As a top illustrator who spent decades of his professional life working on ‘Sesame Street’ books, Tom Cooke knows a thing or two about what appeals to children, so when he sits down with 15 children aged six to 12 tomorrow afternoon it will be to teach them the rudiments of drawing cartoon characters, including at least one of the ‘stars’ of the popular children’s TV programme.

If that sounds like a tall order, Mr. Cooke begs to differ.

“If you can draw a circle, an oval, fur and feathers you can draw ‘Sesame Street’ characters — or almost anything,” he says.

“I will show them how to draw a running figure using circles and ovals, and perhaps several kinds of animals, also using circles and ovals.”

He will also reveal some of the tricks of the trade to his young audience, such as how to make a running figure appear to be going fast simply by elongating the legs.

<$>Of course, like all pros, Mr. Cooke makes it all look very easy as he casually draws illustrations while being interviewed.

It is not the first time this long-time Bermuda visitor has worked with local children. On an previous visit he lectured students at St. David’s Primary School, and left them with a collection of Sesame Street characters he drew during the course of it.

“The principal, Eddie Wright, is a dear friend of my wife and I, and he hung them in the cafeteria where, as far as I know, they still remain,” Mr. Cooke says.

His participation in tomorrow’s event is part of the Masterworks Foundation’s ‘Art for All’ programme, which is free to all participants, and it says a lot for the reputation that precedes Mr. Cooke that the class is full.

If the children are looking forward to the illustrator’s visit, there is no question that the feeling is mutual.

“I love to interact with children because they are so appreciative and curious,” he says.

Newlyweds Tom and Onalee Cooke first came to Bermuda on their honeymoon in 1958. They fell in love with the Island immediately, and have returned almost each year of their long marriage to escape some of the inhospitable North American winter. For many years, until a stroke left him somewhat impaired and forced his retirement from Sesame Street projects, Mr. Cooke brought his drawing materials with him.

As one of six illustrators employed by Children’s TV Workshop, producers of Sesame Street, he worked independently, so wherever he was in the world he could set up a temporary “studio” and continue producing.

<$>Since the text for the books was so well written he had no trouble creating the images which turned the publications into international best sellers, even in translation.

In fact, one book Mr. Cooke illustrated, ‘Big Bird’s Colour Game’, became one of the best sellers in western publishing history, and his creative skills were also used to create themed bed linen and other items.

Inevitably, his many visits to Bermuda also inspired some of his Sesame Street work. ‘Grover’s Adventures under the Sea’, for example, reflected his son’s enjoyment of scuba diving at Grape Bay, and Grover also had a companion named Cow Polly.

Another book about a pet store was inspired by birds found in another good friend’s pet shop here, while The Royal Gazette’s Bermuda Calendar was used as kite paper for an illustration in the book, ‘Grover, Grover, Come On Over’.

Even today, Mr. Cooke retains a special fondness for the Sesame Street days, and says of all the characters Grover is his favourite.

“He plays tricks on everybody, and he often wears a cape and helmet and becomes Super Grover,” he smiles.

“The guy who does his little, tiny voice is a big, black gentleman who looks like a footballer,” the illustrator reveals.

Mr. Cooke also remembers with fondness the late Jim Henson, who did the voices of Kermit and Ernie, and Frank Oz, who did Miss Piggy, Bert and Grover.

“They were fun, and such neat people to work with,” he says.

While Sesame Street was a big part of his professional life, it was not the only part.

Mr. Cooke was also an award-winning illustrator of several Parker Brothers games, including ‘Peanut Butter and Jelly’, ‘Pay Day’, and ‘Trust Me’.

Today, he continues as a private artist who has exhibited both in the US and Bermuda. In fact, he is currently formulating plans for a collaborative show with a local photographer, hopefully some time next year.

Beyond the easel, Mr. Cooke is an accomplished piano player. While his stroke impaired his ability to play his beloved Scott Joplin rags, those who know him best say that this talented man lost none of his skills when it comes to jazz and classical music.

Lesson from an illustrator