Author-illustrator Graeme Base sat on a small elevated platform in the children's section of our local Barnes & Noble. A small group of children clustered in the front row. Most of the seats were filled with "older folk." In a wonderfully animated style, he read his latest book, Enigma. What a sheer joy it was to hear his delightful poetry and see his luscious illustrations. In addition, Base was an enthusiastic speaker, full of humor and interesting information about his 25 years as an author-illustrator.


Enigma's Story

Bertie Badger's grandfather lives in a home for retired magicians. Bertie fondly remembers the days of glory when grandfather and his magic rabbit, Enigma, were famous. When Bertie arrives to visit one day, he finds that the magic trinkets that the retired magicians used in their acts have mysteriously disappeared. Among the missing: the beloved rabbit!

Bertie begins a search for the magic items. He visits each of the retired magicians:
•- Vlad, the Russian Bear, can't saw his magic babushka doll in half any more because it's disappeared
•- Bill Bison's card tricks won't work without the Queen of Hearts
•- The monkey's magic rings are gone
•- Miss Poodle, the Mademoiselle of Mime, can't find her cups and the ball she hides under them
•- Pollyanna Parrapoup, who used to read minds, has apparently lost hers
•- Lord Pandamonium (panda, get it?) can't locate his 3 magic jade bells
•- Mistress Hypnosis (a sexy camel) can't find her Mystic Sphinx of Sleep (whatever that is)
•- And the elderly toothless tiger, Mystic Maharaja, mistakes Bertie for the thief!

Bertie has no luck finding any of the items. Suddenly, Enigma appears. He confesses that, tired of being the one pulled from the hat instead of in the spotlight, he stole the magic items. He hid them and made a coded list of the hiding places, but now he can't remember how to break the code.

Bertie comes to the rescue with an alternate plan, and everything works out well for all of the retirees, as well as Enigma, who gets his night in the spotlight.

The entire story is told in verse, with clever rhymes. The rhythm and beats were perfect, as was evident when Mr. Base read the book aloud.


Illustrations

What can one say about Graeme Base's illustrations? Charming, stunning, exquisite - those are good starting points. As with his other gorgeous picture books, Enigma boasts intricately designed pages with deep, rich color. The animals' fur is so beautifully painted that you almost expect to feel the soft silkiness when you touch the pages. The faces are wonderfully expressive.

Every color spread has many intricate details - a definite trademark of Base's work. He fills the pages with small touches that perfectly frame the main action on the page. Photos on walls, musical instruments lying in corners, bric-a-brac on tables - all add depth and interest.

Some of the delightful striking details include:
•- Bill Bison wearing a cowboy hat and a Buffalo Bill style mustache and beard (very clever)
•- Mistress Hypnosis wearing a sheer headpiece that drapes her camel features and transforms her into a strikingly feminine creature
•- Pollyanna Parrapoup wearing a headpiece of grapes, oranges, bananas and pineapples (she's one of the most colorful creatures in the book)
•- Lord Pandamonium's floor cluttered with broken bowls (he's a levitation artist who isn't always successful at his art!)

I asked Base if the art work was painted. He replied that he uses water colors, acrylics, markers, and other tools to create the illustrations. Someone else asked how large the original pieces of artwork are, and Base explained that they're only slightly larger than they appear in the book. All of the illustrations are 2-page spreads.


The Real "Enigma"

In a clever twist, Base includes a puzzle to be solved. At the end of the story, Enigma's list of missing items is still not decoded. So, it's time for the reader to solve the mystery. By finding several clues in the pictures, the reader can unlock a secret decoder and then use the code to translate the list to find out where the missing items are. It's a bonus to an already clever picture book!


In the End...

This book is another Graeme Base winner with clever poetry and gorgeous illustrations. The children at Base's Barnes & Nobel appearance ranged in age from about 4 to 8. When asked if he targeted a specific age when writing, Base replied that he did not. He believed that would strap his imagination. Finally, he indicated that, though some of his vocabulary was advanced, it created a learning experience and that the illustrations could help with understanding of the language. Read aloud, the story was charming, humorous, and fun. And not just for the kids in the audience!


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Some other wonderful Graeme Base books:
Animalia (see http://www.epinions.com/review/Animalia_by_Graeme_Base/content_280632397444)
The Water Hole
Jungle Drums
The Eleventh Hour