The Memory Book

A celebrated children's illustrator delves into his childhood memories in this astonishingly personal, illustrated look at an artist's young mind. A record of the artist's first seven years of life in London before his family moved to Australia, the book's two-page spreads are each devoted to a specific memory of the city, as though he were compiling a collection of memories by which to remember his home country. Each hauntingly illustrated memory is accompanied by a short bit of simplistic text that captures the essence of child-speak. Capturing the entire spectrum of a child's emotions, from extreme joy to profound loneliness and fear, this intensely personal autobiographical work invites readers to explore and reconnect with the pulse of their own childhood.

A celebrated children's illustrator delves into his childhood memories in this astonishingly personal, illustrated look at an artist's young mind. A record of the artist's first seven years of life in London before his family moved to Australia, the book's two-page spreads are each devoted to a specific memory of the city, as though he were compiling a collection of memories by which to remember his home country. Each hauntingly illustrated memory is accompanied by a short bit of simplistic text that captures the essence of child-speak. Capturing the entire spectrum of a child's emotions, from extreme joy to profound loneliness and fear, this intensely personal autobiographical work invites readers to explore and reconnect with the pulse of their own childhood.

Neil Curtis is a recipient of the Silver Award for Illustration by the Australian Writers and Art Directors Associaton and the illustrator of Bear Dinkum, Mr. Noah and the Cats, The Roo Book, and Cat and Fish, winner of the 2004 Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award.