Out of Africa
Suitable for grades 4-8
Brian Keating
In Amazing Animal Adventures Around the World, Calgary's Brian Keating helps children learn about the environment and how to conserve it through firsthand accounts of his expeditions, illustrated with his own photographs.
Graeme Base
Australian Graeme Base loves language and illustration, and creates intricate picture books that often centre on animals and wildlife. He talks about making his books, including the classic Animalia, Truckdogs and Jungle Drums about the smallest warthog in the jungle.
Writer Bios
Brian Keating has a full-time job heading up the Conservation Outreach Department at the Calgary Zoo, but he is also in heavy demand as a speaker, with weekly appearances on CBC Radio and an average of 60 speaking engagements throughout Canada and the US each year. He has led ecotourism groups to some of the best wildlife watching locations on all seven continents, and he draws on these experiences in his first book for children, Amazing Adventures Around the World. (bio current at February 2010)
Australian artist and musician Graeme Base wrote his first book at the age of eight, but was only published many years later. After working in advertising and as an illustrator, Base decided to write his own books primarily for the pleasure of illustrating them. One of the illustrations in his book Animalia took three months to complete. His other books include The Eleventh Hour and The Sign of the Seahorse. (bio current at February 2010)
Books Discussed
Amazing Animal Adventures Around the World by Brian Keating
Animalia by Graeme Base
Truckdogs by Graeme Base
Jungle Drums by Graeme Base
Acknowledgements
This presentation was taped live at the 2004 Writers Festival on Granville Island. The creation of this video was made possible by CBC British Columbia and the Vancouver International Writers Festival.
