Fans of Thiago de Moraes filled out the White Horse Bookshop on Sunday, where children’s illustrator invited us into his mind of mythologic drawing.
Opening the hour of inspiration, Moraes immersed the audience in a creepy story about Eskimos and their gods, providing three lessons for kids that resulted in an uproar of laughter:
1) Don’t eat grown-ups; “they don’t taste very good”
2) Don’t throw babies
3) Don’t chop yours or others’ fingers off – “try to keep them all”
The session was incredibly entertaining for both children and their parents. Everybody had the opportunity to contribute to the mashing-up of animals, creating wild and mythological group drawings, one of which Moraes humorously described as looking “like a seahorse… that has some issues.”
The fantastic idea of adding a top hat to the creature inspired laughs when Moraes said, “just because he looks like this doesn’t mean he isn’t invited anywhere”!
There were many enthusiastic artists in the crowd, eager to share which animals they wanted to contribute to the drawing, and through suggestions and an audience vote it was named “The Fantastic Brian.”
Thiago de Moraes is incredible with his quick and witty ideas, securing the audience’s attention at all times and sharing tips and tricks on how to draw distinctively, for example that “dots and x’s look more snake-like [on the tail].”
The children (and adults!) had the opportunity to present their ideas in their own drawings as the illustrator made his way around the room, assisting in any way helpful.
Moraes left the audience with one great piece of advice: if you like drawing now, don’t stop. A lot of people stop drawing when they reach a certain age, but if you have an idea don’t be afraid to turn it into a drawing.
Thiago has won the Sheffield Children’s Book Award, was longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize and twice nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. His books have been translated into 24 languages.
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