Alan Robinson, author and illustrator of the 'Grandpa's Farm series, reflects on his writing journey

By Alan Robinson

'Grandpa's Farm: A Spring Day' came to me in verse as Sharyn and I drove through rural New Zealand. I love rhyme and I have found that, generally speaking, children do as well. They anticipate the next line according to the rhyme.  I feel the “bush ballad” approach, given the rural theme of the book series, is the right one. 

My picture book journey began when I illustrated Gordon Winch’s book 'Do you Know Millie?' At that time the wisdom and encouragement of the publishing team at New Frontier was extremely valuable. I was fortunate to have that opportunity.  That project opened the door for the 'Grandpa’s Farm' series. 

While I have always enjoyed drawing, a graphic design course at Randwick Tech in the 1970s and water colour classes at Willoughby Art Workshop in the 1980s were invaluable in helping me to develop my skills and illustration style. 

Writing and illustrating has never been more than a hobby, while my paid employment has been very demanding of my time. Retirement, however, has given me the time to focus without interruption. 

I’ll be interested to discover what’s next.