The finalists for the 2019 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustration
Here are the finalists for the 2019 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustration.
The Governor General's Literary Awards are one of Canada's oldest and most prestigious prizes.
The awards, administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, are given in seven English-language categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, young people's literature — text, young people's literature — illustration, drama and translation. Seven French-language awards are also given out in the same categories.
Each winner will receive $25,000. The winners will be announced on Oct. 29, 2019.
You can see the finalists in all seven categories here.
Albert's Quiet Quest by Isabelle Arsenault
In this picture book, an introverted young boy named Albert dreams of finding a quiet sunset beach to read on. Instead, he's surrounded by the loud and raucous kids in his Mile End neighbourhood in Montreal.
Albert's Quiet Quest is for readers aged 4-8.
Isabelle Arsenault is a three-time winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustration. Her books include Colette's Lost Pet, Louis Undercover written by Fanny Britt, and Virginia Wolf written by Kyo Maclear.
Birdsong by Julie Flett
In Birdsong, a lonely girl becomes friends with her new neighbour, an elderly woman. Together, they watch the seasons change, but as they both grow older, the young girl learns to cope with her friend's declining health.
Birdsong is for readers aged 3-8.
Julie Flett has illustrated several picture books including Little You, My Heart Fills with Happiness and We Sang You Home. She won the 2017 Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustration for When We Were Alone, written by David A. Robertson.
How to Give Your Cat a Bath by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by John Martz
How to Give Your Cat a Bath, a laugh-out-loud and clever "how-to" picture book, features a little girl, a know-it-all narrator and a frisky feline who refuses to get wet. With each step, things get messier and messier as the cat manages to avoid its bath time.
Featuring humorous art by John Martz, this book by Nicola Winstanley is geared for younger readers aged 3-7.
Winstanley is a children's book author based in Hamilton, Ont.
Martz is an illustrator, cartoonist and designer from Kitchener, Ont.
King Mouse by Cary Fagan, illustrated by Dena Seiferling
King Mouse is a thoughtful picture book and fable about friendship and sharing. Written by children's book author Cary Fagan with illustrations by Dena Seiferling, King Mouse features a mouse king who learns more about kindness when his animal subjects find crowns of their own.
King Mouse is for readers aged 3-7.
Fagan is a Toronto-based author who has made his mark in multiple genres. He is nominated for two Governor General's Literary Awards in 2019. His novel The Student is a finalist in the fiction category.
Seiferling is an illustrator based in Calgary. King Mouse is her first picture book.
Small in the City by Sydney Smith
In Small in the City, a young boy is on the hunt for a precious item he has lost on a snowy day in a big city. Along the way, he navigates special shortcuts and and shares secrets about the city he lives in.
Small in the City is for readers aged 3-7.
Sydney Smith is a Halifax-based illustrator. His other books include Town is by the Sea, written by Joanne Schwartz, and Sidewalk Flowers, written by JonArno Lawson. Town Is by the Sea won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award in 2018 and the U.K.'s Kate Greenaway Medal for children's illustration.