Anthony Browne: U.K.'s Newest Children's Laureate
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By Lauren Barack -- School Library Journal, 8/17/2009 2:10:00 PM
Anthony Browne, the beloved author of Gorilla (Candlewick, 2002), has just stepped into his new role as Britain’s newest Children’s Laureate. We caught up with Browne to hear how he plans to promote school libraries in the U.K., why he believes adults should read children’s books too, and where he finds his muse for his work. By the way, his latest book, Little Beauty (Candlewick, 2008), is—surprise, surprise—about gorillas.
Were you surprised by your nomination?
I’d been short-listed two years ago, so it wasn’t completely out of the blue when I heard the news. I was, of course, delighted, but very much aware of the huge amount of work done by previous laureates. I’m determined to try to keep a balance between working on my next picture book and the laureateship commitments.
What do you hope to accomplish in your new role?
My primary focus will be on picture books, as I feel they have been marginalized in recent years in the U.K. Too often I hear parents encouraging their children to read "proper books" (books without pictures) at an earlier and earlier age. I hope to make an impact on reversing this trend by encouraging the reading of both words and pictures into adulthood.
How will public and school libraries fit into your plans?
Much of the work that I’ll be doing will involve public libraries and school libraries, continuing and expanding upon what I already do. In the U.K., both are under threat, with far too many closures. In some counties, school libraries don’t exist at all, and I hope to be able to promote them as a rich, important, and enjoyable resource at every opportunity.
From where do you draw ideas for your own work?
My inspiration comes from everywhere—from my childhood, my own children, other people’s stories, films, paintings, and dreams. Everything comes from somewhere else. We transform or develop existing ideas, stories, or images by our own experiences. Gorilla, for instance, was also inspired by the original film of King Kong, a toy plastic trumpet bought for me by my parents when I’d hoped for a real one, and by a lonely little boy in my village whose father lived in New Zealand.
Do your illustrations inspire stories?
Sometimes stories come directly from images in my head or characters that I have drawn, but usually an idea comes to me not as words or pictures but something like a dream or a film. Like many other author/illustrators the first thing I put on paper is in the form of a storyboard.
What’s a favorite story within your own body of work?
Of my books, I suppose my favorite is still Gorilla. It was my seventh book and really the first one where I think I began to understand how picture books work. And from other people’s work I love Where the Wild Things Are (Harper, 1963)—the perfect picture book, and Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mystery of Harris Burdick (Houghton, 1984)—a wonderful stimulus to children’s imaginations.
What particularly about gorillas and chimps grabs you?
Firstly, they are fascinating creatures to look at. I have spent hours looking at gorillas in zoos (I have yet to see them in the wild, but I would love to). Old people’s faces are far more interesting to draw than young people’s because of the patterns and contours of the aged skin; gorilla faces are more appealing still. The wrinkles and lumps and bumps and swellings and hair and muscle are irresistible to the pencil.
Secondly, they are so much like people. Looking into a gorilla’s eyes is almost exactly like looking into a person’s eyes, and if I look for long enough it seems as though there is another human being inside the gorilla, looking back at me. It is an eerie yet exhilarating experience. They are so much like us.
Is there any connection to your childhood?
They remind me of my father. He was a big, strong, quite fierce-looking man, with an aggressive streak, which he saved for the rugby field, the boxing ring, and the war zone. This made him a hero to my brother and I—we wanted to do all the same things. But while he encouraged us to be physical, there was another side of him that was extremely gentle. Dad was just as happy drawing with us, telling us stories, or writing us poems, as he was teaching us how to tackle. I think of Dad when I look at gorillas. They are immensely powerful creatures that can be terrifyingly aggressive when they want to be, but they also have a gentle side, which they express by grooming each other, showing affection, and caring for their families.
What important and unique role do picture books play in the lives of children?
Picture books are special—they’re not like anything else. They are perfect for sharing, and not just with the youngest children. As a father, I understand the importance of the bond that develops through reading and talking about picture books with your child. I believe the best picture books leave a tantalizing gap between the pictures and the words, a gap that’s filled by the reader's imagination, adding so much to the excitement of the book. And picture books are for everybody at any age, not books to be left behind as we grow older.
