Alex Smith

Angelo at the Waterfront is a gem of picture book, a Cape Town Christmas tale, told by Christopher Gregorowski and illustrated by Tony Grogan. Last Monday evening Exclusive Books in Constantia hosted a children’s reading party under the village Christmas tree and Christopher, author of such classics as Fly, Eagle, Fly!, enchanted the children with his story of how to get a star on the top of a very tall Christmas tree. Tony, the cartoonist who has been called ’something of a national institution’, patiently drew helicopters for the children and I was thrilled to get a signed original Tony Grogan helicopter. For Christmas, Love Note #15 is about the creation of what will surely become a South African picture book classic,Angelo at the Waterfront.

The Genesis of ANGELO AT THE WATERFRONT
by Christopher Gregorowski & Tony Grogan

Christopher
The seed of the story was planted when I remarked to a friend that local plant nurseries must have done very well selling Norfolk pine seedlings some generations ago – there are so many in the southern suburbs. My friend said, “They all began life as little Christmas trees that outgrew their pots and were transplanted into gardens.”

I first wrote the story for very small children, intended as a picture book in which a very small Angelo is lifted up to place the star on the very small Christmas tree, and as the tree and the child grow, Angelo is able to take full charge of the decoration of the tree, always placing the star at the top to complete the job.

The story in that form wasn’t quite enough, so the tree grew to maturity and the challenge was to place the star on a full-grown Norfolk pine, and the Cape Peninsula in summer inspired the rest.

As the father of three daughters and godfather to four girls and three boys, my writing for children began for them and led to the publication of a Christmas story “Why a Donkey was Chosen” which I had written for the eldest of my godchildren when she was in hospital. Later I wrote “Fly, Eagle, Fly” for our youngest daughter when she was dying of cystic fibrosis. As a parish priest in Cape Town and in the Transkei, I have related happily to children in pre-schools, primary schools and in parish life, and latterly in visits to encourage reading and writing among primary school children.

Tony
Illustrating Chris Gregorowski’s book, Angelo on the Waterfront was a very satisfying assignment as the space allowed for illustration was generous and allowed me to spread the illustration freely across the pages , even sometimes a double-spread two pages, of the book. I have illustrated many children’s books, but this one was the first I was given such liberal space to spread out the illustrations.
The story concept of a helicopter flight around the peninsula with aerial views of well known spots on the Peninsula gave me the opportunity to paint familiar and much-loved views of the Peninsula. Chris asked me to illustrate his excellent story I think mainly on the basis that I had illustrated books on Cape Town before and he paid me the compliment of saying that he thought I had captured the spirit and atmosphere of Cape Town in those drawings. I hope I have succeeded in doing the same in this book.

Genesis of a picture Book:’Angelo at the Waterfront’ by Christopher Gregorowski and Tony Grogan (Note of Affection #14, Love Africa Carnival)

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