600-h/Back-page--Little-Duck.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233682213932667506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3NektwuH3ikSg_cL8rEizCu88n-U7hx3UJRoFMzGYoMSn65ADo8f9oG8P-ExpkB2UR6c5bL15SXKocQVmZwengpgYSW2p7HVI9izYy5ysiek9CAQ2M6YBMJgXjXL-_ADi4XMMynFl2U/s320/Back-page--Little-Duck.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvW_vUq8lUb3UAQBj0QK5yXr7agN3xqJ5KCAnqc8AF4WAzmMshtQF5ycNYakzNqa3qP62cSD4hcmAKn4KLm1O6oq_AhgfOPqP0xfNf7FVMIPVz2Fxqa8QdrTh-NxZrXH7BVv43FX6ymQ/s1600-h/close-up--52&53-Max.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233682212585390450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvW_vUq8lUb3UAQBj0QK5yXr7agN3xqJ5KCAnqc8AF4WAzmMshtQF5ycNYakzNqa3qP62cSD4hcmAKn4KLm1O6oq_AhgfOPqP0xfNf7FVMIPVz2Fxqa8QdrTh-NxZrXH7BVv43FX6ymQ/s320/close-up--52&53-Max.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>And then there are hands! Hands are almost like the character’s antennae... They reach out. They defend. They show assertiveness. They show shyness, fear, excitement, happiness, love. They can even be used simply as hands, to pick things up, and to write and to draw! I love drawing hands.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXc5-_wRHRVY3QxRYVhMGALjBWWZPHmjwjjmq64zovYWT7_PqF96SCY71mP8wMeRqid5flN_FGwlq14rOshuoItEipTHQPV0o4fkzF_F575pVYlUZ31Cwc8qQLFTMjwsHliZfK9U_9JIM/s1600-h/024-44&45-Ducklings.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233681534443270210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXc5-_wRHRVY3QxRYVhMGALjBWWZPHmjwjjmq64zovYWT7_PqF96SCY71mP8wMeRqid5flN_FGwlq14rOshuoItEipTHQPV0o4fkzF_F575pVYlUZ31Cwc8qQLFTMjwsHliZfK9U_9JIM/s320/024-44&45-Ducklings.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>Then there is the space around the characters. And I don’t only mean the physical or visual space, the background. I mean what one could call an aura, an atmosphere. Often I use colour and fine lines to show that energy around a person or an animal.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQS-72s27MaY2ouFXY8TKeh-b0Uk26rO1lqM_pAJsbPU0CJYZFqFFT2YV8tpNLxd9FMVZ0ZNjjfmHFGFk3AbJ2_XqPDECq4_Cjk-VjTMk5UVLBmr-61tpgrZTy1yw5TVb-_E68ZjGyok/s1600-h/029-54&55-Max.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233681023825376914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQS-72s27MaY2ouFXY8TKeh-b0Uk26rO1lqM_pAJsbPU0CJYZFqFFT2YV8tpNLxd9FMVZ0ZNjjfmHFGFk3AbJ2_XqPDECq4_Cjk-VjTMk5UVLBmr-61tpgrZTy1yw5TVb-_E68ZjGyok/s320/029-54&55-Max.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia55pVbyCSNq3E34tpPlaYAxFK4tpnhiEcJ-4iufORJKK3OGbI7NiyZ_idSAjHaWitFYQ-3bjORvjUHvlMzQfjBfokXaNShYKoyVjI35zQmVEI3fY0IlkhbkAldj1dnouKkRFtNqpC24U/s1600-h/Close-up---Max.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233681025897389810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia55pVbyCSNq3E34tpPlaYAxFK4tpnhiEcJ-4iufORJKK3OGbI7NiyZ_idSAjHaWitFYQ-3bjORvjUHvlMzQfjBfokXaNShYKoyVjI35zQmVEI3fY0IlkhbkAldj1dnouKkRFtNqpC24U/s320/Close-up---Max.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>Sometimes, if the story allows it, I also like to include in my illustrations characters that are not specifically mentioned in the text. That can be great fun! For me, and for the readers. These are mostly animal characters. In one book I created a tiny little mouse, that had nothing to do with the story or the characters at all. It appeared in every illustration, somewhere, unobtrusively in the background or hidden behind something. While reading the book for the second or third time, the kids love looking for the mouse and discovering it with great joy! In Nina and Little Duck I added a frog!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiF2_qOvSsEaAwEXLsbfHs0NY7eIMfqP5fgDqyl1aloWTHdzXmGifMCbznUTj6437Qg5i_lZ_yMIQ2tkTtvfU4wUk-OPY16W1jVzhSFfiJLWoRojdPTc2hDn_OyqpE-0TMSE8KEUwvpk/s1600-h/close-up-42&43-Ducklings.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233680450862233890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiF2_qOvSsEaAwEXLsbfHs0NY7eIMfqP5fgDqyl1aloWTHdzXmGifMCbznUTj6437Qg5i_lZ_yMIQ2tkTtvfU4wUk-OPY16W1jVzhSFfiJLWoRojdPTc2hDn_OyqpE-0TMSE8KEUwvpk/s320/close-up-42&43-Ducklings.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsL_yiqNC35yk04Mq4j6g286cq7Ioappv8ZqNNAZ7-KWt7MPIhK5Mf7pEGtcIBuFTUEtA3g-3cQTNPgoaznrnzPpdidcnXtkawXCZnzFQshNxr3tuvvoMtsTk1NzA3ErDHSRYrEdmfqs/s1600-h/016-28&29-Magician.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233680452071280578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsL_yiqNC35yk04Mq4j6g286cq7Ioappv8ZqNNAZ7-KWt7MPIhK5Mf7pEGtcIBuFTUEtA3g-3cQTNPgoaznrnzPpdidcnXtkawXCZnzFQshNxr3tuvvoMtsTk1NzA3ErDHSRYrEdmfqs/s320/016-28&29-Magician.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw-656zzxelWLEmjMfrCaD9AvzenfoWsz3a889Zz7Y_dBaYVvCDTix_dnTQSF6gWfCl-On9svdeLt0mTVYYV28mV7mQVHtZ-DKtmKxAEWeiwJz2HVInj8k8pVt7cw043brzh-Mm1La9o/s1600-h/033-62&63-Max.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233680459149042530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw-656zzxelWLEmjMfrCaD9AvzenfoWsz3a889Zz7Y_dBaYVvCDTix_dnTQSF6gWfCl-On9svdeLt0mTVYYV28mV7mQVHtZ-DKtmKxAEWeiwJz2HVInj8k8pVt7cw043brzh-Mm1La9o/s320/033-62&63-Max.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>In every book I also try to add a little bit of magic. After all, why do we read books? In Nina and Little Duck I added the butterflies and dragonflies that escape from the fabric of Nina’s T-shirt, and then fly away!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLl9jKq5jANlAvJqotQfAoR_xDIvYykCIdl255j9HTuYqM9iliNwAH8-Ee2dxS6gLgWTpjsZmYgL6qnUtlRE0N6jFGLnpp55pNJLzdv975TBcgysMEpKF4UK91HImNmgSmEhNOIQTNQg/s1600-h/close-up-16&17-Little-Duck.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233679811338190082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLl9jKq5jANlAvJqotQfAoR_xDIvYykCIdl255j9HTuYqM9iliNwAH8-Ee2dxS6gLgWTpjsZmYgL6qnUtlRE0N6jFGLnpp55pNJLzdv975TBcgysMEpKF4UK91HImNmgSmEhNOIQTNQg/s320/close-up-16&17-Little-Duck.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBbpp6DmJLHSPDdqJtnx4EMeRULZGahibR0qoqazAP4Bv-pEpcJz5GmVaFHSwH4DnxWk4yOaH3Aqca4IBu4dPk8-1uFAfARI7KiV21t3ZByAVGcXo6xrvv-l_i519Gk5IkfObfiriNUI/s1600-h/close-up-22&23-Little-Duck-.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233679813160562498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBbpp6DmJLHSPDdqJtnx4EMeRULZGahibR0qoqazAP4Bv-pEpcJz5GmVaFHSwH4DnxWk4yOaH3Aqca4IBu4dPk8-1uFAfARI7KiV21t3ZByAVGcXo6xrvv-l_i519Gk5IkfObfiriNUI/s320/close-up-22&23-Little-Duck-.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><o:p></o:p><br />
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And then: how do I choose those specific moments in the story that I will illustrate visually? This is critical to my visual interpretation of the author’s imagination and it is fundamental to the rhythm and the pacing of the book as it will be read or read aloud. And here I do not mean the story, I literally mean the book, the illustrated book. I find that I often take that moment just before or just after the one described in the text. This gives a kind of an energy to the rhythms and the pacing of the book.<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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Every single book is a journey for me. And, even though I’ve done it so many times, I love that journey every single time. Every time feels like the first time and every time I learn new things. This book was such a journey.<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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I say thank you to you, Wendy, and to Aldré for inviting me to illustrate Nina and Little Duck. I really enjoyed it.<br /><o:p> </o:p></div>
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Marjorie’s website & blog<br /><a href="http://marjorie-van-heerden.blogspot.com/">www.grafikon.co.za<br />http://marjorie-van-heerden.blogspot.com/</a></div>
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Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-67576858699166775712007-05-14T23:47:00.000+02:002007-05-15T10:59:22.984+02:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><u><span style="font-variant: small-caps;font-size:16;" lang="EN-GB" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Books for the Children of Southern African</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">- some personal notes jotted down and some questions answered -</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p>Compiled by <st1:personname st="on">Marjorie van Heerden</st1:personname></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 144pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:10;" lang="EN-GB" ><o:p> </o:p></span><br /><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:85%;">Marjorie was born in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place>. From an early age she loved drawing. Her children’s books, as writer and/or illustrator, have been published in the <st1:country-region st="on">USA</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">England</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">Germany</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">Greece</st1:country-region> and across the continent of <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place>, in English, Afrikaans, French, German, Greek and many African Languages. Her greatest joy is in writing and illustrating a picture book that is good enough to be kept under the child's pillow at night, but her greatest contribution to date has probably been the reading series she designed, created and published for the millions of historically disadvantaged beginner readers in South Africa.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 144pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">[</span></i><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.grafikon.co.za/">www.grafikon.co.za</a> ; <a href="http://www.marjorie-van-heerden.blogspot.com/">www.marjorie-van-heerden.blogspot.com</a> ]</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p>When I was approached by the organisers of the 2007 Cape Town Book Fair to write down some thoughts about my experience as a South African children’s book writer and illustrator I decided to use the opportunity also to get some clearer insights for myself. So, after jotting down some personal notes, I put a number of pertinent questions to a couple of my friends who work in the industry and I’ve copied their replies below. I certainly found their answers stimulating and I hope it will provide some insight to other readers of this piece.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">First, however, on a personal note as a South African who has written and illustrated children’s books (mostly picture books) for the past three decades, I want to mention that it has been a long, rough road but I would not have wanted to walk any other road. I love what I do and I do it because children’s books are my passion and I love creating books specifically for <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s children. If someone asked me what I see as the main point of difference about the people in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place>, my answer will be that I find they communicate easier with their heart than with their head – it makes for many problems but it also creates a world that I find exciting and alive. If I compare the artwork of South African illustrators to those from other countries I find, very subjectively, that the colours are more vibrant and the subject matter often very emotional, full of movement and drama, as are the stories. Surely this is not unique to my country’s writers and illustrators, but this is where I experience it.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">The sad thing is that because of our relatively small trade book publishing industry with small print runs and small lists many of our promising writers and illustrators do not get a chance even to have their work published and as a result they do not get the opportunity to develop their craft. It is very challenging to make a career out of children’s books in our country and there are very few children’s book writers and/or illustrators who can do that exclusively without some other form of income or support. Typically it is the old-fashioned situation of a woman with a passion for children’s literature and a partner who provides for the food and shelter. But, the trade books that do get published here are often of a superb standard and, partly because we sit here on the southernmost tip of <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place> these books most often never reach the international markets.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">On the other hand, we have a very active publishing industry for educational books, particularly since the changes brought about with democracy and the official end of apartheid in 1994. Many writers and illustrators make their bread-and-butter money by working in that industry. But therein lies a danger - </span><span style="" lang="EN-ZA">the “new” <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place> has to focus so strongly on education and basic literacy that writers and illustrators can very easily become submerged in producing “strictly educational” material, sometimes virtually like on an assembly line. With a relatively small local pool of professional writers and illustrators of children's books, the same people very often work in both fields of educational publications and trade books, even though relatively few of the latter are published these days. With the aim of having educational publications prescribed at schools and working within the strictly regulated parameters of curricula, and very often against virtually impossible deadlines, there is the distinct danger that a writer/illustrator may lose the magic of purely creating work to be read for pleasure. At the same time one should also keep in mind that talented writers and illustrators in our part of the world do not create educational material only for the money (the money is really not that spectacular...), but we honestly do feel that we should, in our way, try to contribute to what our president poetically calls “the African Renaissance” – a renaissance of which education and basic literacy are fundamental keystones.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">As I try to formulate this dilemma succinctly, I realise that these statements can open up a debate which could last for many hours and which may even then not result in a complete bridge of understanding between colleagues working in the first and in the third worlds. Nevertheless, let me briefly share a personal experience with you: Some years ago I found myself illustrating one schoolbook after the other. For month after month I worked wearing the straightjacket of strict educational guidelines and curricula. I was constantly being “guided” by educationists and administrators - <span style=""> </span>even for art briefs (!). The results were often surprisingly good and the books were always accepted and prescribed at schools. But, somewhere inside of me, the child who needed fantasy and fairies and monsters and dragons was being starved. And then I had a lucky break. I won a scholarship to attend the Highlights Foundation Writers’ workshop [<a href="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/">www.highlightsfoundation.org/</a>] at Chautauqua in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">USA</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Some kind fairy with a magic wand had decided that Ed Young should be my mentor for a week. <span style=""> </span>[<a href="http://www.cbcbooks.org/cbcmagazine/meet/">http://www.cbcbooks.org/cbcmagazine/meet/</a> and <a href="http://www.nccil.org/young.html">http://www.nccil.org/young.html</a>]<span style=""> </span>I had long been an admirer of his work and I could not believe my luck. My sessions with him ended up being mostly discussions about the philosophy of writing and illustrating for young children, rather than actually evaluating my work. Under his guidance I had a complete change of mind as to how I looked at the work I do, whether within the strict parameters of school readers or with the freedom of creativity in my own picture books. It put all the joy back into the career I had chosen for myself, or maybe the career that chose me. This may seem like a small incident, but I brought away a certain insight and perspective I would like to share with my colleagues and, if possible, I would also like to create similar mind changing opportunities for those of them who could benefit from it. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">I was reminded that one should always try and keep the magic alive. While striving to become a successful writer/illustrator for children one needs those exact qualities that many adults tend to lose in the pursuit of logic, common sense, experience and all those grownup things. One should try to stay in touch with your inner child and allow <span style="color:black;">her to come to the surface again. Jumpstart your memories and remember what it was like to be a child.<span style=""> </span>Jumpstart your senses and become aware of the physical world around you.<span style=""> </span>And allow your imagination freedom.<span style=""> </span>Look at things as if you are seeing them for the first time – the way children are fortunate enough to be able to do.</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:black;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:black;">Unfortunately those wonderful qualities of more youthful days are not enough in this real world – you also need to have guts, perseverance and even a bit of (childish?) stubbornness.<span style=""> </span>You must be able to keep going when faced with an idea, an inspiration that must grow into a text or an image that will have to be revised and reworked again and again until it is exactly right. Once this is achieved you must tackle those 32 pages that have to be illustrated with meticulous care and delivered in time for the publisher’s deadline. And all that, at least here at the foot of Africa, while seldom receiving the financial compensation that reflects the effort of a master craftsman at work for all those long hours, days and months. And then one is reminded that it is actually quite enough that somebody’s grandchild is going to insist, when they go to bed at night, that that little book should sleep safely right there under the pillow where he or she can touch it for a last time just before slipping into sleep.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:black;">**********************</span><br /></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:black;"><o:p> </o:p>Now for the promised Q&A session with my two colleagues and friends. </span><span lang="EN-GB">First some questions answered by the prominent South African publisher, Miemie du Plessis: </span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText2" style="margin-left: 144pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:8;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Miemie du Plessis obtained degrees in Social Work and Library & Information Science, and also has an MA in children’s literature. She is currently the children’s book publisher at LAPA Publishers in Pretoria, South Africa where she is responsible for the publication and marketing of 50 children’s books per year. Miemie truly believes that books can make a difference in the lives of children and is therefore committed to the establishment of a reading culture amongst the children of her country. [<a href="http://www.lapa.co.za/">www.lapa.co.za</a> ]</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><st1:country-region st="on"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-style: italic;">Q: To start with, can you give us a feeling for the size of the local industry?</span><br /></span></st1:country-region></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><st1:country-region st="on"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">South Africa</span></st1:country-region><span style="" lang="EN-GB">’s book publishing industry is one of the largest in <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place>. More than 120 general and educational publishers are affiliated to PASA (Publishing Association of South Africa). </span><span lang="EN-GB">In 2004 it was estimated that the publishing industry employed some 3,000 people on a full-time basis and that approximately 9,000 South African authors earned more or less R150 million in royalties annually.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q: Quite a large proportion of that is probably educational books?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">As is the case in most African countries, educational publishers largely dominate the South African publishing industry.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> The educational book market has been, and still is, the only really viable market for South African publishers. The Education Departments of the nine provinces represent the primary market for these publishers and their focus on uplifting educational standards is creating a new demand for good quality textbooks. This has resulted in the local publishing industry becoming increasingly competitive as new players are entering the market in an attempt to capitalise on these growth opportunities. The trend is toward supporting local authors and illustrators and developing uniquely South African products, rather than importing or translating books from other countries.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q: Apart from educational publications, what about book publishing in general?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Unlike the educational market, the general publishing market has not shown significant growth during the past few years with many declaring that “the book industry is dying”. The number of titles being published per annum shows a decline – for example a 71% decrease in the publication of Afrikaans books for children and teenagers between 1990 and 2002. Many small and independent publishers have also closed down or were taken over by multinationals or big local companies. This can mainly be attributed to the fact that under the previous government, publishers were spoilt rotten – entire print runs were bought by government for schools and libraries and there was little need to market or be inventive in any way. This was especially true for children’s books.<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q: Saying “the SA book industry is dying” paints a pretty grim picture, doesn’t it?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Yes, it does, but at the same time it seems as if something is rising from the ashes. Independent publishers such as Jacana, <st1:personname st="on">New Africa Books</st1:personname> and STE are taking risks with unusual voices and genres and are publishing some wonderful books, especially memoirs and fiction. Established publishers are also beginning to experiment/trying new things. Struik for example has established a new imprint, Oshun Books, who is publishing books for and by women. Anneri van der Merwe (Umuzi Books) says that this new wave in publishing relates directly to the political changes in the country – there is an air of freedom, freedom of speech, political freedom and not feeling pressured to be politically active/involved in writing. We can write about “normal” things again now that our lives have (partly) normalised and at last readers can relate to what is being written. This explosion or new wave has not yet reached the shores of books for children and teenagers to such a large degree, but things are definitely looking up.<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q:<span style=""> </span>The new South Africa is a pretty multicultural and multilingual place where, since our miraculous democratisation in 1994, suddenly we have a population where everybody is equal and their human rights are protected by our new constitution. What was the impact of the new “Rainbow Nation” on the publishing industry?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">The vast political and social changes that occurred in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place> after 1994, are for the most part not reflected in the publishing industry. Under the new government the number of official languages increased from two to eleven, but Afrikaans and English still dominate the publishing scene, with more than 90% of local books being published in these two languages. The publishing sector has been very reluctant to publish reading materials in African languages despite the fact that there is growing international support for use of the mother tongue to teach literacy. Some of the reasons cited for not producing reading material in other languages than English and Afrikaans include dismal sales (most South Africans prefer to read in English; severe budget cuts in library budgets and prescribed-books for schools) and the large costs involved in producing materials in 11 languages. There are some wonderful awards for writing in African languages such as the Sanlam prize for youth literature and the M-Net book prize but although this results in publishable manuscripts it does not translate into sales.</span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q: If you say it does not translate into sales, do you mean our people do not buy books?</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Very few South Africans are book-buyers. It is estimated that only 5 percent of the population regularly buy books. Some of the reasons for this trend could be the <span style="">high levels of illiteracy and aliteracy (people who can read but choose not to – this includes 20% of people in senior management positions). Three million South Africans can not read at all and another five to eight million are functionally illiterate – thus unable to function adequately due to under-developed reading and writing skills. A recent study indicated that the average literacy competency of grade 3 pupils is 54%. The situation seems to worsen because a study amongst grade 6’s found that only 35% of them could read and write adequately and a study amongst first year university students found that only 22% of them had literacy skills equivalent to grade 12 (the final school year) level. As many as 30% had a literacy level of grade 7 and below (primary school level in other words).</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Q: Suddenly I’m very happy to be a writer and illustrator of children’s picture books. But, jokes aside, are you saying that our people are not buying books because so many of them cannot read?</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span style="" lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="" lang="EN-GB">That is obviously a primary reason, but other reasons for the lack of a book-buying public are economic constraints (books are just too expensive for most South Africans) and a lack of a reading culture. The absence of a widespread culture of reading acts as an effective barrier to development, reconstruction and international competitiveness. <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Reading</st1:city></st1:place> is seen by most South Africans as synonymous with studying and is perceived as an academic exercise or obligation. There are low levels of awareness of the value of reading in personal and career development.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> <span style="">Another reason for the lack of a culture of reading, is that many c</span>hildren often have little or no experience in parent-child reading before starting school. This is due to the fact that many parents are illiterate and that there is a shortage of reading material written in indigenous languages that could be used by the parents who <i style="">can </i>read. Thus reading for pleasure is less likely to be a habitual practice in African families. This is the case despite efforts from government side to support a stronger culture of reading - for example, through literacy campaigns such as <i style="">Masifunde Sonke</i> (a Zulu phrase that means “let us all read”). This campaign was launched in 2000 to develop a culture of reading in the country, but very little was achieved mostly because of a lack of support from politicians and business.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q: So the picture concerning the reading habits of the general population is pretty dark. But what about those South Africans who </span></i><span lang="EN-GB">are<i style=""> in the habit of reading for pleasure and self-improvement? Do we produce enough new books for their consumption?</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Although <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place> publishes a sizeable number of titles a vast amount are still imported. I have read and agree that publishing is a strategic industry in the development of the African continent because without books, active literacy, education and development is near impossible. To achieve this, it is however not advisable to rely on imported books. The key concepts here are autonomy and indigenization. Although there are some suggestions that a “new wave” is forthcoming in South African publishing there are not nearly enough new and young voices being heard. Publishers struggle to find local manuscripts to publish in other languages than English and there seem to be a “voiceless generation” with very few writers under the age of 35 coming forward. In the field of books for children and young adults this problem is specifically apparent with the same ten or so authors being published again and again. There is also a lack of originality and local content in books for children and teenagers, with the same themes being explored over and over again with little variety and inventiveness. Particularly worrying is that there are almost no black authors writing for children and teenagers. The few who have been published have, with the exception of one or two authors, also not published second books.</span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span style="" lang="EN-GB">Q:<span style=""> </span>Earlier you mentioned economic constraints, that books are just too expensive for most South Africans to afford. Can you expand on that?</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on"><span lang="EN-GB">South Africa</span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB"> has a very high unemployment rate. This means that books are unaffordable to the biggest part of the South African community. Homes generally have few books, classrooms are often bare and schools with libraries are a rarity. The gap between those who can afford books and those who don’t is broadening day by day as publishers have to adjust their book prices according to the forever escalating manufacturing costs. The fact that VAT is added to the cost does not help either. South African publishers are publishing more and more books in the <st1:place st="on">Far East</st1:place> in order to try to keep costs down. However, the fact remains that the books published in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place> are beyond the reach of most ordinary South Africans and that this is one of the most significant reasons for the lack of a reading culture in the country. The position of the <st1:place st="on">Rand</st1:place> against the Pound, the Euro and the American Dollar also places constraints on co-editions with international publishers or leads to local publishers doing fewer co-editions than they would have liked.</span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q: If those people who would like to read cannot afford buying books, then what about libraries? Why do they not use the library?</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Accessibility, or rather the lack thereof. Community libraries are few and far between and fewer than 50% of schools have libraries. There is also a low level of awareness amongst decision-makers about the value of libraries as they are often non-readers themselves. This leads to cuts in library budgets and several libraries being closed down. Users are also unaware of the value of reading for personal and professional development and therefore libraries are mostly used for study purposes – i.e. as a place to study/do assignments and the books remain standing on the shelves, not being utilised for reading for pleasure. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p><br />So, there are some comments from Miemie du Plessis about the local, South African position today. And Miemie knows what she is talking about, because she works in the very heart of the industry and she deals with these very issues every day.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:black;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:black;">***********************<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText3" style="margin: 0cm 1.65pt 0.0001pt 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">I then turned to another colleague and dear friend, Andree-Jeanne Tötemeyer, to comment on the situation regarding children’s books in our neighbouring country <st1:country-region st="on">Namibia</st1:country-region>, which is not only geographically, but also culturally very close to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 144pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Andree-Jeanne Tötemeyer is a retired professor who lectured in children’s literature at four universities. She is co-founder and chairperson of the Namibian Children’s Book Forum. She is the collector and also co-author of “Under the story tree”, the others being Dorian Haarhoff and Susan Alexander. She also writes children’s plays, apart from academic articles on children’s literature and library and information science.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q:<span style=""> </span>Because of <st1:country-region st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region>’s close geographical proximity to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Namibia</st1:place></st1:country-region> there are many similarities in the histories of our two countries. Would you like to say something about that?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Namibia was ruled as an integral part of South Africa for close to 70 years. Apartheid was also practiced in Namibia for most of the time but was abolished earlier than in South Africa because of international pressure. Namibia also became independent before South Africa, as Africa’s last colony, namely in 1990.</span><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q:<span style=""> </span>I imagine that the children’s book situation in <st1:country-region st="on">Namibia</st1:country-region> is quite similar in many ways to that in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Yes, the children’s book scene in <st1:country-region st="on">Namibia</st1:country-region> does show many similarities with that of <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place>, but also some important differences, including the size of the industry, the financial parameters, the position of professional writers and illustrators and the strong focus on trying to develop a reading culture among Namibian children.<br /><o:p> </o:p></span><br /><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q:<span style=""> </span>I know the one difference is that <st1:country-region st="on">Namibia</st1:country-region> has a much smaller population than <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>. But what is the literacy rate and the language situation in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Namibia</st1:country-region></st1:place>? <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">The demography of the two countries is indeed very different. The total Namibian population is 2 million compared to 45 million in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The majority of the adult population is either illiterate or semi-literate. The semi-literate can mostly only read their mother tongues and not English. The children are mainly educated in English but they struggle to master the language.<span style=""> </span>There are 12 Namibian languages. Of these, two are European, namely English and German. In <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">South Africa</st1:country-region></st1:place> there are 11 languages.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q:<span style=""> </span>Turning to the children’s book publishing industry in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Namibia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, a couple of key questions: Who are the publishers and what do they publish for children? Who buys their books? What is the balance between trade and educational books?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Some years ago there were a number of very small publishing houses. They could not make it alone and amalgamated with Gamsberg Macmillan who now publishes most of the children’s books in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Namibia</st1:country-region></st1:place>. They publish mainly prescribed school books and only occasionally trade books for children. The government is the only buyer of the school books and the main buyer of the trade books. The latter books are bought by the library services for the school and community libraries. Parents seldom buy books for leisure reading for their children. German trade books sell better than English books. This is quite amazing since less than 2% of the Namibian population is German-speaking. The buyers are the German tourists.<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q:<span style=""> </span>But, is it then possible for the publishing of children’s books to be financially viable?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Definitely not as far as trade books for children are concerned. A publisher can only publish such books with the help of sponsorships. Publishing in the local languages is the biggest problem. With a small population and so many languages, only a very small print run can be produced. Even 500 copies take a long time to sell. This makes it a very expensive undertaking.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style=""></span></span><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q: But <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Namibia</st1:place></st1:country-region> is publishing, nevertheless. Who are the writers and illustrators and what is their work situation? <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">There is a lack of local African writers for children. Creative writing one day workshops or the institution of literary prizes do not bring the desired results. The few children’s book writers that there are, can never make a living from it. The publishers Gamsberg Macmillan have two full-time illustrators in their service. Some illustration work is done by free-lance illustrators who are contracted in by the publishers as the need arises. There is very little money in this for them.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><i style=""><span lang="EN-GB">Q: Can you tell us more about what is being done to develop a reading culture among the children of <span style=""> </span><st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Namibia</st1:country-region></st1:place>?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 30pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">The Namibian Children’s Book Forum (NCBF) that was founded in 1988, has as its two aims: 1) To develop a love of books among Namibian children, and 2) To contribute to the production of Namibian children’s books in all Namibian languages. One of its projects was the organisation of the annual Readathon, a week long book festival in September. The NCBF handed Readathon over to government in 2002 and is now mainly focusing on publishing. Over the years the NCBF produced and distributed Readathon story pamphlets in 11 languages to schools. These stories are now appearing in book form. A book of sixteen Readathon stories with full colour illustrations by Sarie Maritz and comprising 93 pages, “<i style="">Under the story tree</i>” appeared last year. This year with the financial assistance of donors, it has been published in Oshindonga, Oshikwanyama, Khoekhoegowab and Rukwangali. For every language we organised a wonderful launch. The Rukwangali version we launched in Rundu and the Kavango kids performed beautifully with dancing in traditional dress and drums. They also enacted one of the stories in Rukwangali as a play. The Otjiherero, Silozi, German and Afrikaans versions are in the pipeline and will appear this year as well. Another children’s book of ten stories, “<i style="">The magic tree and other tales from the San</i>” will also appear this year simultaneously in English and Ju’ I hoansi (pronounced “Djungkwansi”). This is the main San language but there are six, mainly oral languages! The book is the result of six Saturday work sessions by the Namibian Children’s Book Forum that Susan Alexander and I conducted together with eight San students. The editing was a major job but the final English version has been ready for three years now. The donors of the project, however, insisted that the two languages be launched together and the San version took ages! But now it is done and scheduled to be published this year.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 1.65pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:black;"><o:p> </o:p>***********************<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:black;">So, there you have it, some notes from a working, slogging professional children’s book writer and illustrator in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> and some well-informed bits of information from two specialists in the field locally. I look at the glass of juice standing next to my workbench and I wonder whether it is half full or half empty. And then I am reminded of the two young shoe salesmen who were sent from Europe to the jungles of central <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place> in the 19<sup>th</sup> century to go and assess whether there was a market for the company’s products. The one came back and reported, “Forget about it! Nobody in that place wears shoes!” The other came back with a broad smile and reported with shining eyes, “Now THERE is a market you can only dream of. Nobody in that place has shoes!” It is wonderful to be an African and to be faced with all these challenges. All I need to do now is to pick up my crayons and to start drawing...<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span><st1:personname st="on"><span style="color:black;">Marjorie van Heerden</span></st1:personname><br /><span style="color:black;">Gordon’s Bay<br />May 2007<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-12048836042244668792007-04-28T17:21:00.000+02:002007-04-28T17:23:30.893+02:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span lang="EN-GB">My Pictures Tell Stories<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">by Marjorie van Heerden</span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:85%;">February 2007</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">I started to draw when I was very young.<span style=""> </span>I drew everything I saw and I even drew things I thought about, like dragons and fairies and monsters. To me drawing was like talking, like telling a story. <span style=""> </span>Often I found it easier to draw something than to explain it in words. Today it is still the same for me.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">When I was little my favourite book was <i style="">Ferdinand the Bull,</i> a story about a little bull who loved smelling the flowers. He did not like to fight like all the other young bulls. I was four years old when my mother first read <i style="">Ferdinand </i>to me. I remember being fascinated with how the words made pictures in my mind as I listened to them. And I loved the way the pictures in the book were drawn. Some pictures showed far away scenes with big empty white areas on the rest of the page. Other pictures showed figures in close-up, completely filling the page. I wanted to draw pictures like that – pictures that tell a story. So I did. I remember drawing a picture of a lot of sheep in a field with one sheep looking up, one looking right and another looking left. Every sheep in my picture looked towards a different place. My picture was telling a story.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Today I am an illustrator and a writer of children’s books. Sometimes I write the story and draw the pictures. Sometimes I illustrate a story written by somebody else. Then I first read the story over and over again. I let the words form pictures in my mind’s eye. I let the characters in the story become alive in my mind – I actually see them. I do this until the whole story becomes like a film playing inside my head - picture after picture after picture. Then it is time to start drawing. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">The words and the pictures are like best friends. They cannot be without each other. Both must be there to tell the story really well. They work together like close partners. A little bull who loved smelling the flowers taught me that!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Over the years I drew many, many pictures. just in the last five years I’ve had to draw lots of people and animals and wizards and dragons and fairies and goblins and gargoyles and dinosaurs that talk and even a magical moonchild. I’ve also had to draw monsters, lots and lots of monsters. I even drew a plant called a delicious monster!<span style=""> </span>And I placed them in magical forests, or in huge castles covered in silver moonlight, or on the shores of wild seas or under the waves. And I painted whole worlds on my paper in the colours I love. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">Anything is possible if you have a crayon in your hand and a blank page in front of you. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB">I really, really love what I do... I draw pictures that tell stories!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span lang="EN-GB"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 49.65pt 0.0001pt 48pt; text-indent: -48pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-20815335259709434202007-04-28T17:13:00.000+02:002007-04-28T17:17:55.183+02:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style="font-size:18;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Some Notes from a Picture Book Illustrator in Africa</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">By Marjorie van Heerden<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">December 2005</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">As I sit here in my studio looking out over the Atlantic Ocean at the Southern tip of Africa I wonder what about me and my world might interest readers of <i style="">OUAT</i>, most of whom virtually live on another planet to myself. I am exhausted but I am feeling good. Art materials are strewn all around me, little scraps of paper with color tests on them and all the other paraphernalia that make up my life as an illustrator. This morning I couriered off 56 color illustrations and my mind is still full of images and thoughts of this incredible continent which is my home. The book I finished illustrating this morning is a 112-page book on African Folktales.<span style=""> </span>AFRICAN folktales... <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">Although I am an eleventh generation South African, the book was not easy. It took a vast amount of research. For instance, the facial features and skin color of the people of each country from which a story came, the combination of traditional jewelry with modern western clothing, regional peculiarities, every detail had to be just right for a book like this one. A book deserving of the kids of Africa. We have so much work to do here. When I lived in the USA it was so easy to talk about concepts like stimulate, entertain, educate... That was a different planet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">I love picture books. And I love books that kids love, particularly the little ones. I remember when I was about four years old my mother gave me a book called <i style="">Ferdinand the Bull</i>. Half a century later I realize what a profound impact that little book had on me – in my young mind it triggered a fascination with the interaction between words and pictures. I remember pouring over that book and loving lines like “His mother saw that he was not lonely, and because she was an understanding mother; even though she was a cow, she let him just sit there and be happy.” I<span style=""> </span>remember some pictures showed far away scenes with big empty white areas on the rest of the page and other pictures showed close-up figures completely filling the page. I wanted to draw pictures like that. Later, when it became clear that my dyslexia made words harder than pictures, I started focusing more and more on expressing myself though drawing, even as a child. And it all started with a little bull who loved smelling the flowers. Years later I learnt that <i style="">Ferdinand the Bull</i> (1937), was one of the earliest anti-war picture books ever published, if not the very first.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">I grew up in the privileged, sheltered world of white kids in apartheid South Africa. It was only when I went to university and met my future husband who had just spent a year as a conscript in the military (he was 18), that we started learning about the real horrors of the Africa we lived in. It was the sixties and of course we were also flower children, but we did not protest against some war in Southeast Asia, we protested against an unbelievably scary thing in our own land, a thing called apartheid... The sixties became the seventies and my head was buzzing with thoughts anti war, anti apartheid, anti sexism… I was a painter and sculptor and I tried to express my feelings though my work. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">In 1977 our daughter was born and in 1980 our son. They brought my focus back to children’s literature. I started illustrating and then writing picture books. Soon I was collecting and studying literally thousands of picture books. I became fascinated with what a powerful genre it was. I studied how young minds developed and how high quality picture books were much more than entertainment. How a single picture book can help shape a child’s mind, even contribute to that child becoming a compassionate, caring adult. And I dreamed of creating that one really beautiful picture book.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">But the reality is that to be a children’s writer/illustrator in Africa you can never forget how desperate the needs of Africa’s children are. So I had to modify my dream. I now dreamed of creating picture books that might help our kids break out of their vicious cycle of poor education and poverty, give them self-esteem and stimulate their creativity and initiative. I really wanted to create books like <i style="">Ferdinand</i> for them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">My early books, like<i style=""> A Monster in the Garden</i> (1987), had very subtle anti-racism messages imbedded in the illustrations, and some local university lecturers use them as examples of early South African anti-racism picture books. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">Although these books were bought by libraries, I realized that most of our children seldom even saw a book before they got to school. So I became involved in projects work-shopping <span style=""> </span>books specifically for children in underprivileged areas. These books were good (our <i style="">Little Library</i> collection got the 1996 IBBY Asahi Award) but in the end there was not enough money to reach as many children as we hoped.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">Then came a lucky break. I was commissioned to make educational posters to be distributed to preschools in rural farming areas. Most of these schools had no classrooms. Lessons were given under shady thorn trees. I thought the posters might be handy, but I sold the project manager another idea. I knew most of these kids had hardly ever seen a picture book and certainly none of them owned one. So I wrote and illustrated twenty-one stories and laid each out on the two sides of an A3 page, so that the kid could fold it, staple it, cut off the top and end up with her very own eight-page picture book to keep, color and read aloud to grandma back home. The local doctor or police chief was persuaded to make available their photocopier to Xerox a free copy for each kid in the class. These twenty-one titles became the first picture books owned by thousands of youngsters in our land.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">But that tale does not end there.<span style=""> </span>Later I was commissioned to develop these stories into a reading series. I worked for five years writing and illustrating the <i style="">Bright Books</i> series for the first three school years. It was approved by the Educational Board and became prescribed reading in many schools.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">It is such a privilege to make books for the children of this land. Every day has a new challenge. We have eleven official languages in South Africa. One of my books has been translated into ten. I want to see it in the eleventh language too! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">But my dream is still to create that one truly beautiful picture book. The book that will make a little boy under a shady thorn tree somewhere on the African veld, or a little girl next to a glimmering swimming pool in Beverley Hills look at the pictures and whisper softly, “wow!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=""><span style="font-size:85%;">END</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-51214172779794060992007-04-28T17:08:00.000+02:002007-04-28T17:19:40.094+02:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size:14;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The People and Things that made me</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-size:14;"><span style="font-size:100%;">a Writer and Illustrator of Children’s Books</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">Marjorie van Heerden<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-size:85%;">February 2005</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Before I start telling you this story, I want to ask you, please do not listen to me as if I am telling you my own personal story – then you will only become bored after the first three minutes.<span style=""> </span>No, while you listen to me, please keep in mind that I am telling you the story of a writer and illustrator - the story of a children’s book writer and illustrator.<span style=""> </span>And I promise you, that will be much more interesting than just listening to the story of a woman called Marjorie.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I have often been asked how and why I started writing and illustrating Children’s Books.<span style=""> </span>To me it feels as if being a children’s book writer/illustrator was not a decision of mine... it feels that this was something that I was meant to do, that I had no choice.<span style=""> </span>That it was my destiny.<span style=""> </span>But if I think about it more; there were definitely people during my life, who guided, steered and influenced me towards working in children’s literature. And then there were also those people who prodded me to always take my work to the next level.<span style=""> </span>But I am not finished with my journey and I am looking forward to learning, growing and developing a lot more...<span style=""> </span>But let us look at here and now, at today and how I got here... and let me tell you about some of the people who helped me get here.<span style=""> </span>I will start where most good stories start, at the beginning.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">My Early Years<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The first person who led me on the road to becoming a writer and illustrator was <b style="">my mother</b>.<span style=""> </span>When I was a baby and during the first years of my life, and I remember this clearly, I thought she was the most beautiful person in the world.<span style=""> </span>I used to follow her and watched her working around the house and in the garden. She had an amazing sense of placing things and combining colours and textures to make a pleasing picture - whether in the house or in the garden.<span style=""> </span>From her I got a sense for placing objects and figures to create a balanced picture and to combine colours in an aesthetically pleasing way.<span style=""> </span>Her attitude to life also gave me guts and perseverance.<span style=""> </span>That’s something you need a lot of when you are confronted with a picture book for which you must do 32 full-colour illustrations and the deadline is rushing towards you like a steam train. <span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Then there was <b style="">my father</b>.<span style=""> </span>He was an old-fashioned, true gentleman farmer who wore only white shirts and who changed into a clean shirt every afternoon. He was a very successful leader of the farming community and this in spite of the fact that he stuttered quite badly.<span style=""> </span>He loved to tell stories and to play the guitar and in the evenings on the farm he loved entertaining us.<span style=""> </span>(Now you must remember that there was no television in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> when I was a child. For home entertainment we had the radio, we had the record player and we had each other). I remember so clearly those evenings sitting in front of the fireplace with the firelight catching my father’s face and hands as he told us “Jakkals en Wolf” stories. <span style=""> </span>My father was a brilliant story-teller.<span style=""> </span>He used to tell stories with enthusiasm and great drama, pausing for a long moment with - <i style="">and then....</i> long pause - <i style="">you would not belief what happened next...</i> long pause. And we would all stop breathing for the longest time... Years later he told me that those long pauses were often because he could not remember what happened next!! I learned a lot about how to tell a story from him... how to use timing and rhythm to heighten the drama.<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Whenever my parents went to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cape Town</st1:place></st1:city>, they always stayed overnight in the Grand Hotel and only came back to the farm in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hex</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">River</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> the following day.<span style=""> </span>And then they always came back with a gift for my sister and one for me and it was always a book.<span style=""> </span>And my mother would read it aloud to us.<span style=""> </span>My love for books and for reading came from those special moments; moments of feeling happy that my Mum and Dad were back home. Moments of enjoying the very special attention she gave us when she read our new books to us. <span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">There is one such an occasion which I remember very, very clearly. The book was “<i style="">The Story of Ferdinand the Bull</i>”. <span style=""> </span>It became my absolute favourite!<span style=""> </span>I found the illustrations amazing and I wished that I could draw pictures like that.<span style=""> </span>I read the book again and again and again.<span style=""> </span>Years later I found out that this little picture book was the very first anti-war picture book, written and illustrated specially for children.<span style=""> </span>The story of Ferdinand was written by Munro Leaf and the pictures were drawn by Robert Lawson. Hamish Hamilton published <i style="">Ferdinand</i> in 1936, after the First World War and just before the nightmare of the Second War.<span style=""> </span>My mother read it to me and my sister in the fifties – a few years after my father returned from the war in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>, where he was very badly wounded and almost lost his life. I believe that my own deep-rooted aversion to the primitive, inhuman behaviour of people at war probably started with that little book.<span style=""> </span>With Ferdinand the bull, who refused to fight the matador and who preferred to go and sit down in the middle of the bull-ring and just smell the scent of the flowers all the lovely ladies in the audience had in their hair. I was an anti-war flower child in the sixties and even today I am horrified by what I see on the TV news that people are doing to each other...</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The playmates of my childhood days were <b style="">my sister Renee (I call her Netjie) and my cousins Neil, Marianne and Louise</b>.<span style=""> </span>We loved playing a game where we first planned out a story scenario and then we became the characters in the story.<span style=""> </span>We had a whole farm full of orchards and vineyards and hedges and interesting places, which became the stage on which we could play out our fantasies.<span style=""> </span>We each had a horse and we were all good riders, so the sky was the limit to our imaginations as we rode around the farm, climbed in the trees and along the tops of the hedges and we became heroes and kings and queens and knights in shining armour – just like the characters in the books we loved reading.<span style=""> </span>To this day I find it quite easy to think up interesting stories and I am blessed with an ability to immediately see the pictures clearly and in full Technicolor! Those days I had my playmates and my horse and the farm and my imagination and the wildly free energy of a young farm girl. Today I use pencil and paper, inks and crayons.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Although I have always had an active imagination and the stories come easily, I have always had a problem with formulating my ideas into words - I am dyslectic and I have difficultly to form sentences exactly the way I want them to be. Although I did not know that I was a dyslectic as a child, I realised from a very early age that I could draw a picture much more easily than I could describe something in words. I started drawing pictures when I was very young, like most children do.<span style=""> </span>And my family always admired my drawings... My drawings became a way for me to communicate; I found it much easier than talking. So I worked hard at drawing pictures and colouring and painting.<span style=""> </span>And I became “die kunstige enetjie (<i style="">the artistic little one</i>)”.<span style=""> </span>I have often wondered whether I would ever have developed my ability as an artist if I had not been dyslectic... </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">But in those early days it was not only people that had an influence on me.<span style=""> </span>There were also the animals I came into contact with.<span style=""> </span>I always seemed to have an ability to communicate with any animal but of all the animals I had contact with, two stand out to me:<span style=""> </span>the one was my horse <b style="">Billy Boy </b>and the other was<b style=""> a small duck</b> that only lived a short while.<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The first time I was on a horse, I was in my father’s arms and I was 3 months old. Throughout my youth horses were a daily part of my life. First there was Puck. He was a very old horse. He was quiet and slow and we all rode him when we were little.<span style=""> </span>He would mostly stand around and he only moved when he noticed a bit of sweet grass a few steps away and then he would saunter across and nibble a bit before he started staring into the distance again.<span style=""> </span>And we would do all kinds of circus acts on Puck’s back while he stood quite still, ignoring us completely and probably dreaming about the long life that was behind him.<span style=""> </span>I was about 8 when I got my own horse... Billy Boy.<span style=""> </span>He was a cross between a Basuto Pony and an Arabian Stallion.<span style=""> </span>He was pitch black and he had one white foot.<span style=""> </span>The first day I got onto Billy Boy’s back I kicked the heels of my bare feet into his sides.<span style=""> </span>This is what I always did to get old Puck moving. Of course Billy Boy immediately started running and soon enough he threw me off his back.<span style=""> </span>I decided never to ride again.<span style=""> </span>But he was such a beautiful horse that I could not stay away from him.<span style=""> </span>I started taking him a carrot every time I visited him and I started whispering all my secrets into his ear while he was chewing on the carrot.<span style=""> </span>And so we became very best friends and of course I started riding him again. <span style=""> </span>And I never kicked my heels into his sides again – it was just not necessary. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Billy Boy talked to me and I could understand him.<span style=""> </span>Sometimes my playmates and I would have fierce Cowboys and Indians battles in the orchards. And then Netjie or Neil would shoot me and I had to fall off my horse and lie very still, because I was now dead. This Billy Boy did not like at all.<span style=""> </span>He would then turn around and come back to stand right next to me – waiting and looking down at me lying dead still in the grass.<span style=""> </span>After a while, if I did not move, he would carefully nibble at my shoulder until he could feel that he only had my shirt between his teeth, and then he would pull me up.<span style=""> </span>And when I was standing, he would complain bitterly by curling his lip and making noises, almost like words, in my face.<span style=""> </span>He would only stop after I apologised and explained the game to him.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And then there was the duckling.<span style=""> </span>At one stage I had a few chickens and one day a neighbour, who kept ducks, gave me some fertilised duck’s eggs.<span style=""> </span>I snuck them under one of my hens who was busy hatching out her own eggs. But only one of the duck’s eggs hatched.<span style=""> </span>I think that little duckling believed that I was her mother. She used to follow me around everywhere I walked in the garden. She also used to play touch with me:<span style=""> </span>I would touch her and run away.<span style=""> </span>And then she would chase me, peck me on the foot, turn around and run away. Then I would chase her again and touch her and run away.<span style=""> </span>And so we went on.<span style=""> </span>That year we had a very cold winter in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hex</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">River</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> and the mountains were white with snow.<span style=""> </span>So one night I wrapped my duckling in a nice warm blanket and the next morning she was dead, because she could not breathe. For a while I was very sad, but fortunately life went on.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I loved my animals and they taught me to absolutely, and unquestioningly believe in <b style=""><i style="">magic</i></b>. They also taught me about love and character and, most of all, they influenced for the rest of my life, the way I draw animals when I illustrate books for children.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">High School<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">After finishing Primary School I had to leave the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hex</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">River</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place>. I had to go to boarding school at a big English girls’ school in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cape Town</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style=""> </span>This was not a happy time for me.<span style=""> </span>I missed my life on the farm and my Mum and my Dad and Billy Boy. <span style=""> </span>The other girls bullied me because I was Afrikaans and not from the big city and because I was not like them. <span style=""> </span>They mocked me and made fun of me when I got the English words all mixed up every time I tried to say something. <span style=""> </span>But the school had a very good library and so I found a place where I could escape to. I took refuge in the library and I started systematically to read through all those wonderful books on the shelves. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Then one afternoon, on my way to the library, I walked past the “extra art” class and I decided to go in.<span style=""> </span>That decision changed my life at school.<span style=""> </span>It also led me to meet the next person who influenced my life as an illustrator. The <b style="">art teacher</b> was a small, but very energetic and feisty woman.<span style=""> </span>She breezed into the classroom and sat down on top of the table.<span style=""> </span>She pointed to the table under her and demanded, “What is this?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">“A table.” someone answered.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">“No,” the teacher replied, “This is a chair. I am sitting on it, so it is a chair.<span style=""> </span>Don’t automatically assume something is what everyone says it is.<span style=""> </span>Look at things carefully. <span style=""> </span>Use your eyes and your imagination.<span style=""> </span>And make up your own mind.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And so this teacher started teaching me how to use my eyes and my imagination.<span style=""> </span>My art became part of me.<span style=""> </span>Part of who I was, and who I was becoming.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">University & the first few years after school<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I went on to study art after school.<span style=""> </span>This was a very exciting and stimulating time.<span style=""> </span>I had a number of really good art teachers but one of them had a specially lasting effect on me and on my art.<span style=""> </span>Her name was <b style="">Katrine Harris</b>.<span style=""> </span>She taught Graphic Art at the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Michaelis</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Art</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">School</st1:placename></st1:place> of the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Cape Town</st1:placename></st1:place> – she specialised in etching, lithography and print making.<span style=""> </span>What I did not know at that stage was that Katrine was an illustrator.<span style=""> </span>In fact, she was really the first South African children’s book illustrator.<span style=""> </span>She introduced me to the exciting world of telling a story through visuals - how a text can complement a picture and versa visa.<span style=""> </span>I spent hours in the print-making department. I learned so much from her, even how to choose type and how to set a text using old-fashioned printer trays, how to do rough planning, layout, combining text and illustration. So much...<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">On <st1:date year="1968" day="7" month="9" st="on">the 7<sup>th</sup> of September 1968</st1:date>, during my first year at University, I met <b style="">Johann van Heerden -</b> my soul mate.<span style=""> </span>In the 37 years since that day Johann has always encouraged and helped me to create my art.<span style=""> </span>He took me to <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place> for an 18-month honeymoon to see most of the art I had been studying about in books. In every house we have ever lived, the first thing he did was to create a studio for me to work in - and I have had some spectacular studios to work in; Everything I wrote he would edit for me, correcting my spelling and grammar (fortunately, he is not dyslectic!); He has always taken my work seriously, believing in it even at times when my lack of self-confidence made me doubt myself.<span style=""> </span>In evaluating my work, he has always been my most valuable and most honest critic and sounding board.<span style=""> </span>And if I ever had the opportunity to go to a conference or a workshop he would always encourage me and help make it possible for me to go.<span style=""> </span>So I have Johann to thank for my continued growth and development in my work.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Johann’s field is drama, theatre, film and television. <span style=""> </span>Through him I learnt how the theatre works.<span style=""> </span>(I even did some set and costume designs for shows he directed.)<span style=""> </span>I also sat in with theatre people when they analysed plays or discussed productions.<span style=""> </span>All of this was incredibly valuable when I started writing and illustrating picture books. I realised that, in a sense, the writer/illustrator can really be seen as the playwright, the set designer, the casting agent, the costume designer, the lighting designer, the props master, and even the director who suggests to the actors what they should do, how and when... </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Of the people I met through Johann one who stands out, is the great French mime artist, <b style="">Marcel Marceau</b>.<span style=""> </span>I attended a workshop he gave.<span style=""> </span>The master explained that, to express a feeling, you should start it in the pit of your stomach... and then move your body from there.<span style=""> </span>He demonstrated to us how hands can express much more than the face if one used them in the right way.<span style=""> </span>I have never forgotten his comments and have often incorporated them in my drawings. I always draw the core of a figure first and the hands of my figures always form an important part of the drawing.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">Our Children<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">It was about that time that our first child, our daughter, <b style="">Alexia</b>, was born. Something quite astonishing was that, when this child was born, she looked around her and she smiled at everyone.<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">For me a whole new world opened up. <span style=""> </span>I started experiencing the world and life in general through Alexia. <span style=""> </span>And suddenly I realised how much grown-up people fail to see.<span style=""> </span>And how much joy, adults miss out on.<span style=""> </span>Much more than being my baby daughter, Alexia was my tour guide and I the tourist.<span style=""> </span>She even wrote a story before she was ten and, some years later I illustrated it and the book was published. Alexia has always been a caring soul who wants everybody around her to be happy.<span style=""> </span>Not surprisingly she became a doctor when she grew up.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Three years after Alexia, our son <b style="">Markus </b>was born.<span style=""> </span>He came into the world with a very pensive expression on his face and he looked at each person around him as if he was studying them or evaluating them. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>And my son had quite a different world to show me.<span style=""> </span>Where Alexia’s world was a gentle, caring one where you always had time to smell the flowers, Markus’s world was like being shot out into space.<span style=""> </span>From the start I had to run to keep up with him. When he was 3 years old he came to me and said: “Mamma, if you could move your hand towards a mirror faster than the reflection in the mirror moves towards your hand, then your hand will be able to pass right through the mirror.”<span style=""> </span>Nor surprisingly, he became a computer programmer when he grew up.<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Alexia and Markus have always been a source of story-ideas for me.<span style=""> </span>I often also used them as models for my drawings; their words, thoughts, fears and joys have all been incorporated into my work.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">Children’s Book Illustration<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">A very good friend of ours, <b style="">Hennie Aucamp</b>, the brilliant Afrikaans author, was visiting me in my studio one day and, looking at my graphic art, he suddenly suggested that I should think about illustrating children’s books.<span style=""> </span>I liked the idea and I thought that this could be great fun while my children were still small. And then, once they grow a bit older I can go back to “real art”; to lithography and etching and painting and sculpting and so on.<span style=""> </span>Wrong!!!<span style=""> </span>That was 25 years ago...</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Anyway, I liked the idea, so I put my portfolio under my arm and I did the rounds of the children’s book publishers.<span style=""> </span>They were all very patient and polite and they got rid of me with the promise, “We’ll call you if we have anything that suits your work.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">One young editor did call me, and she’s the next person on my list of most influential people.<span style=""> </span>Her name is <b style="">Alida Potgieter</b>.<span style=""> </span>And not long after she gave me that phone call, the first children’s book with my illustrations came off the press.<span style=""> </span>Alida was not only a wonderful editor with an uncanny gut feel and a natural instinct for what really works well in children’s books, but she also led me to understand so much more about this fascinating and challenging art form.<span style=""> </span>More than only professional collaborators, we became very close friends – a friendship that has lasted to this day.<span style=""> </span>After I illustrated the first three books for Alida, she began encouraging me to start writing too.<span style=""> </span>“But you know I’m dyslectic, Alida.<span style=""> </span>I can’t write!”<span style=""> </span>“That’s not a problem.” she told me. “Editors can fix the writing, if it needs fixing. What we are constantly looking for is really good stories and they are very hard to find.”<span style=""> </span>So, under Alida’s guidance and with Johann’s help I wrote my first picture book, “<i style="">Die Een Groot Bruin Beer</i>” and it was published in 1984.<span style=""> </span>And I was hooked!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Then I discovered the book “<i style="">The Art of <b style="">Maurice Sendak</b></i>”.<span style=""> </span>Through reading that book I started realising what an important genre the children’s picture book actually was.<span style=""> </span>It became something I wanted to know much more about.<span style=""> </span>I started searching for more books on children’s literature – remember, this was before the Internet and such a search was not quite as easy as it is today.<span style=""> </span>The local librarian in Stellenbosch regularly found me in the children’s section, sitting on the floor with my two children, reading book after book and sharing the joy of the illustrations with the kids.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">Experiences in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Then, one day Johann put us on a freight ship and took us to the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>For his sabbatical year he went to do research and to teach at the theatre department of <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Northwestern</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">We landed in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York City</st1:place></st1:city>, where some people we met suggested that I should visit the offices of the Horn Book Magazine.<span style=""> </span>They told me that this was a magazine about children’s books.<span style=""> </span>I had never heard of the Horn Book Magazine before, so I simply phoned them and asked to speak to the editor...<span style=""> </span>The girl put me through to a lady called <b style="">Ethel Heine</b>, who at that moment became the next name on my list of huge influences. At that time Ethel was the senior editor of Horn Book Magazine and she was already widely regarded as a guru in the world of children’s literature.<span style=""> </span>Through her introductions it was possible for me to meet with lots of children’s book people while we lived in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>She also led me onto the path of seriously and widely reading up on the field of children’s literature.<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The first time I visited her office, she lifted a stack of books off the only other chair in her office and gave it to me. The walls were solid with bookshelves, completely filled with children’s books and related publications and most of the floor was covered with heaps and heaps of books.<span style=""> </span>She spent the next few hours enthusiastically giving me a crash course on what books I should read and what people I should meet while I am in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>. She made me lists of names and telephone numbers and said, “You just tell them, Ethel said they must speak to you.”<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">That year we lived in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city> was unbelievable. I went to children’s book conferences, I joined storytelling groups, I joined a writers circle, I visited the headquarters of <i style="">Book Link</i> and I made many, many friends.<span style=""> </span>Children’s book people become friends very easily – they are normally that kind of people.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">One dear friend I made was <b style="">Ellen Greene</b>, the next really big name on my list.<span style=""> </span>A very senior academic, she was teaching at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Chicago</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> with Zena Sutherland, and at the time they were in the process of organising a conference under the title “<i style="">The Illustrator as Storyteller</i>”. <span style=""> </span>Professor Ellen Greene was one of the names on the list Ethel had given me in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>.<span style=""> </span>I phoned her to ask if it would be possible for me to come to her conference.<span style=""> </span>Unfortunately, she told me, the conference had been fully booked since 6 months before.<span style=""> </span>(Not surprisingly, as I learned later.)<span style=""> </span>We chatted on the phone for a long time.<span style=""> </span>The next day Ellen called me back.<span style=""> </span>There had been a cancellation and, although there was a long waiting list, she had called a committee meeting and they decided that I would probably benefit more from attending than the other people on the list, so they had decided to offer me the vacancy.<span style=""> </span>And that is how I came to attend my first Children’s Book Conference.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I remember sitting in that conference hall on the first day and suddenly realising that I was surrounded by people exactly like me! At that moment I decided that when I get back to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> I am going to organise our very own Children’s Book Conference and I will bring all the children’s book people in SA together in one room!<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Another very important thing happened at that conference.<span style=""> </span>I attended a lecture by <b style="">Joseph Schwarcz</b>.<span style=""> </span>He was one of world’s most respected picture book researchers, very highly regarded in his native <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>, in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>His talk was on how picture books influence the development of children.<span style=""> </span>As he brilliantly formulated his findings after years of academic research, I realised that a lot of what he was talking about confirmed ideas that I instinctively felt, my own private gut feelings. His presentation led me to decide that I would stop always keeping my thoughts to myself. <span style=""> </span>In future, if I felt strongly enough about something, I was going to say it... even at the risk of being wrong.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">Back in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Back in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>, I spent months trying to convince people that such a conference should take place.<span style=""> </span>I had an uphill battle. <span style=""> </span>Eventually I met somebody who would become the next name on my list. She was <b style="">Professor Jeanne Tötemeyer</b>, head of the Library and Information Science Department at the University of the <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Western Cape</st1:place></st1:state> and she was in a position to help me make my dream come true. <span style=""> </span>And that is how the first ever International Children’s Book Conference in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> became a reality in July 1987.<span style=""> </span>We called it “<i style="">Towards Understanding</i>”.<span style=""> </span>We had 550 delegates and I managed to bring some brilliant international speakers to the conference, amongst them was Joseph Schwarcz, whose presentation I heard at the conference in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>. During our conference Joseph Scwarcz insisted that I show him my books.<span style=""> </span>I was terribly embarrassed, but I did.<span style=""> </span>He took them away and read them in his own time. We met later and he took me aside, made some complimentary remarks and then he proceeded to analyze my books for me, in great detail and with marvellous insight.<span style=""> </span>Over the next few days he spent every free moment he had with me and he would talk to me about children’s books and the insights he had developed over decades of extremely focused study and research in the field.<span style=""> </span>In that one week I learned more about picture books from this brilliant man, than I might have done during a whole university degree course.<span style=""> </span>This was the next lap on an amazing voyage of discovery.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Over the next number of years I went on to write and illustrate many books and I continued to read up on children’s literature.<span style=""> </span>There are so many good and relevant books, but I have decided to share a very short list of 4 titles with you (these I can really recommend): <span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";" > </span></span></span><i style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">Ways of the Illustrator</span></i><span lang="EN-ZA">,<i style=""> </i>by Joseph Schwarcz;<i style=""> <o:p></o:p></i></span></span><!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";" > </span></span></span><i style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">The Uses of Enchantment</span></i><span lang="EN-ZA">,<i style=""> </i>by Bruno Bettelheim;<i style=""> </i></span></span><!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";" > </span></span></span><i style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">The Language of the Night</span></i><span lang="EN-ZA">,<i style=""> </i>by Ursula Le Guin;<i style=""> </i></span></span><!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="">-<span style=";font-family:";" > </span></span></span><i style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">The Power of Myth</span></i><span lang="EN-ZA">,<i style=""> </i>by Joseph Campbell.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">Chautauqua<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">One day a friend sent me an application form for a scholarship to attend the Highlights Children’s Book Writers Workshops in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>I didn’t even bother to fill it in because I thought it so unlikely that I might ever win it.<span style=""> </span>Anyway, my friend kept on asking if I had sent it in yet, and eventually I did. <span style=""> </span>Nobody was more surprised than I when I actually won the scholarship!<span style=""> </span>So off I went to <b style="">Chautauqua</b> in the North East of the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>. For a whole week I attended workshops on writing and illustrating.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">But, on top of all those wonderful workshop session, each attendee was given a highly experienced and accomplished mentor to work with you personally during that week. <span style=""> </span>Between workshops, your mentor focuses on your work, evaluates it in great detail and helps you to develop your skill and your art.<span style=""> </span>I could not believe my good fortune when I heard that <b style="">Ed Young </b>would be my mentor.<span style=""> </span>Ed Young would spend a whole week with me, looking at and evaluating my work and helping me to improve my art!<span style=""> </span>For those who do not know about this genius of a man, here is a very brief introduction: Ed Young is one of the very top picture book writer/illustrators in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>He has won the Caldecott Medal (one could almost call it the Nobel Prize for children’s books) – not once, he has won it twice!<span style=""> </span>He was born in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> and his family moved to the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> while he was still a child. Although he has lived in the States all his life, he has retained much of the oriental way of looking at life – and this is visible in his work as well.<span style=""> </span>We spent hours talking about my work, but somehow he spent even more time talking to me about the philosophy of writing and illustrating children’s books. <span style=""> </span>His focus and insight was clearly much deeper than a superficial, commercial approach to his life’s work.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Inevitably, that week, with all those amazing workshops and my unforgettable sessions with Ed Young, made me rethink my own approach to my work.<span style=""> </span>In a nutshell, I had a complete change of mind set.<span style=""> </span>Since then my work has never been “work” to me again. I have attained a very special level of joy and an adventurer’s attitude to my art.<span style=""> </span>I am now always ready to try something new.<span style=""> </span>I have discovered a freshness in my work – and so have my various editors.<span style=""> </span>I was surprised to find that I had suddenly become quite daring in my approach. I started attempting things I would never have dared before.<span style=""> </span>I changed the media I use, I changed the paper I had been using for decades. I even conceptualised, wrote and illustrated a reading scheme for learners, the <i style="">Bright Books</i>, accepted by educational departments and prescribed for schools across the country.<span style=""> </span>A project I never thought I would tackle...</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Now I have been talking for quite a while and I am happy to tell you that I am getting close to the end.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 18pt;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 18pt;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">Greece</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I just quickly want to tell you about the next exciting move, which coincided with Markus going off to university in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cape Town</st1:place></st1:city> and Johann and I finding ourselves in an empty nest after more than two decades of bringing up the kids. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Johann and I moved to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><b style="">Greece</b></st1:place></st1:country-region>, where we stayed for four years.<span style=""> </span>Our house was in a forest north of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city>, on the top of <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Pendely</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></st1:place>, where the white marble was mined in ancient times to build the beautiful Parthenon.<span style=""> </span>Here the indigenous pine trees do not grow fast and straight like the pine trees in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s plantations. These trees grow much more slowly and they weave up towards the sun.<span style=""> </span>From my studio on the top floor of our house I could see the sun rays playing through the pine needles and, like fingers, touching the forest floor. <span style=""> </span>To the north I could see five mountain ranges, all in different shades of blue and the colours changing every minute of the day. <span style=""> </span>My writing and my illustrating became influenced by the colours, the light and the shadows around me.<span style=""> </span>The Gods of Greek mythology smiled down on me.<span style=""> </span>While we lived in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city> I illustrated three books for a Greek Publishing Company, the texts were in Greek and my illustrations were in that universal language that is understood by every child in the world.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">While in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region> I got to know quite a few Greek children’s book writers and illustrators.<span style=""> </span>One writer told me about the international <b style="">Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators</b> and she asked me to help her start a Greek branch of the Society.<span style=""> </span>I did that. And I found it a very exciting organisation.<span style=""> </span>The SCBWI has its headquarters in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> and it has 17,000 members in 40 countries.<span style=""> </span>While we were in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city>, I also organised the first International Children’s Book Conference in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>We held it on the beautiful <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">island</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">During the four years living in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place> Johann and I travelled quite a bit.<span style=""> </span>I also <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state> again, where I made contact and stayed with my dear friend <b style="">Simone Kaplan</b>, who is also Children’s Book editor.<span style=""> </span>And through her I met a brilliant art director. <b style="">Harriet Barton</b>, the next name on my list of influences on my work. During just one long <span class="Normal12ptChar">conversation she managed to have a profound impact on my work</span>.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Harriet<b style=""> </b>showed me how, what she called “a sense of place” could take my illustrations into a completely different dimension.<span style=""> </span>With a few words, she made me realise how to merge all the things I sensed around me into my illustration. <span style=""> </span>It was an astounding moment for me. <span style=""> </span>Sometimes all one needs is exactly the right idea at exactly the right moment in time.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">During that same visit to <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>, Simone was helping me to do some work on one of my stories.<span style=""> </span>We were talking about how one should use your senses while you were writing and designing the illustration framework for a story. Simone suggested that I should employ all my senses while I was writing.<span style=""> </span>“At that specific moment of the story, what do you hear, what do you see, what do you physically feel, do you smell anything, do you taste anything?”<span style=""> </span>It may look like a simple and even obvious approach.<span style=""> </span>But Simone’s timing was just right and her comments managed to take my writing into a different dimension too.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">Back in the <st1:place st="on">Cape</st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">We lived in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region> until February 2003 and then we moved to Gordon’s Bay, where we now live.<span style=""> </span>My studio is on the top floor again, but this time the view is over <st1:place st="on">False Bay</st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>Since coming back to the <st1:place st="on">Cape</st1:place>, I have started the South African branch of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and we had our first international conference in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cape Town</st1:place></st1:city> last year. Since we’ve been back I have illustrated seven books that were published.<span style=""> </span>One of them was a huge project – a 128 page book about Monsters! I loved doing that one!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">There is so much I want to share with you, but I think I have talked long enough.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I feel an excitement inside of me when I think of what lies ahead.<span style=""> </span>Every new project I tackle has the possibility of taking me to new places.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">I enjoy what I do.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">I like my work!<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 18pt;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span lang="EN-ZA">_________________________</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b style=""><span lang="EN-ZA">END</span></b></span><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span><span style=""><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></span></p>Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-65333586542662542052007-04-27T13:02:00.000+02:002013-02-17T00:01:48.205+02:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7Fw_Z9siDcLpINdRt7-gzaJDL03GIsAId7DyQ2p5FHDpc65hqQw2re-eWpHku2fJS2X1PRbgJ0EquoX7XqnZPaZOlJe2Nk-9bmTZgZTHUJJcrQqsLoJ3Of0f1xkaBQu3wbY_tBwu3RQ/s1600-h/dragon.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058062356106073090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7Fw_Z9siDcLpINdRt7-gzaJDL03GIsAId7DyQ2p5FHDpc65hqQw2re-eWpHku2fJS2X1PRbgJ0EquoX7XqnZPaZOlJe2Nk-9bmTZgZTHUJJcrQqsLoJ3Of0f1xkaBQu3wbY_tBwu3RQ/s200/dragon.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">I believe in Magic</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 85%;">by Marjorie van Heerden<br />June 2005</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Somebody recently asked me an interesting question: “What do you believe in?”<br /><br />I did not have to think long. “I believe in Magic… Like the magic of Father Christmas. I don’t necessarily believe in a plump gentleman with a silver beard and a red hat, but I do believe in the magic of Father Christmas. I believe in fairies, not that I necessarily believe in little people with gossamer wings, but I do believe in the magic of fairies. And talking about wings; I’m not quite sure about those huge flying lizards with their fiery breath… But I am absolutely sure and I absolutely believe in the magic of dragons. I also believe in the magic of giants, and of wizards, and elves, and of course tooth fairies…<br />Maybe this is my bit of madness. Zorba said we must all have a little bit of madness. Maybe my little bit of madness is that I have to believe in the magic of things. That magic is what makes my life worth living. It is what sets my imagination free. And it sets me free to believe in what could be called “the impossible”. It sets me free to believe in all those wonderful and stunning and awesome things we all used to believe in… before we were taught that they were actually impossible.<br />And I think that is exactly the reason why I became an illustrator of children’s books. There, on the blank page in front of me I can allow my crayons to dabble in the impossible and to always spice it up with a teeny touch of magic. I always want to find a little bit of magic in each of my illustrations – sometimes I manage to add it consciously and sometimes it just kind-of appears “magically”! But trying to make this happen, really keeps me on my toes.<br />So, over the years I have been consciously exercising my senses so that I could see better, hear better, feel more… Because I had to constantly seek for that magic to put into my illustrations, I had to become really sharp. A bit like a five-year old! I had to try and get rid of a lot of unnecessary clutter – things like the stress of being on time for my meeting with the bank manager, or getting through the traffic in time for a friend’s book launch, or registering the headlines on the evening news, or trying to understand what Mr George W Bush actually means, or the reason why our money is sometimes strong and sometimes weak. I had to learn to ignore all those things which are not really important in the bigger scheme of things. I had to learn to focus again and to understand the things that really matter, like how sunlight can play with leaves, how shadows can hide shapes, or how the moon is actually alive and is playing with the sea. And once I got all this sorted out and once I learnt to allow the magic and the impossible to be part of it all, I wanted to put it all down on paper. And I think that’s where it started…<br />Over the years I have been incredibly lucky in the illustration jobs I’ve been offered… these were all jobs that needed some magic.<br />During the last five years I’ve had to draw lots of wizards and dragons, fairies, goblins, gargoyles, dinosaurs that talk, and even a magical moonchild. There were many more creatures, more than I can remember. Also monsters, lots and lots of monsters – even a delicious one! And then I could place them in magical forests, or in huge castles covered in silver moonlight, or on the shores of wild seas or under their waves. And I could paint the world in the colours I love. Anything is possible if you have a crayon in your hand and a blank page in front of you… The recipe is simple: Mix together the writer’s wonderful words, a generous pinch of the impossible and a goodly measure of magic. Let the old imagination do the rest! Somehow the images always come to me. I always manage to find them – I find them all around me; in the slow walk of an old gentleman in the shopping mall; in a dog running wildly on the beach; in the gnarled trunk of an ancient Melkbos tree…<br />Michelangelo said that the blocks of marble he got from the quarry had the figures inside of them and all the sculptor had to do was to let them free. Many times my blocks of marble are the words a writer sends through to me – then the visual images are buried inside of those words and I just have to set them free. I believe in magic. And because I believe in magic, I manage to help these images crawl out from amongst the words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-ZA" style="line-height: 130%;"><u>A review of Children's Book course in 2004 by Marjorie at UCT Summer School</u> </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-ZA" style="line-height: 130%;">by Wendy
Hartmann </span><span lang="EN-ZA" style="line-height: 130%;">(Writer of Children’s Books, editor of Wings-SA
SCBWI’s newsletter)</span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i><span lang="EN-ZA">To be a successful magician – you
have to pull a rabbit out of a hat (or even a bea).</span></i></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span lang="EN-ZA">Marjorie van Heerden</span></b><span lang="EN-ZA"> not only pulled rabbits out of the proverbial
hat, she pulled out so much more. The two-day course for illustrators and
writers was a tremendous success.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">It was a privilege to be part of a
group that was exposed to so much information in such a short period of time. We
benefited from Marjorie’s 30 years experience of writing and illustrating
children’s books and we are grateful.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">For every subject that was covered,
there was an example of a picture book. We were shown the ‘best of the best’ of
illustrators and writers – some of whom had never been seen before by the
people attending. Jon Agee, Russell Ayot, Alexis Deacon, Satoshi Kitamura, Ed
Young and David Weisner are just a few of the names. There were examples shown of
the use of different media in illustration and we were encourage to experiment
and continually reminded. ‘KEEP A JOURNAL – USE YOUR JOURNAL – PUT IT IN YOUR
JOURNAL.’ </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The importance of the choice of fonts
was mentioned as well as the overall composition of text and illustration. Other
little things that are so important and sometimes forgotten. Did you start with
a cat? Then end with a cat. Don’t ever let a child finish a book and wonder and
worry what happened to that cat.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Read that manuscript over and over
again. Know the story inside out. Know your characters so well - what they
would do - how they would do it and even why. Use quirky or serious elements
that create continuity throughout the illustrations. Beginner illustrators gobbled up all of these
points.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">We were reminded of the
responsibility of getting everything ‘just right’ <b><i>and </i></b>we were reminded of
deadlines. Marjorie’s statement – ‘I have never, in all my years of working,
been late for a deadline,’ brings the message home.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The subjects ranged from ideas,
roughs, storyboards and dummies to final artwork. It also touched on marketing.
‘As an illustrator,’ she said, ‘your job does not stop once you have put your
pen or paintbrush down. You still need to market yourself or remind the market
that you are there and producing wonderful work. Make that calendar – print
that postcard and send it off.’</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">One of the most important statements<b><i> </i></b>was
that – the role of the illustrator was like that of a moviemaker. You are in
charge of the props, the setting, entrances and exits. Not only do you choose
the characters but you dress them too.
You are the director, the lighting expert, the scriptwriter. <b><i>You
are the moviemakers of books.</i></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Marjorie’s talk covered so many
facets of illustrating, writing and publishing that I am in no doubt that there
will be shouts of ‘encore!’ There was a wealth of information condensed into
those two days. I think that everyone that was there for the course can only
say a heartfelt, ‘<i>thank you Marjorie, for
all that magic</i>.’ </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384145494464529932.post-46794925307280104682007-04-24T23:36:00.000+02:002013-02-18T14:10:19.490+02:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20pt; text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-ZA">One Illustrator’s Journey</span></u></b><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">By Marjorie van Heerden</span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">A talk with slide show/power point - given at the Children’s Book Forum annual meeting - July 2003</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePuRy3NNJNQ6rj6ePVCKVhYV5uZWjC3B-Idl1lDHlmBadzn5VbxTv19tLcbG9Qisw4rRFLY1Lp3GQ5Y4STjEtoRUJifr2ctMfLN_PHvuoiWlgyz7VUz_Q3SMlOcHJpDJhARZgd_Fn7o0/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePuRy3NNJNQ6rj6ePVCKVhYV5uZWjC3B-Idl1lDHlmBadzn5VbxTv19tLcbG9Qisw4rRFLY1Lp3GQ5Y4STjEtoRUJifr2ctMfLN_PHvuoiWlgyz7VUz_Q3SMlOcHJpDJhARZgd_Fn7o0/s320/01.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Photograph of The Parthenon</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Before I can tell you about my experience as an illustrator in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region>, </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I need to take you back a few years, twenty years to be exact. In 1983 I did my first professional illustrations for a book that was published. At that time we were living in Stellenbosch and it was a different time and a different world. The book was <b><i>Soetlemoen en Nartjie</i></b> by Cecilia Saayman. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr06TZCQdOHcDLsbZzdKwho4qIptSiC7XZRU-dsHOs5EXogLaDpxw_1zLbCoayWv87IaSjcrPpWfRWvVCLdlRq3RBQvTrRUcp1DcvkrhlK7cW-uASQVLoN0hSdy_OwMozkjgoHEJXAmpg/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr06TZCQdOHcDLsbZzdKwho4qIptSiC7XZRU-dsHOs5EXogLaDpxw_1zLbCoayWv87IaSjcrPpWfRWvVCLdlRq3RBQvTrRUcp1DcvkrhlK7cW-uASQVLoN0hSdy_OwMozkjgoHEJXAmpg/s200/02.jpg" width="148" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">A few months later Human & Rousseau published <b><i>Die Een Groot Bruin Beer</i></b> and this was the first book I wrote and illustrated.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSmwK_HAjtt_5yPtOvWahYi3n15wR1IFiq8yWJJOW02OnXoKuPRuem-w5F5RQuSa-ws3rJT61PpivBANYWX7c4OO9SaQzs2IFrWGjkexNxWqEkti3SWIWOQ6rG6AxFqcjK4uEg99xzuM/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSmwK_HAjtt_5yPtOvWahYi3n15wR1IFiq8yWJJOW02OnXoKuPRuem-w5F5RQuSa-ws3rJT61PpivBANYWX7c4OO9SaQzs2IFrWGjkexNxWqEkti3SWIWOQ6rG6AxFqcjK4uEg99xzuM/s320/03.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">When I look back at these first steps I am convinced that fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Some months later we went to live in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city> for just over a year and this is where I made my first contact with world famous children’s book illustrators and their work.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I fell in love with people like Maurice Sendak and the brave creativity of their work. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Illustration from <i>Jack and Guy
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> Our two children were still very young and fortunately very keen “readers”, in inverted commas at that age, but nevertheless this provided me with the perfect laboratory to test the new books I discovered every day in the vast bookshops of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>.</span></span></span><br />
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Wild Things are</i> (Maurice Sendak)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I realised that a picture book relies as much on its visuals as on its words, if not more so. This may seem obvious, but you will be surprised at how many writers do not share that view – this is one of the things that struck me when I got to know our colleagues in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region> better. I was surprised to see how under-rated the illustrator’s contribution to children’s literature is in that wonderfully rich old culture.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Anyway, after our stay in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city> we moved back to Stellenbosch and in the following years I was very fortunate to publish quite a number of picture books like the <b><i>Peanutbutter</i></b> series. And I also illustrated for some really fine children’s book writers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Studio in Linden</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">In 1988 my husband, <st1:personname st="on">Johann</st1:personname>’s work took us to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:personname st="on">Johann</st1:personname>esburg</st1:place></st1:city>. We found a lovely big house, with a large garden in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Linden</st1:place></st1:city> and we built a wooden shack in the backyard, which I made into my studio. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I worked in that studio, under a huge Eucalyptus tree for ten years. These were very important formative years in my work as an illustrator and writer. They were also very important formative years for our two children. We were fortunate enough to have a large Jacuzzi on the stoep outside the bedroom. This became the scene of our daily family gathering. Every evening after work the four of us met in the warm bubbling water and discussed the day. This was a ritual we followed 365 days a year, summer and winter. Sometimes for only fifteen minutes and sometimes for hours. And so the years passed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Illustration of <i>Monasteraki</i> (Papas)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And then, one December evening we were sitting in the Jacuzzi. Alexia was home on holiday from UCT and Markus had just received his Matric results and was also preparing to go and study in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cape Town</st1:place></st1:city>. My husband and I were facing the dreaded “empty nest”. And then <st1:personname st="on">Johann</st1:personname> dropped the bombshell, “How would you feel about Mamma and I going to live in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region> for the next four years?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">He was working for M-Net at the time and they had offered him a contract job with a sister company in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city>. If we accepted, he was to start on <st1:date day="1" month="3" st="on" year="1999">the first of March 1999</st1:date>, just over two months later.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Those were two very busy months! When I touched ground again, we had moved into a lovely house in Dionysos, about 30 kilometres north of downtown <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city>. <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">21 Euripides Street</st1:address></st1:street> sits in a beautiful indigenous pine forest on the slope of <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Mount</st1:placetype> <st1:placename st="on">Pendeli</st1:placename></st1:place>. Incredibly, the mountain is one solid block of pure white marble. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A Marble Mine on/in Mount Pendeli</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">This is where the ancient Greeks mined the marble to build the Parthenon and many other Athenian landmarks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The house had an attic room just perfect for an artist’s studio, with windows facing north towards <st1:place st="on">Marathon</st1:place> and Thessalonica.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">My Studio at 21 Euripides Street</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">On a clear day I could see from my work bench, five mountain ranges including the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Parnassus</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Mountains</st1:placetype></st1:place> where <st1:place st="on">Delphi</st1:place> sits perched against the hang.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I would imagine that I could hear the chanting of the oracle and Zeus’s eagles screeching overhead on their way back to the navel of the earth in the centre of the sanctuary of the Oracle of Delphi.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I unpacked my library of children’s books and all my art stuff and could feel the ancient magic all around me – so different to the African magic which was my earliest influence and inspiration.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">My dear friend, Joan Rankin has the normal sixth sense that all women have, but then she has a few more. When I told her about us moving to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region>, her first reaction was, “I wonder how your illustrations will change.” Joan has a wonderful grasp of life and the world we live in. She went on to explain that she believes that wherever you live, your creativity is also influenced by the stars and their cosmic effect. I was intrigued and I could not wait to see if and how her theory would work in my case. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Anyway, we settled in and I quickly got to know the lie of the land. Within the first week I got the hang of the busses and trains and I worked out my own version of sign language along with a few badly pronounced Greek words. Trying to communicate outside of the tourist areas gave a new meaning to the old saying, “It’s Greek to me.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Pencil
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I soon found the ancient fresh market where the housewives buy their fruit and vegetables and meat and fish, exactly where there great-grandmothers did two millennia ago. So, now we had food on the table.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And then I went out and, wandering through the winding narrow streets of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city>, I found all the bookshops that sell children’s books and books in English. As a welcome-to-Greece gift <st1:personname st="on">Johann</st1:personname> bought me a bright yellow Volkswagen beetle...<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Photograph of the Yellow VW Beetle</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">This little beetle was probably purring around the streets of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city> even in the days of the Junta, the early Seventies. The Greeks do not call it a beetle, they call it </span><span lang="EN-ZA">SKARAVIOS</span><span lang="EN-ZA">, the Scarab – I like that!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Our life in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city> was good! Being in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place> gave us the opportunity to travel a lot, and relatively cheaply. We explored the Greek islands on scooters, the best way to get around.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">After a while I became quite wild and I drove the scooter with confidence, wearing my favourite purple jacket and my broad-rimmed hat while negotiating risky dirt roads and softly humming love songs.</span></span></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">We visited Santorini </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdzGasTYsNQi-YrZmp-h3PsjmveZHiM33ZfbZMw_zobxfYVLqwon1RnDmVLMJUkWPvmw8OrDUHRu0t2YS0Mo4chyEdULzBns5aevXoI45McT_WMWtNFbn4dKNcKGeOAz2AgIRpEQRHAg/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdzGasTYsNQi-YrZmp-h3PsjmveZHiM33ZfbZMw_zobxfYVLqwon1RnDmVLMJUkWPvmw8OrDUHRu0t2YS0Mo4chyEdULzBns5aevXoI45McT_WMWtNFbn4dKNcKGeOAz2AgIRpEQRHAg/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">and <st1:place st="on">Crete</st1:place>... </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hgOn4HmSrfpOa5djSRsm6ebjNPeGqLZFjSheBttCu7m8GiqRjxmvcGFT_ZTFPFQGR2wH03hyphenhyphenisQqZpe2LiRJBm-EfPKErUALg5iyIyVqYprGxfCisamtvpVT79LJTUyF-IxlamMq6R0/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hgOn4HmSrfpOa5djSRsm6ebjNPeGqLZFjSheBttCu7m8GiqRjxmvcGFT_ZTFPFQGR2wH03hyphenhyphenisQqZpe2LiRJBm-EfPKErUALg5iyIyVqYprGxfCisamtvpVT79LJTUyF-IxlamMq6R0/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrJKsIGTkgnWOE1leB4tfcnn3SPvNuVn9qAoQHFk21O59cwlK5NP8AtzDYZA7m8Pkfk5QvHFqcNBdmPtfruMz-U_gEyurX6Fx1AO4fBL1elJZmlFx5HMM9ERf4vkjbBakvvSrX7fVTVQ/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cyprus</st1:place></st1:country-region>... </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYj5s-dq84mmvdmZkwVonLERRoR0dFzNggw7uRvIxWzArbrVrX-fkRqgqIrNMf6q9IQsBLqOyqreBAAiJM-d-_x6BGP_qj_8ig5wd3nfy_f1t0oQ24eGstEKPb3O3NPIPLtmSGl2v5lg8/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYj5s-dq84mmvdmZkwVonLERRoR0dFzNggw7uRvIxWzArbrVrX-fkRqgqIrNMf6q9IQsBLqOyqreBAAiJM-d-_x6BGP_qj_8ig5wd3nfy_f1t0oQ24eGstEKPb3O3NPIPLtmSGl2v5lg8/s320/20.jpg" width="233" /></a><span lang="EN-ZA"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Prague</st1:place></st1:city>... </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sObPKh_tKVvC2H_Op3UOKydfPo6zjCn9H6vd6aiHQ1Gl5T26LatziSLcIEo5tQgPtGC8tEa4sjQm1RqDRzu7rN5xu62poJXzeokckGm0R8PQ4hA0DznSQoRY_E1xz7_4jyaw93indD8/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sObPKh_tKVvC2H_Op3UOKydfPo6zjCn9H6vd6aiHQ1Gl5T26LatziSLcIEo5tQgPtGC8tEa4sjQm1RqDRzu7rN5xu62poJXzeokckGm0R8PQ4hA0DznSQoRY_E1xz7_4jyaw93indD8/s320/21.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">and Italy... </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPy8jpDQ45a6jnOoBkh48XoC3MCzaGMBWY8kchy32shVVzCBG47ROgZVj8oV7R4jbN7xO7O1ZmWlunIZebel5SmzNrbjMFLy7EnIv1EHgQ_gNHjlgeeBiHCqpRfg8o-2g-47mVvgsH-c/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPy8jpDQ45a6jnOoBkh48XoC3MCzaGMBWY8kchy32shVVzCBG47ROgZVj8oV7R4jbN7xO7O1ZmWlunIZebel5SmzNrbjMFLy7EnIv1EHgQ_gNHjlgeeBiHCqpRfg8o-2g-47mVvgsH-c/s320/22.jpg" width="304" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> </span></span></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> and Istanbul (or Konstantinopolis as the Greeks insist on calling it).</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_bUfQD0kcK486yQAxyuSyPtGNlcsUQvXKaUht3umoRqUfLjeYdKSomTGV_3czHXYpeRg7zbAS1L2EUqp-6FCGDF_7qr0H_gGkX5bURYvt7yI5fBKUDia-Suc6BIDEN8umdtQL5osQvM/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_bUfQD0kcK486yQAxyuSyPtGNlcsUQvXKaUht3umoRqUfLjeYdKSomTGV_3czHXYpeRg7zbAS1L2EUqp-6FCGDF_7qr0H_gGkX5bURYvt7yI5fBKUDia-Suc6BIDEN8umdtQL5osQvM/s320/23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> In Greece we also explored the main land and we saw wonderful places like Delphi and Meteora... </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMuu-wyDE8uwZdWWUFnJ5MtG_A1KigUL2akwnMzaa1DPFOaOH18NxZtGwReDKePDFLnka3kzumW-EuG9alodyaDZ0I3QI44pp2rSKs-KLrBw3M1sbaGOOVgKlKr1D8ZPq__stjWRLPLc/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMuu-wyDE8uwZdWWUFnJ5MtG_A1KigUL2akwnMzaa1DPFOaOH18NxZtGwReDKePDFLnka3kzumW-EuG9alodyaDZ0I3QI44pp2rSKs-KLrBw3M1sbaGOOVgKlKr1D8ZPq__stjWRLPLc/s320/24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">and Olympia and Mycenae and Epidauros in the Peloponnesus. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Amongst ancient ruins and old monasteries built in the most unlikely, but heavenly spots, I spoke to the spirits of oracles and gods. Sculptures and gargoyles watched me passing by in my purple jacket. We climbed up castle staircases and felt the presence of knights long gone and we wandered through medieval buildings and old market places. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">We ate the regional dishes and we slept under 2,000-year-old olive trees.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Sometimes the temperature was in the 40’s and then we swam in the crystal clear water of the <st1:place st="on">Mediterranean</st1:place>. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Sometimes it got really cold. Even in sunny <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city>, at our house on <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Mount</st1:placetype> <st1:placename st="on">Pendeli</st1:placename></st1:place>, we had snow every winter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_XIlj4pJ3PnceRJSEOCBkEleMxa7C01OkwcLsufvWIaU6JSZKrGax7pJ1QVL3tJhIAwxS_P52Km1y9xWlERCmbtz_YRCtjSKs82_Ki1SbhtmXsmlzBF-HbWx6A-pi9S-B0PieigjDr4/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_XIlj4pJ3PnceRJSEOCBkEleMxa7C01OkwcLsufvWIaU6JSZKrGax7pJ1QVL3tJhIAwxS_P52Km1y9xWlERCmbtz_YRCtjSKs82_Ki1SbhtmXsmlzBF-HbWx6A-pi9S-B0PieigjDr4/s320/27.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Once we were snowed in for three weeks over Christmas, so we ate mussels and drank Glühwein in front of a roaring fire. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> And even the snow did not stop <st1:personname st="on">Johann</st1:personname> from making a braai when we were tired of seafood!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">We loved this new life and this new environment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">We did and saw so many things and I was always aware of the energy and the wonderful light surrounding me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span lang="EN-ZA" style="line-height: 130%;">Illustration from The King’s Equal</span></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">All of this was constantly feeding the artist living inside of me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">When we first arrived in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region>, I was in the final stages of completing a five-year project. While we were still in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:personname st="on">Johann</st1:personname>esburg</st1:place></st1:city> I conceptualised, wrote and illustrated The Bright Books reading series</span><span lang="EN-ZA">. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I finished the final illustrations in my new Greek studio. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vSD5LIxj0cqaSdLZm8MZgrL3m82wA4hVuKR2VmjSHwXK5-2BNzKjsG-IoFhl_xtFqUW-BuqEs3D1Cbk6rY2r96jzn3s4yWHWl9yswFkAVb1DaZUDDzoxSSGWjZXdP_wLzRUyvMMq47c/s1600/36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vSD5LIxj0cqaSdLZm8MZgrL3m82wA4hVuKR2VmjSHwXK5-2BNzKjsG-IoFhl_xtFqUW-BuqEs3D1Cbk6rY2r96jzn3s4yWHWl9yswFkAVb1DaZUDDzoxSSGWjZXdP_wLzRUyvMMq47c/s320/36.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And the moment the courier collected the last parcel full of illustrations I started to make contact with the local children’s book writers and illustrators. I contacted them through the Greek branch of IBBY and we had our first meeting in the coffee shop of a bookstore.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And once again the gods on <st1:place st="on">Olympus</st1:place> smiled on me; one of the writers Voula Mastori, was looking at some of my work over her coffee and suddenly she said, “I have just finished a children’s book, how would you like to illustrate it?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The book was called <b><i>The Moon Story</i></b> and for the first time my name appeared on the cover of a book in Greek letters!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And for the first time my illustrations were called, </span><span lang="EN-ZA">IKONOGR<b><u>A</u></b>FISI</span><span lang="EN-ZA">, – I was thrilled! Over the years some of my work has been published in five of our official languages and in French and German and Swahili and four different languages in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Malawi</st1:place></st1:country-region> and three in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Uganda</st1:place></st1:country-region> and seven languages in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Zambia</st1:place></st1:country-region> and so on. But this was different – Greek letters just look so great – sort of classical and important!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And so began my involvement with the children’s book world in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region>. At first I was just doing illustrations for Greek children’s book writers and I hosted regular children’s book teas at my house.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I illustrated a lovely book for the writer Vang<b><u>e</u></b>lis Eli<b><u>o</u></b>poulos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">It was called <b><i>The Three Teapots</i></b> and again I found myself drawing friendly green dragons, but this time they spoke in Greek! The illustrations are quite dark, but I could feel the influence of the northerly light in the colours that appeared on the paper as I worked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Then a very exciting opportunity came my way – again those smiling gods on <st1:place st="on">Olympus</st1:place>! The publishing house Pataki got the Greek rights for Katherine Paterson’s <b><i>The King’s Equal</i></b>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I have always admired the work of this brilliant American author and I was very happy to do a set of new illustrations for her book. </span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCM6rRqZaEFX-52UlaxmbPci9KbIr-SQ2R_FPGWKAb3hxKtkR0EgzpJYbzkccfD6gHvJ6VyfUsjxiqa5tfucmYKmfnT0tRJ4yn4QTsR3V8CcNl4gT0SJpTyG_lK9XYfrYzgV2DZ-je3Q/s1600/41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCM6rRqZaEFX-52UlaxmbPci9KbIr-SQ2R_FPGWKAb3hxKtkR0EgzpJYbzkccfD6gHvJ6VyfUsjxiqa5tfucmYKmfnT0tRJ4yn4QTsR3V8CcNl4gT0SJpTyG_lK9XYfrYzgV2DZ-je3Q/s640/41.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Unfortunately the publishers could only afford black and white illustrations and a full-colour cover, but I actually enjoyed the discipline of showing Katherine’s interesting characters in monochrome drawings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">While working with these Greek publications I also started the Greek branch of the international Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators with another writer I met in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city>. I will tell you more about the Society later this evening.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Years ago, when we moved back from the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> to Stellenbosch I organised the first international Children’s Book symposium in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Many of you will remember that symposium and that it was there that we decided to start this Children’s Book Forum. Anyway, I decided to get some of my new Greek colleagues together and to organise an International Symposium on the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">island</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Hydra</st1:placename></st1:place>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Our theme was <b><i>May the Myth be your Muse</i></b> and it all turned out to be great fun. We were fortunate to get excellent speakers like the brilliant writer/illustrator Tony Ross and there are few more beautiful spots for such a happening as this lovely <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> near <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city>.</span></span></span></div>
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Steve Mooser<span lang="EN-ZA">, President of SCBWI in Hydra</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And while all this was going on I realised that what Joan had predicted, was starting to happen... </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">During those last few years, working in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><st1:personname st="on">Johann</st1:personname>esburg</st1:place></st1:city>, I was almost exclusively involved in developing, writing and illustrating educational books. I was working to impossible deadlines, but somehow I always managed to make those deadlines! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I found that I was depending more and more on my memory for reference material and for colour and light. My illustrations became a world where all the emphasis was on the characters living in an environment of very little real or interesting background. The educational books were important and it felt good to be able to make a contribution, but somehow my world as an illustrator was becoming smaller and less interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Now, living in Dionysos amongst those timeless indigenous pine forests, my vision and my imagination started opening up again.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">These trees do not grow fast and straight like the pine trees in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s plantations of imported non-African trees.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">In these natural Mediterranean forests the trees grow much more slowly and they weave up towards the sun whose beams peep through the pine needles and, like fingers, touch the forest floor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Sometimes I would go walking in the forest and I would marvel at the gentle play of the sunlight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Sometimes I would sit at my desk in the studio and I could see so far and I could see layers of colour that show the distance much farther than the eye should really be able to see. Much farther than any photograph could show you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">Or I would walk around in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Athens</st1:place></st1:city>, making eye contact with many sad dogs and negotiating around many more lazy cats. And I would find my senses come alive, seeing, smelling, hearing, feeling – just touching life. I wanted to put it all into my illustrations. I became swept along, hungry to try to capture a colour, a movement I saw. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">My paper, pencils, crayons and paint were not media to use for illustrating, but they became vehicles to take me on a journey. I became obsessed to try and work out exactly what the light was doing and how to replicate the colours, the light and the shadows around me.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">As for the writing of my stories; at one time I was really struggling with a piece of text. And then one day we visited <st1:place st="on">Delphi</st1:place> again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-ZA">Me at Apollo’s Temple (Delphi)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">I decided to take the draft along and to try again while we were at the oracle’s sanctuary. This is one of those magical places on earth. It has that magic that has touched human consciousness for many centuries, like the pyramids in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> or the <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Victoria</st1:place></st1:state> waterfall or Meteora or the Cathedral of Notre Dame. These very special places have been spots of worship and quiet for so many generations and <st1:place st="on">Delphi</st1:place> is to me one of the most special. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">While the family went exploring I sat down on the steps at the remains of Apollo’s temple and I took out my pencil and my draft text. The muses came out from behind the trees, smiled at me and the words just started to flow. </span><span lang="EN-ZA"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">And so every place we visited, every person I met, every scene I saw became another thing I could learn from. Yes, it was not only the natural beauty around me that was responsible for the changes in my head and in my illustrations; some of the people I met also had a profound effect on my work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Normal12ptChar"><span lang="EN-ZA">I remember a conversation with Harriett Barton,</span></span><span lang="EN-ZA"> an art director from <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region> who attended the Hydra Symposium. She showed me how, what she called “a sense of place” could take my illustrations into a different dimension. With a few words, she made me realise how to merge all the things I sensed around me into my illustration. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">A sense of place! I realised that it is not just a tree in the background of my illustration, but it is also the shadow of the tree, the wind that plays with its branches, and the sun that touches its individual leaves... But let me not get carried away again! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The past four years were wonderful, but eventually it became time to pack up again. As my husband always says, “When you reach the end of a chapter, turn the page and read on. The next chapter may just be even better than the one you have just read!” <st1:personname st="on">Johann</st1:personname> never looks back. He is always on the lookout for what may be waiting around the next corner. He also has a saying he often quotes, “When you’re on a journey and the end keeps getting further and further away, then you realise that the real end is the journey.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">So, it became time to pack up again and to leave Dionysos. It was time to turn the page. It snowed on our forest while I was packing and while the movers were wrapping our things and putting them all into a huge container to ship across the ocean. And when we arrived in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cape Town</st1:place></st1:city> the bright African sun was shining! We have gone full circle and we are back in the <st1:place st="on">Cape</st1:place>, where my journey started. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">The most exciting thing is that, although I have turned the page, all those feelings have not gone away. All around me I can see colours, shapes, light and shadows that are, if not more so, just as exciting as the ones I experienced during my four years stay in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Greece</st1:place></st1:country-region>. These are the sights I grew up with, but somehow I see them differently now. Can it be because of my Greek experience or am I just a bit further down the road on my journey?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">We now live in Gordon’s Bay and once again I have my studio in the attic and I have a window over my desk, this time with a view of the <st1:place st="on">Atlantic Ocean</st1:place>, of <st1:place st="on">False Bay</st1:place>. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> My work area is new, but very familiar. I have started working again and the first book I have illustrated is already with the publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">But now, after a long round trip, after 15 years I am back in the <st1:place st="on">Cape</st1:place> and I look at my situation and my work with new eyes. Dionysos was a wonderful chapter in my life, but here in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Fairest</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Cape</st1:placetype></st1:place> the light is also magical and the sunset is quite humbling. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">It is good to be back home... </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>and the journey continues...</b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span lang="EN-ZA">WRITTEN INTERVIEW WITH MARJORIE FOR CALLIOPE MAGAZINE, SCBWI Greece's Newsletter/Magazine <br />Athens – June 2001<br /><br /><br /><b>Calliope: Please tell us a little about your background and how you got interested in children’s books?</b><br />Marjorie: I grew up on a farm near Cape Town in South Africa and from an early age I loved reading and I loved drawing. In South Africa there was no television before I was 26 years old, so reading books was one of our main sources of entertainment. I also had lots of time to spend in my studio. After school I studied Art at university and later worked as a graphic designer in advertising. It was only when my daughter was born and I started reading to her (literally from the day that she was born!) when I re-discovered children’s books. That is when I became fascinated again, this time as an adult and a mother, by the illustrated picture book. I realised, through the eyes of my young child, the unique power and the beauty of picture books and it became my dream to write and to illustrate my own books for very young “readers”. <br /><br /><b>Calliope: Which came first, the writing or the illustrating? And for you, how are they related?</b><br /><br />Marjorie: My first breaks were to be commissioned to illustrate picture books written by other authors. At this stage I was quite happy to only create visual images for the written word. To be honest, I doubted my own ability to write really good books for kids. I had learnt to realise how truly difficult it is, while it seems so, so simple. My first editor, however, encouraged me very strongly to try. And my husband, who is an academic and an avid reader, always believed in my ability and always supported my efforts. And that is how I eventually took the plunge and wrote my first picture book. Maybe because I am so visually oriented, my stories often start with a very strong visual image. The story lines, the characters and the words form around the images in my head. To me a good picture book has to result from a perfect harmony between the text and the illustration. Neither is more important than the other. Like the voices in a canon the words and the pictures flow together. The words create the visual images, their form, their colour, their flow, their rhythm and their energy. The illustrations should become the words, their narrative, their humour, their irony, their emotions.<br /><br /><b>Calliope: In your workshop, “Getting Started”, you made many helpful points. Could you summarize what advice you have for new authors who aren’t sure how to begin?</b><br /><br />Marjorie: You have to know yourself. You must always remember that you are an adult writing for a child. You have to also know your reader. Never read your own work as an adult – read it as the open young mind it is created for. Try to find the child inside yourself again. See and experience the joy and, above all the wonder of life as a child does. See and experience things for the very first time, the way a young child does. Never, ever underestimate a young child’s intelligence or intuition. Keep in mind that these kids were designed to absorb and to learn and to enjoy – all they need is the right stimulation, the right triggers. The seeds of thousands of wonderful stories are there right inside your head. And you are gathering more each day. Your strongest and most influential memories are almost always those of your childhood. Just forget about trying to be a “writer” and simply tell your story to that child inside of you.<br /><br /><b>Calliope: Many new writers and illustrators complain about time management. Can you tell us how you manage to produce so prolifically? Any advice for others, especially those who also work at other jobs?</b><br /><br />Marjorie: Conceptualising, writing and illustrating picture books, like many other ventures, is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. It is damned hard work! And it takes a lot of self-discipline. I am in the very fortunate position that my writing and illustrating is my full-time occupation. So, every weekday morning at about eight I go to work and I work a full day of between eight and ten hours. My studio, my “office”, happens to be in my house, but that does not change the fact that I go to the office every day. I also have other responsibilities. I do not have a maid or a housekeeper, so if there is washing or ironing or shopping or other chores to be done, then I schedule (budget) my time for those jobs. In this respect I function like many other women who also work full days and still manage to keep the house.<br /><br />Before I start on a new book I spend quite a lot of time working out a realistic work schedule, with specific set targets and specific target dates – I draw up a “project plan”. And then I try to stick to it. This is not always possible, but for me it is the only way to work. It is not that I am overly flexible with the “project plan” and the schedule but I try to remain realistic and I never lower the standards by which I measure my final work. The artistic quality of the end product is the ultimate measure and not the efficiency of successfully sticking to a time schedule. Often a publisher’s deadline dictates the final drop-dead date. Then, sometimes, I simply have to put in lots of overtime and weekends. Fortunately I am blessed with a husband who does not mind preparing the odd dinner and he loves washing up dishes. When I do have to push hard to meet a deadline, the challenge is to remain creative and to meet the deadline without compromising quality – this is when I remind myself that once the book comes off the press it stands against my name for ever…<br /><br />I have huge admiration for anybody who can successfully write or illustrate part-time. I wish I could offer a magic formula for a writer or an illustrator who has to earn a living at doing another day job, but I can not. If your aim is to be published, then I absolutely believe that you and others should take yourself as an artist, and your work as a writer or illustrator seriously. If you want to do it as a hobby, then remain an amateur and love it, as the word “amateur” indicates – there is nothing wrong with that! You may not succeed in being published, but you can still enjoy the wonder and the satisfaction of creative work. If you do have the ambition to be published, then my only advice is to make the time, even if it is only two hours a night and ten or twelve hours over weekends. But then dedicate yourself to spend those hours “at the office” – make a contract with yourself and your family. Like an adult part-time student, who works at a profession every day and who has to set aside the time for dedicated study every evening, you will have to create those set blocks of time for your 10% inspiration and your 90% perspiration!<br /><br />Finally, never think about the money! If you are destined to be the next JK Rowling, it will happen. In the meantime, even if you cannot get your book published, you can still create a lovely work of art that you can enjoy yourself and that you can share with your own or your friends’ children in the one and only original artist’s copy.<br /><br /><b>Calliope: Can you talk a bit about that illusive ‘inspiration’? For illustrations? For stories?</b><br />Marjorie: I have already alluded to the 10% inspiration. I honestly believe in that ratio. And I do not believe that inspiration is “illusive”. If one immerses oneself in the world of children’s stories and pictures for eight to ten hours every day, then the "inspiration" just magically happens. Scientifically it might be slightly inaccurate, but I believe the strongest muscle in the human body is the brain. The more you exercise it, the more it thinks and the more it creates ideas! I have also surrounded myself with illustrated children’s books for the past twenty-five years. My personal collection numbers more than 50,000 titles. I dip into them over and over again and I often exercise my brain muscle by reading the words and savouring the pictures. What is illusive, though, are those wonderful moments of spontaneous inspiration, which come from suddenly seeing and noticing a thing of beauty. I find beauty very, very simulating and, yes, inspirational. To see a really good work of art. To see the beauty in a simple everyday thing in nature. To see a child laughing. Inspiration lies everywhere in the everyday things in life around me. Sometimes a single visual image can inspire a whole story line, with characters and plot complete. Sometimes a person or a character can inspire a story - or an animal or a flower or an ancient monument or a single news item in the morning paper. Or a tiny, lost kitten on the steps of the Parthenon. An innocent comment by a child or a simple question or an observation can lead to a story. It all comes from life all around me. When my daughter was six, she had heard and read so many stories that she made up a wonderfully original story herself and she told it to me. Quite a number of years later that story became a published picture book with her name on the cover as the author and mine as the illustrator. <br /><br />The story and the pictures are so interrelated in my head that I cannot say that the inspiration for one is different from the inspiration for the other. Sometimes a story idea is the germ of the book and very often a single visual image is. <br /><br /><b>Calliope: What was your favorite project so far and why!</b><br /><br />Marjorie: My favourite project tends to be the one I happen to be working on. I always feel that it is going to be better than the last one. I find that I am growing all the time, as a writer and even more so as an illustrator. Each new book I work on is an exciting new experience. And always different!<br /><br />Although creating picture books is my first love and not so-called educational readers, I do feel very proud of the reading series I conceptionalised, wrote and illustrated, the Bright Books. This series of sixteen fully illustrated picture books takes the child from the very first day of reading at school, through to the end of the third school year. It was specifically designed for the historically disadvantaged kids in South Africa and it is currently prescribed in many schools there. The project took me five years of hard work, lots of research and a solid 90% of perspiration! Not only do I feel proud as a writer and illustrator, but I feel grateful that I had the opportunity to contribute in my own small way to the education of the kids in my country where historically, through the whims of politicians, so many of them had to go through life totally illiterate.<br /><br />Having said that, I have to repeat that every new project is an adventure. The most exhilarating part is that Eureka! moment of inspiration. The fun part is the long slog and many hours of taking one step at a time up that high mountain of putting it all into words and pictures. The hard part is pouring my first cup of tea in the morning and looking through yesterday’s work and then realising that I have to redo it all, because it simply is not good enough. The frightening part is when I look through the proofs and am given my final chance to give my last input. And the moment of gratitude for having been given this gift of creativity is when the publisher hands me the first copy off the press. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Articles by Marjoriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03525616709424091051noreply@blogger.com