Bob Graham (author/illustrator)

Robert Donald Graham, better known as Bob Graham (born 20 October 1942), is an Australian author and illustrator of picture books, primarily for very young children.[1]

Bob Graham
Born
Robert Donald Graham

(1942-10-20) 20 October 1942 (age 82)
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Author and illustrator
Notable workMax
Awards

Graham won the 2002 Kate Greenaway Medal from the British librarians, recognising the year's best-illustrated children's book published in the UK, for the picture book Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child (Walker Books), which he both wrote and illustrated. (He donated the £5000 cash prize to refugees.)[2][3] The story features a young girl who finds a tiny fairy family "in cement and weeds", contrary to her father's teaching.[2] He also won a 2000 Smarties Prize, ages category 0–5 years, for Max[4] and the 2002 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Picture Book, for "Let's Get A Pup!" Said Kate.[5]

For his contribution as a children's illustrator, Graham was Australia nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2012.[6]

Biography

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Graham was born in Sydney, Australia.[1] He loved drawing and was greatly influenced by comics such as The Phantom and Mandrake.[7]

He studied drawing and painting, went to the UK after graduation, returned to Sydney, and there began his career as an illustrator and designer. Between 1983 and 1995 he lived in Melbourne working as an illustrator for a publishing house, The Five Mile Press. He now lives in the UK and works on a monthly comic-strip for a French magazine, Les Belles Histoires as well as continuing to produce picture books.

In 1982 he illustrated the music and lyrics booklet for Australian Broadcasting Commission's Sing primary school music radio broadcast. A scene from Greetings from Sandy Beach was used as one in a series of Australia Post stamps celebrating the 50th anniversary of the annual Children's Book Council of Australia awards.

WorldCat reports from participating libraries that his most widely held work is How to Heal a Broken Wing, a 36-page picture book about a city boy who rescues an injured bird; published in 2008 by both Walker and its US division Candlewick Press. WorldCat libraries hold editions in Scottish Gaelic, French, Spanish, Catalan, and Chinese.[8]

Awards and honours

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Graham's books have received numerous honors and have been listed on several "best of" lists.

Eleven of Graham's books are Junior Library Guild selections: Max (2000),[9] Tales from the Waterhole (2004),[10] How to Heal a Broken Wing (2008),[11] April and Esme, Tooth Fairies (2011),[12] The Silver Button (2014),[13] Vanilla Ice Cream (2014),[14] How the Sun Got to Coco's House (2015),[15] Home in the Rain (2017),[16] The Underhills (2020),[17] Ellie's Dragon (2021),[18] and Maxine (2022).[19]

The Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison included nine of Graham's books in their year-end lists of the best books: "Let's Get a Pup" Said Kate (2001),[20] Oscar’s Half Birthday (2005),[21] "The Trouble with Dogs..." Said Dad (2007),[22] How to Heal a Broken Wing (2008),[23] April and Esme: Tooth Fairies (2010),[24] A Bus Called Heaven (2012),[25] The Silver Button (2013),[26]How the Sun Got to Coco's House (2015),[27] and Maxine (2021).[28]

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has named the following as Notable Children's Books: "Let's Get A Pup,' Said Kate (2002),[29] Oscar's Half Birthday (2006),[30] Dimity Dumpty (2008),[31] April and Esme, Tooth Fairies (2011),[32] Home in the Rain (2018).[33] ALSC also included Max (Reading Rainbow), an adaptation of Graham's Max, a Notable Children's Video in 2003.[34]

School Library Journal named How to Heal a Broken Wing one of the best picture books of 2008.[11]

Two of Graham's books received fanfare from The Horn Book Magazine, meaning they were listed as the magazine's best books of the year. Fanfare books include April and Esme, Tooth Fairies (2010) and Home in the Rain (2017).[35]

Kirkus Reviews named Vanilla Ice Cream one of the best picture books of 2014.[14]

Vanilla Ice Cream was selected by Bank Street College of Education as one of the best books of 2015.[36]

In 2017, Home in the Rain received a blue ribbon from The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.[37][16]

Awards for Graham's writing
Year Title Award Result Ref.
1986 First there was Frances CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Commended [38]
1987 The Wild CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Shortlist [38]
1988 Crusher is Coming CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Winner [38]
1990 Grandad's Magic CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Honour [38]
1991 Greetings from Sandy Beach CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Winner [38]
1992 Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's Human Rights Awards, Children's Literature category Commended
1993 CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Winner [38]
Children's Peace Literature Award Winner [39]
1997 Queenie the Bantam Kate Greenaway Medal Highly commended [40][a]
1998 Queenie the Bantam CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Shortlist [38]
1999 Buffy: An Adventure Story Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, ages 0–5 years Silver [4]
2000 CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Shortlist [38]
Children's Yearly Best Ever Reads (CYBER) Award, Picture Books Winner
Max Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, ages 0–5 years Winner [4]
2001 CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood Honour [38][41]
2002 Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child Kate Greenaway Medal Winner [3][2]
"Let's Get A Pup!" Said Kate Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Picture Book Winner [5]
CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood Winner [38]
2003 Jethro Byrde, Fairy Child CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Shortlist [38]
2005 Aristotle (as illustrator) Blue Peter Book Award, Best Illustrated Book to Read Aloud Shortlist
Tales from the Waterhole CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood Shortlist [38]
2006 Oscar’s Half Birthday Charlotte Zolotow Award Commend [42]
2008 "The Trouble with Dogs..." Said Dad. CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood Shortlist [38]
Charlotte Zolotow Award Commended [43]
2009 How to Heal a Broken Wing CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood Winner [38]
Charlotte Zolotow Award Winner [43]
2011 April and Esme: Tooth Fairies Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor [43]
April Underhill, Tooth Fairy Prime Minister's Literary Award, West Australia Shortlist
2012 A Bus Called Heaven CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Winner [38]
2014 The Silver Button CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Honour [38]
Charlotte Zolotow Award Commended [44]
Irma Black Award Finalist [13][45][46]
Prime Minister's Literary Award, Children's Fiction Winner [47]
2016 How the Sun Got to Coco's House Charlotte Zolotow Award Commended [44]
2017 Home in the Rain CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Winner [38][48]
Prime Minister's Literary Award, Children's Fiction Winner [49]
2021 Ellie’s Dragon CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book Shortlist [38]
2023 Jigsaw: A Puzzle in the Post CBCA's Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood Shortlist [50]
Children's Book Award, Queensland Literary Awards Shortlist [51]

Notes

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  1. ^ Today there are usually eight books on the Greenaway Medal shortlist. According to CCSU, some runners-up were Commended (from 1959) or Highly Commended (from 1974). There were 99 distinctions of both kinds in 44 years, including two highly commended for 1997.[40]

References

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  1. ^ a b Erin Peters (April 2012). "Bob Graham" Archived 3 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, 50(2), p. 9. doi:10.1353/bkb.2012.0058
  2. ^ a b c (Greenaway Winner 2002) Archived 29 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Living Archive: Celebrating the Carnegie and Greenaway Winners. CILIP. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  3. ^ a b (directory, 2003 CILIP Awards press releases) Archived 4 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. CILIP. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
    • Four press releases 11 July 2003 pertain to Graham. See also the earlier release 2 May 2003, "... Judges Comments on the Shortlist". Unfortunately, the primary release "Bob Graham Wins CILIP Greenaway Medal" is mis-linked to the next year's announcement, as of 2012-07-18.
  4. ^ a b c "Nestlé Children's Book Prize" Archived 15 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Booktrust. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards: Winners and Honor Books 1967 to present". The Horn Book. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  6. ^ "2012 Awards" Archived 7 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Hans Christian Andersen Awards. International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).
      "Bob Graham". Hans Christian Andersen Awards. IBBY. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  7. ^ "A Guide to the Papers and Artwork of BOB GRAHAM" (PDF). University of Canberra. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Formats and Editions of How to heal a broken wing" Archived 4 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine. WorldCat. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  9. ^ "Max by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Tales from the Waterhole by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  11. ^ a b "How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  12. ^ "April and Esme, Tooth Fairies by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  13. ^ a b "The Silver Button by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Vanilla Ice Cream by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  15. ^ "How the Sun Got to Coco's House by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Home in the Rain by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild . Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  17. ^ "The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Ellie's Dragon by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  19. ^ "Maxine by Bob Graham". Junior Library Guild. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  20. ^ "CCBC-Recommended Book Search: "Let's Get a Pup" Said Kate". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  21. ^ "CCBC-Recommended Book Search: Oscar's Half Birthday". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  22. ^ "CCBC-Recommended Book Search: "The Trouble with Dogs..." Said Dad". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  23. ^ "CCBC-Recommended Book Search: How to Heal a Broken Wing". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  24. ^ "CCBC-Recommended Book Search: April and Esme: Tooth Fairies". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  25. ^ "CCBC-Recommended Book Search: A Bus Called Heaven". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  26. ^ "CCBC-Recommended Book Search: The Silver Button". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  27. ^ "CCBC-Recommended Book Search: How the Sun Got to Coco's House". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  28. ^ "CCBC-Recommended Book Search: Maxine". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  29. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (26 February 2007). "2002 Notable Children's Books announced". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  30. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (12 December 2006). "2006 Notable Books Announced". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  31. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (29 January 2008). "ALSC announces 2008 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  32. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (18 January 2011). "ALSC announces 2011 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  33. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (12 April 2018). "ALSC names 2018 Notable Children's Books". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  34. ^ Schulte-Cooper, Laura (26 February 2007). "ALSC announces 2003 Notable Children's Videos". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  35. ^ "Horn Book Fanfare 1938 to present". The Horn Book. 5 December 2012. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  36. ^ "Best Children's Books of the Year, Under Five, 2015 Edition" (PDF). Bank Street College of Education. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  37. ^ "2017 Blue Ribbons". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Winners 2000 - 2006 - CBCA". Children's Book Council of Australia. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  39. ^ "Children's Peace Literature Award". AustLit. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  40. ^ a b "Kate Greenaway Medal" Archived 16 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine. 2005(?). Curriculum Lab. Elihu Burritt Library. Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  41. ^ "The Children's Book Council of Australia: Book of the Year Awards 1946 —" (PDF). Children's Book Council of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  42. ^ "Booklists". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  43. ^ a b c "Booklists". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  44. ^ a b "Booklists". Cooperative Children's Book Center. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  45. ^ "Irma Black Award 2014 Semifinalists". Bank Street College Center for Children's Literature. 8 January 2014. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  46. ^ Dar, Mahnaz (15 January 2014). "Bank Street CCL Names 2014 Irma Black Award, Cook Prize Finalists". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  47. ^ "2014 PM's Literary Award winners announced". Australian Government – Department of Communications and the Arts. 8 December 2014. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  48. ^ Convery, Stephanie; Harmon, Steph (17 August 2017). "Claire Zorn's grief-and-surfing story wins children's book of the year award". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  49. ^ ""The winners of the 2017 Prime Minister's Literary Awards have been announced!"". Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  50. ^ "CBCA Awards 2023 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  51. ^ "Queensland Literary Awards 2023 shortlists". Books+Publishing. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
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