Mr Wood, who lives in the Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney, spent a full day with students from all age groups, first explaining how he became an illustrator, what he had to do to achieve that and what keeps him occupied most days.

School librarian Jan Bartlett said every stage of the school gained the benefit of Mr Wood’s knowledge and passion for drawing.

“He was fabulous,” Mrs Bartlett said.

“He taught the students how to approach drawing, without being too serious about it.

“Students learned that their drawings should not be a photographic image, or to get bogged down with the details. 

“It was all about having a bit of fun, showing a bit of style, not just focusing on the character, or the outfit he’s wearing, but to consider the background and the story around that character, relating that character back to the words on the page.”

Mrs Bartlett said about 280 children totally enjoyed their time with Mr Wood and learnt lots about illustrating they previously didn’t know.