‘The Sign of the Seahorse’ is described as ‘A Tale of Greed and High Adventure in Two Acts’. Base has created an underwater ‘play’ complete with a cast of brave and inventive heroes and heroines and equally dastardly villains. The rhythmic verse text is full of clever turns of phrase and a delight to read aloud. What draws you in though is the fully imagined underwater world created by Base’s brilliant and detailed artwork, each fishy face a human caricature. It is a romantic and dramatic tale of good triumphing over evil with its setting of the beautiful and fragile underwater world a somewhat unusual twist.
Base’s initial idea was the creation of a musical inspired by the treble clef shape of a seahorse. This initial stage musical ideas however morphed into a story written in verse that retains the musicality of the original idea and the uniqueness of a stage play format. A cleverly constructed combination of narrative techniques that abounds with many of the themes of great literature – love, passion, loss, greed, treachery and a quest.
The artwork is richly detailed and full of humorous twists and hidden puzzles to intrigue. Many of the scenes have the appearance of stage sets in keeping with the stage-play narrative format. The book’s endpapers are detailed maps of the underwater world setting and are referred to by Jule Watts, author of ‘The Art of Graeme Base’, as ‘a gauze curtain that hangs in front of the stage before it starts’.
Base attributes the inspiration for the book to his scuba diving trips to various places worldwide along with research that raised his concerns about the loss of coral reefs worldwide through pollution. The book’s underlying theme, the loss of their coral reef home through pollution and greed, reflects these concerns.
The book’s intricate and imaginative artwork and the unique narrative construction and poetry make it worthy of multiple readings. The accompanying strong ecological message is an excellent discussion source. This is a book with much to offer and to share with all ages.
A useful tool for studying the work and background to the books of Graeme Base is the following book:
Watts, Julie. ‘The Art of Graeme Base.’ Viking/Penguin Books, 2008. ISBN: 9780670071302
Picture Books for Older Readers
