Over a prolific 25-year career, 2004 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal winner Pamela Allen has created books that have become widely loved by New Zealand and Australian families and published also in Britain, America, Japan, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Spain and Korea. Wayne Mills said 'For over a generation, Pamela Allen's range of literary characters and settings have given children immense intellectual delight, leaving both child and parent amused and challenged.'

 

Born in Devonport in 1934, Pamela Allen knew she wanted to draw from an early age. This translated into a Diploma in Fine Art, from Elam, years later. For over twenty years Pamela has been delighting audiences in New Zealand and Australia with her captivating picture books. Her themes range from educational ("Mr Archimedes Bath", published 1980; and "Who sank the boat?", published 1982) to heart-breaking ("Black Dog", published 1991) and funny (the Mr McGee series, for example). Her love of language and whimsy is shown in many titles, "Bertie and the Bear" (published 1983), for example, just cries out for reading aloud, with gusto.

 

Pamela is distinguished for being the only person to win the Australian CBC Picture Book of the Year in two consecutive years with "Who Sank the Boat?" and "Bertie and the Bear". Pamela's illustrations epitomise movement and animation. Her words are carefully chosen to convey her meaning, and yet her text is deceptively simple. The combination of the two has created classics and treasures that are much loved, and will continue to be treasured for years to come. Pamela says: Young children gather meaning from many clues, language being only one possibility. I use pictures, sound, drama, and language. All of this only comes alive when it is shared. There is the adult, the child, and the book: the fun they have together is what it is all about. Pamela has been quoted as saying: I think books are a means of understanding the world and, in my case, I see my books as being read aloud. So I see a caring adult with a child and the opportunity for a book to be the catalyst to go on a journey. Her ability to meld words and pictures has encouraged many of us to take that journey.

 

Bibilography:

Mr Archimedes' bath (Collins) 1980
Tall story by Sally Fitzpatrick, illustrated by Pamela Allen (Angus & Robertson) 1981
Who sank the boat? (Nelson) 1982
Bertie and the bear (Nelson) 1983
Lion in the night (Nelson) 1985
Simon said (Nelson) c1985
Watch me (Nelson) c1985.
Herbert & Harry (Puffin) 1990, c1986
Hidden treasure (G.P. Putnam) 1987, c1986
Mr McGee (Hodder & Stoughton) 1987
Simon did (Viking Kestrel) 1988
Fancy that!  Pamela Allen (Hodder & Stoughton) 1988
I wish I had a pirate suit (Viking Kestrel) 1989
My cat Maisie (Viking) 1990
Black dog (Viking) 1991
Belinda (Viking) 1992
Mr McGee goes to sea (Hodder & Stoughton) 1992

Alexander's outing (Viking) 1993
Mr McGee and the blackberry jam (Viking) 1993

Clippity-clop (Viking) 1994
Waddle giggle gargle (Puffin) 1996
The Bear's lunch (Viking) 1997
Ordinary Albert story by Nancy Antle, pictures by Pamela Allen (Angus & Robertson) 1997
Mr McGee and the biting flea (Viking) 1998
Mr McGee and the perfect nest (Viking) 1999
Pear in the pear tree (Viking) c1999
Inside Mary Elizabeth's house (Viking) 2000
Can you keep a secret? (Viking) 2000
Brown bread and honey (Viking) 2001
Daisy all-sorts (Viking) 2002
Potato people (Viking) 2002
Grandpa and Thomas (Viking) 2003
Cuthbert's babies (Penguin/Viking) 2003
Mr McGee and the big bag of bread (Penguin / Viking) 2004
Where's the gold? (Penguin/Viking) 2005
Doodledum dancing by Meredith Costain & illustrated by Pamela Allen (Penguin/Viking) 2006
Grandpa and Thomas and the green umbrella (Viking) 2006
My first ABC (Puffin Baby) c2006
Share said the rooster (Penguin/Viking) 2006
Shh! little mouse (Penguin/Viking) 2007

My first 123 (Puffin Baby) 2007

Is your Granmother a goanna? (Viking) 2007

Felix (Viking) 2008

My first A B C (Puffin Baby) 2008

Our daft dog Danny (Penguin) 2009

The toymaker and the bird (Penguin) 2009