Mark Wilson is the author and illustrator of 'Migaloo, The White Whale'

This is a new picture storybook published by Hachette Australia.

Here, Mark explains how he created the images and how he aimed to convey the meaning of the story through the illustrations.

You can buy the book here.

MIGALOO, THE WHITE WHALE -

STORY SECTIONS

Section 1 - Playing in a warm ocean

Section 2 - The Birth of Migaloo

Section 3 - Follow the whale song

Section 4 - Visitors in boats

Section 5 - Day and night

Section 6 - Migaloo learns the whale songs

Section 7 - Sharks arrive

Section 8 - Sharks getting closer

Section 9 - Saved from the sharks

Section 10 - Stormy seas

Section 11 - Clear skies, cold water

Section 12 - A meal of krill

Section 13 - Lost and alone

Section 14 - Searching for a whale song

Section 15 - Home at last

What was Mark Wilson thinking when he painted the pictures and wrote the story?

Read below

Here are some words from Mark Wilson about how Migaloo inspired him to paint the pictures and write the book. It is fascinating to read!

Mark also talks about the kind of music he can hear when he is drawing, painting and writing the story

Migaloo

Mark Wilson's Notes

Thoughts from the author / illustrator, Mark Wilson

Whales are an integral part of complex ecosystems that are becoming more and more fragile because of human activity. Without whales, these ecosystems may cease to exist. Migaloo, the all white Humpback whale, has helped shine the spotlight on the plight of not only humpback whales, but all creatures that are integral to these ecosystems.

I have told Migaloo’s story in the hope it inspires people to see what can be done, but only if we all work together. This is the only way we can preserve the wonderful and unique wildlife we share this planet with.

Music is another way to share what is important to us. The same goes for the music you create yourselves. Music inspires people, it shows us what can be done if we are passionate about what we do - but the best way to do it is if we all work together.

Illustration / music Notes

These are 'stream of thoughts' notes - done the same way as I write stories or music. Look at each line below, then try to put it with its corresponding illustration in the book.

‘It was the wonderful sound of the whales’ song calling him home.’ Google 'Humpback Whale Song' on Youtube. The sound will inspire you!

I observe whales as much as possible in their natural environment. They are graceful and the word 'rhythm' always comes to mind. Gentle, flowing, but with a lovely rhythmic pattern.

I watch lots of films of Humpback whales to study how they breach - crash of drums, open guitar chords, percussion!

Crash and thunder of the boats/people/planes trying to get close - scaring little Migaloo - heavy rock chords, double bass-drum kick - machine gun sounds - drums.

Swim and dive. I think of those long gentle notes Peter Green played on 'Albatross' with Fleetwood Mac a few years ago. A single note sustained over three or four bars! Brilliant'.

I think I'll go and write a song - this is inspiring me!

How they care for their young, soft melody like a 'Lullaby', and I actually had 'Moonlight Sonata' on when I did the pictures of Migaloo being born. It put me in the mood. Music can create such empathy with a character - so powerful.

How they eat, a hypnotic pattern of sounds as those huge jaws open, gulp close and swallow, then the hissing spurt of water at the end (there's a song in itself!).

Some illustrations are done in an ink wash, the rhythm of flowing tides come to mind or the lapping of waves on the shore.

I sometimes add some oil pastel as well (Orca & background painting on p. 13). I don't use them gentle, slashing, cutting the paper and digging in -a mess of random notes starting together and arriving at the same note 12 bars later! (Beatles - Sgt. Peppers...)

Baby swims up to mum - soft, gentle sounds of piano or acoustic guitar, folk chords or 'gentle' note progressions - the sound of wind through the trees...

Many of the illustrations for Migaloo were done in paint (cover, title page and p.4-5) or primed canvas (p.30 & the inset on p.31 Think wet paint, splashing, foam of the surf and breaking waves, violins, the crash, splash of the tail slapping the water, chords and tubular bells and banging on saucepans! Time to literally start splashing the music around!

Orca attack! Every instrument in a frenzy!

Shark attack - cunning, slowly building the rhythm into a frenzy - then escape!

‘It was the wonderful sound of the whales’ song calling him home.’

Migaloo lost, lonely. Lonely notes, flute, recorder, silence between, then the sound of hope, maybe... building up into .... Inspire...other instruments join in joyful...building...

I have a tub of clear water, another tub of watery blue paint (stir it and listen to the rhythmic soft sounds like shuffling feet! then I add a little mid yellow, and then I dip a big brush or rag into the water and paint and flick it onto the canvas, - think plucking the violin, guitar, banjo strings, brushes on hi-hats or cymbals or better still - tap dancing sounds!

These acrylic paintings are finished in Derwent watercolour pencil (soft scratching sounds - get the class to be silent except for the sound of everyone scribbling on a piece of paper - beautiful sound! The wonderful rhythm of 30 kids breathing is a great sound!

The endpapers are lots of drawings in grey lead and coloured pencil by students in the Yea MARC area. Look closely at their drawings. There is melody and rhythm in every single one of them!

Mark Wilson

Author/illustrator Profile

Mark Wilson is a multiple award-winning author/illustrator with seventeen books in print worldwide. Mark has a particular passion for Australian history and the environment, particularly endangered species, exploring these themes through his picturebooks and workshops.

Mark was born in Brunswick, Victoria. He took to drawing from a very early age, and also loved comics. He went on to spend most of his teenage years performing as a singer and drummer in a rock band, which he still does today (drummers never get old, they just get louder!). He studied mural design and painting at the Caulfield Institute of Technology (now Monash, Caulfield Campus). He also did national service with Training Command, followed by a Diploma of Education. In the early seventies, he became a designer and illustrator for The Education Magazine and Pursuit Magazine, and also started illustrating for various publishers including Penguin, Rigby, Brooks Waterloo and Houghton and Mifflin in the USA.

Mark’s books include The Last Tree (2007 Whitley Award for Children’s Literature) which deals with the effect deforestation has on the creatures that inhabit our forests, and Journey of the Sea Turtle (2011Whitley Award) which highlights the fragile existence of sea turtles. Other award-winning books include My Mother’s Eyes – the Story of a Boy Soldier, published by Hachette Australia in 2009; Angel of Kokoda, 2010, which was shortlisted in the 3^rd C.J. Picture Book Awards International and also won a 2011 CBCA Award; the Ben and Gracie’s Art Adventure series, Inside the World of Tom Roberts (shortlisted in the 2013 Aurealis Awards), and A Day to Remember: The Story of the Anzacs with Jackie French (shortlisted in the 2013 CBCA Awards). The Afghanistan Pup (2014) won the 2015 CBCA Eva Pownall Notable Children’s Book Award. It is the fourth book in his ‘Children in War Quartet’. Digger the Dog Who Went to War (2015) is Mark’s latest picturebook. In 2011, Mark was presented with the Dromkeen Medal for Services to Children’s Literature. Mark hopes his books not only encourage students to study their own family history and Australian native species, but to have confidence in their own drawing and writing.

To the wonderful students from the 2015 Yea MARC Primary Schools in Victoria who produced the drawings for the Migaloo endpapers:

TAGGERTY, MERRIJIG, JAMIESON, TALLAROOK, STRATHBOGIE, HIGHLANDS, FLOWERDAL, BUXTON, MARYSVILLE

To all the students involved in this wonderful and innovative music program, please make the best music you can possibly make. It will make me very, very happy (and Migaloo too if he could hear it!)

Many, Many Thanks!

For more information about Mark visit: <http://www.marklwilson.com.au/>