'Pamela Allen is a giant of children’s literature. For 40 years her picture books have delighted children and adults alike, from the prize-winning, problem-solving Mr Archimedes’ Bath in 1980, to a day at the beach with Grandpa and Thomas in 2003. Over her lifetime, they’ve sold more than 6.5m copies worldwide. Now, the State Library of NSW has taken custody of Allen’s archive – an extraordinary 460 original drawings, sketches and notes from her life’s work.'