Elizabeth Sparg

PENGUIN’S GREAT ESCAPE

Penguin is an outsider among the other penguins in Antarctica because he does not like the cold. One day he is playing on his own when an attack by a killer whale sets off a series of close calls and narrow escapes, leading him to a chance encounter on a ship, an unusual friendship, and a getaway to a warmer climate. The story speaks to bravery, adventure and finding commonality with unlikely friends.

Penguin’s Great Escape was inspired by the large African penguin colony which lives at Boulder’s Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. It is a picture book written for children aged 3-6 and centres around an African penguin who finds himself out of place and lonely in Antarctica, as he actually belongs on a warm, sunny beach.

ELIZABETH SPARG is an illustrator from Durban, South Africa. She has been working as a website and graphic designer for over 15 years, which includes illustration jobs ranging from drawing maps to pattern design. More recently, she has been developing her illustration style for the picture book and children’s publishing market.

Elizabeth has a BA degree in Fine Art and Psychology (Hons) from UKZN, Pietermaritzburg.

Her illustrations are created using watercolour, gouache and colour pencils, which are then scanned and finished digitally. www.elizabethsparg.com

PENGUIN’S GREAT ESCAPE Elizabeth Sparg

JURY REPORT Elizabeth Sparg’s little penguin character is endearing and charming and she manages to capture the bird’s odd movement and behaviour. Her understanding of the different functions of image and text is demonstrated excellently in the scene with the penguin ‘running’ and ‘swimming’ by illustrating neither actions, but capturing the moments before and after them: footprints in the snow and the big dive. Varying viewpoints and perspectives add to the sense of drama and place. They are lively illustrations promising an adventurous and intriguing journey!