What stories did Andy Griffiths write as a kid? What creatures did Graeme Base conjure up as a youngster? What was Aliston Lester dreaming of way before she created classics such as Magic Beach?
Juvenilia is a new exhibition that shows the artwork, stories, poems, snippets and musings from some of Australia's most loved children's authors - when they were kids or teenagers.
The exhibition is now on display at the Civic Library in Canberra until October 18.
Curator Aimee Chan, also an author based in Albury, said Juvenilia was work produced by an author or artist when they were a child.
"I had an idea that it would be interesting for kids to walk into a room and see drawings and artwork that looked like theirs, but as they got closer to them, they could see they were actually the work of some of their favourite authors, whose books they have on their bookshelves, all done when they themselves were kids or teenagers," she said.
There are exercise books with stories jotted in them, scraps of paper with drawings in pencil, then rubbed out. Many of the budding authors show signs of being influenced by Enid Blyton and her classic children's books.
Ms Chan said the stories and artwork are not perfect - with the exception of a young Graeme Base who was a genuis from the start, already showing the skill that would see him go on to create Animalia.
There are spelling mistakes and things that don't make sense and signs of experimentation and taking risks. And that's the point.
"I think the overall message from the exhibition is that we all have to start somewhere," she said.
