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The Afternoon Treehouse
A child discovers an abandoned treehouse in an old oak tree and visits it regularly, each time finding new treasures inside. He wonders about who built and furnished it so lovingly and thinks about the place of treehouses in legend and literature. On the last pages Robert Ingpen gives advice on designing and building a treehouse.
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
25 people want to read
About the author
Robert Ingpen
173 books44 followersRobert Roger Ingpen (AM) (born 13 October 1936) is an Australian graphic designer, illustrator, and author. He received the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration in 1986, recognizing his "lasting contribution to children's literature".
Ingpen was born in Geelong Australia and attended Geelong College to 1957. He graduated with a Diploma of Graphic Art from RMIT where he studied with Harold Freedman.
In 1958, Ingpen was appointed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) as an artist to interpret and communicate the results of scientific research. From 1968 Ingpen worked as a freelance designer, illustrator and author. He was also a member of a United Nations team in Mexico and Peru until 1975, where he designed pamphlets on fisheries and was involved in "a number of Australian conservation and environmental projects". He left the CSIRO to work full-time as a freelance writer in 1968. Ingpen's interest in conservation issues continued, and he was one of the founding members of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Ingpen has written and/or-illustrated more than 100 published books. These include children's picture books and fictional stories for all ages. His nonfiction books mostly relate to history, conservation, environment and health issues. He is a frequent collaborator with author and editor Michael Page.
Ingpen has designed many postage stamps for Australia. Ingpen designed the flag and coat of arms for the Northern Territory. Ingpen has created a number of public murals in Geelong, Melbourne, Canberra and the Gold Coast in Queensland. He also has designed bronze statues, which include the 'Poppykettle Fountain' in Geelong's Steam Packet Gardens (currently dry due to drought restrictions) and the bronze doors to the Melbourne Cricket Club. His most recent work is the design and working drawings for a tapestry, which was woven by The Victorian Tapestry Workshop, to celebrate the 150 years of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In 1982 Ingpen designed the Dromkeen Medal for the Governors of the Courtney Oldmeadow Children’s Literature Foundation. This medal is awarded annually to Australians in recognition of contributions to children's literature. He was awarded the medal in 1989 for his own work in the field.
Ingpen was illustrator for the centenary editions of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Wendy and Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows for which he bases characterisations on contemporary figures and personalities.
In 2007 Ingpen illustrated a picture book by Liz Lofthouse called Ziba Came on a Boat, which was nominated for many Australian awards including the Australian Children's Book Council Awards and the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.
Ingpen was born in Geelong Australia and attended Geelong College to 1957. He graduated with a Diploma of Graphic Art from RMIT where he studied with Harold Freedman.
In 1958, Ingpen was appointed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) as an artist to interpret and communicate the results of scientific research. From 1968 Ingpen worked as a freelance designer, illustrator and author. He was also a member of a United Nations team in Mexico and Peru until 1975, where he designed pamphlets on fisheries and was involved in "a number of Australian conservation and environmental projects". He left the CSIRO to work full-time as a freelance writer in 1968. Ingpen's interest in conservation issues continued, and he was one of the founding members of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Ingpen has written and/or-illustrated more than 100 published books. These include children's picture books and fictional stories for all ages. His nonfiction books mostly relate to history, conservation, environment and health issues. He is a frequent collaborator with author and editor Michael Page.
Ingpen has designed many postage stamps for Australia. Ingpen designed the flag and coat of arms for the Northern Territory. Ingpen has created a number of public murals in Geelong, Melbourne, Canberra and the Gold Coast in Queensland. He also has designed bronze statues, which include the 'Poppykettle Fountain' in Geelong's Steam Packet Gardens (currently dry due to drought restrictions) and the bronze doors to the Melbourne Cricket Club. His most recent work is the design and working drawings for a tapestry, which was woven by The Victorian Tapestry Workshop, to celebrate the 150 years of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
In 1982 Ingpen designed the Dromkeen Medal for the Governors of the Courtney Oldmeadow Children’s Literature Foundation. This medal is awarded annually to Australians in recognition of contributions to children's literature. He was awarded the medal in 1989 for his own work in the field.
Ingpen was illustrator for the centenary editions of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Wendy and Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows for which he bases characterisations on contemporary figures and personalities.
In 2007 Ingpen illustrated a picture book by Liz Lofthouse called Ziba Came on a Boat, which was nominated for many Australian awards including the Australian Children's Book Council Awards and the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 19, 2020
As a grandmother I am seeing and reading a lot of children’s books lately and the sublime cover of this caught my eye. The Afternoon Treehouse by Robert Ingpen. I love his illustrations and the storyline is enchanting. The narrator discovers a tree house built into an old oak tree.
“I needed to give it a name, to distinguish it from all the other treehouses I have studied or
read about in books. I could not call it its owner’s name until I found out who that was. So I called it the ‘afternoon treehouse’, since that is when I discovered it.”
The details in some of the illustrations are exquisite particularly the pages showing all the handwritten notes, clippings and newspaper cuttings that have been pinned up on the walls of the treehouse. The storyline and pictures give so much to intrigue younger readers and set them thinking and wondering. A joy.
“I needed to give it a name, to distinguish it from all the other treehouses I have studied or
read about in books. I could not call it its owner’s name until I found out who that was. So I called it the ‘afternoon treehouse’, since that is when I discovered it.”
The details in some of the illustrations are exquisite particularly the pages showing all the handwritten notes, clippings and newspaper cuttings that have been pinned up on the walls of the treehouse. The storyline and pictures give so much to intrigue younger readers and set them thinking and wondering. A joy.
December 11, 2011
Beautiful burnished illustrations that we expect from Robert Ingpen. A boy? We presume it's a boy finds a wonderful treehouse in a large oak tree one afternoon. It is a special place full of treasures. A wonderful double page pays homage to all the fabulous treehouses of literature- The Swiss Family Robinson, Owl's house from Pooh Bear. I'm not sure I'm clever enough to get all the other allusions, to sticks broken and reguled for instance. Still it's an intriguing book about the magic of a special place.
September 15, 2016
Strange and surreal.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews