As in many nations of the world, post-holocaust fiction is a genre which has also
emerged, Victor Kelleher’s Taronga (1986) and Gillian Rubenstein’s Beyond the Labyrinth
(1989) are complex and compelling examples. Romance fiction sustains its popularity
with its role in the lives of young women now being critically scrutinised (Gilbert 1991).
Undoubtedly, however, the authors most sought after in the 1990s are those who write
humorous fiction for children and adolescents, although writers such as Paul Jennings,
Robin Klein and Margaret Clark receive little critical attention. Ironically, such writers
are very serious about their humour, often seeing it as a vehicle for social comment.
Klein’s narratives sustain an ideology sympathetic to working class youth; Clark’s
indirectly address social issues such as bulimia and significant roles for young women;
Jennings’s are a pure indulgence of black humour—endorsed by youth, if not by
custodians of youth.
Books which include illustrations have existed throughout Australia’s publishing
history and examples of these early works are now available on microfiche (Pre-1890
Australian Children’s Books (1994) from the State Library of South Australia). Books
which depend for their meaning on illustrations are a more recent development and
have become a publishing phenomena, maturing in the 1970s. This was a time when
the mineral boom brought a sense of hope and great prosperity to the country. As a
nation Australia saw itself as a thriving independent nation—no longer subservient to or
dependent on Britain. Along with the general feeling of independence, wealth and
prosperity, came the development of lithographic techniques, the removal of import
restrictions on books, ‘off-shore printing, cooperation between publishing companies
(both nationally and internationally), a diversifying of media and subject matter, a
broadening of the audience for picture-books; and the influence of visual communication
in television and film. High-quality books diverse in subject matter, design and medium
intricately explored the subtle interaction between illustration, print and the reader.
These trends have been intensified during the 1980s and 1990s as picture books have
increasingly been identified as a source of aesthetic interest for child, adolescent and
adult. It has, however, been a matter of contention that far too often the picture book
section of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award has not been
awarded. This has led to the Australian Book Publishers Association Book Design
Awards Best—Designed Illustrated Children’s Book (from 1969). There is also the
Crichton Award (from 1988) for new illustrators in the field of picture books. Through
the Macmillan Award (from 1990), one publisher even seeks out unpublished
manuscripts for picture books. Titles which have captured the market both nationally
and internationally are the alphabet puzzle book, Animalia by Graeme Base (1986), and
the entertaining family story Possum Magic by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas (1983), with
Waltzing Matilda by Desmond Digby (1970) proving to be a significant pictorial
representation of the melody. More than half the books nominated for the book of the
year award are now picture books with the styles and artistic techniques becoming
increasingly sophisticated. Variation in artistic technique and impact is to be found in
the detailed pen and ink work of Peter Pavey, the fine cross hatchings of Ron Brooks,
the droll humorous characters of Pamela Allen and quick impressionistic line of Bob
Graham; the witty, pointed characters of Terry Denton, the very funny line drawings of
Craig Smith, the delicate pastel collage of Patricia Mullins, the robust painterly drawings
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