A special tribute to Piet Grobler, Illustrator: On behalf of IBBY SA it is a great honour for me to give this tribute to Piet Grobler, one of South Africa’s best loved illustrators of books for young people. Not only is he recognized for his work as illustrator , but also for his total commitment to assist in the developing of a reading culture amongst our children. He has been consistently involved with as a loyal supporter of IBBY SA, and for the IBBY Conference in South Africa in 2004, he voluntarily created the poster used to promote the Conference here in Cape Town. Over the years he has created many outstanding and award-winning books , in collaboration with well-known local, and international writers. His enthusiasm for his work, and his special gift for encouraging young illustrators to grow and market their talents, makes him even more of a role model for others Piet Grobler consistently does work of high quality. He stubbornly refuses to settle for anything inferior, whether it is in selecting the tools of his craft, in selecting suitable stories, or in his dealing with publishers. He is a unique individual with a definite personal style; and with the ability to adapt to the special requirements of each text he works with; working fast but taking his time to get the atmosphere of the story exactly right ; and then adding his own subtext in the background details to the story. His illustrations are truelly works of art, subtle, refined, and very imaginative. Painstaking attention is given to the finest minute detail. He has a noticeable humorous touch, slightly off-beat and sometimes absurd, playful, satirical, intensely creative , engaging and without pretensions. He uses colour with finesse and great care; each illustration is lively , but at the same time very decorative and as such pleasing to the selective critical eye. He has a subtle pen, with an eye for small details and often draws with engaging lines; giving his work a touch of mystery, purity, complexity, and with a sophisticated edge to delight even the adult viewer. References to biblical stories, fables and folklore give his work a sense of history, and reveals his underlying respect for the power behind all human creation. The illustrator is a civilized , wise, humble and gentle person. These qualities allow him to treat each new project with the necessary care and with respect for the writer’s message; and allows him to reject projects distasteful to him. By giving his own interpretation of a specific culture, he manages to bring different cultures subtly together, making his work accessible to a worldwide audience, especially if translated into many languages. He approaches the child, and the child’s needs, with great care and much thought. Llike many good illustrators before him, he sets no boundaries to the child’s imagination. He sees the book as a starting point for the child into the world of art and llife; picture books step across borders. He personally quoted Kveta Pacovska who said that “ A book is the first art gallery through which a child walks”. And Piet Grobler wants to make this experience as memorable and beautiful as possible. As an example of his work.I would like to discuss the book Makwelane and the crocodile, by Maria Hendriks for which he did the illustrations. Published by Human & Rousseau, Cape Town 2004: The story is set against an African background, and it is a delightful and very colourful tale in the tradition of all great folk and fairytales, reminiscent of tales like Little Red Riding Hood,. A little girl, who dreams of the day when she will be big enough to visit her grandmother all by herself, is threatened by an evil crocodile who wants to devour them both. Maria Hendriks localized the story in Zululand, and Piet Grobler on cue staged his unique interpretation of a typical Natal scene complete with Zulu huts, rolling hills, rivers, plants,often bare trees, mealielands, cows and chickens. Piet Grobler describes it as “a friendly tale in a comtemporary setting”. With his own special touch and flair he brings the story closer and makes it more accessible to today’s readers. He dresses the characters in modern clothes, not traditional; he adds an endearing touch with a framed picture of Gogo, the beloved grandmother, and uses a textured background to create more warmth and depth. He did not want to lose the charm of a traditional setting, or take the myth away completely, so the design on the little girl’s dress is an African print. Piet strongly associates earthy tones with that area: the yellows of sandy soil and dead grass in winter; blue skies, and then the warmth of oranges, the reds of aloe plants; the colourful clothes of the mother and grandmother; Makwelane’s orange dress, and with tiny patches of green in the leaves of trees. Mixed media is used: collage; acrylic paints, the leaves of the trees are painted in oil and pastels, charcoal is used. The text pages have texture to express the earthiness of the story. The unusual buterfly in the story has wings made by cuttings of Zulu tapestry work; the scary eyes of the crocodile are grotesque human eyes recovered from fashion magazines. By using bits of photography, he deliberately changes the codes according to which most readers respond to the text. Tension is created, the viewer becomes more alert. By adding collage he adds a bit of reality, and this cautions the reader subconsciously, and creates new expectations. The combination of a variety of art techniques makes the whole presentation more interesting and alive. Typical of his work, Piet Grobler does not draw lifelike characters. He gives his impression of a typical Zulu child and family. He uses caricatures of people. The characters are unique looking-no-name brands so to speak, and the reader is introduced to a very endearing little girl and her family. As such all preconceived ideas of how a black person should be portrayed by an illustrator who is perhaps from another cultural background, is challenged and successfully dismissed. Makwelane is a charming and very likeable little girl with a broad watermelon welcoming smile; sharp little teeth, and thin legs and arms. When she sings her mouth forms a perfect round O; and when the crocodile frightens her the contrast between the scared face of the bravce little girl and the huge mouth and piercing eyes of the crocodile is strongly reeinforced. Typical of the illustrator, he introduces some o fhis fun-loving lighter touches with a tiny zebra running up a hill; a row of porcupines marching at the bottom of a page; curious birds and a grasshopper watching the events; a delightful huge funny looking butterfly; tiny eggs in bird nests; and a very scary crocodile bewitching us with his strange hypnotic eyes. I liked the idea that Makwelane is asociated with music; and her dad made her her own personal music maker, a makwelane. This reinforces the innocence of the child who always sings her songs to whoever wants to listen; and who tries to comfort the insect and bird who tries to warn her against the crocodile’s evil intentions.She is oblivious to her own danger; she is portrayed as innocent, caring and loving. Movement is well created with Makwelane helping her mother to hang up the washing on the trees; crushing mealies with a pestle; taking a sip of sour milk from her calabash; running and hurling her calabash at the crocodile; flinging her music maker’s bow at him, and finally shoving the makwelane in the crocodile’s mouth. In contrast to her playfulness, the whole of nature is immobile; watching and waiting. Then only the crocodile makes his moves. Until the final scene when the girl and her grandmother triumph over the crocodile and everybody; also the birds and chickens, dance in celebration of the victory. Now the crocodile is a small trapped reptile in the background, no longer looking very powerful or dangerous. Once again we are reminded that stories are universal; that folk and fairy tales are created in all cultures, and despite cultural differences, the story speaks to the child in every country and the child in all of us. Piet Grobler’s nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator’s award goes with the good wishes and blessings of IBBY SA, our South African children , and I am sure with that of children worldwide. Lona Gericke, Head of Children’s Services, Bellville Library. Vice- President, IBBY South Africa. May 2007.