April 12, 2024

Sydney Smith wins 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award


On April 8, 2024 at the Bologna International Children's Book Fair, IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) announced the winners of the very prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award, given biennially, to an international author and an illustrator of books for young people has never been awarded to a Canadian, until now. This year, alongside Austrian author Heinz Janisch, the award was given to Nova Scotia illustrator (and also author) Sydney Smith.
 
At CanLit for LittleCanadians, I have had the pleasure to review a great number of Sydney Smith's books, both those that he illustrated and those that he wrote and illustrated. They include:
 
Written by JonArno Lawson
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2015
 
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2015
 
Written by JoEllen Bogart
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2016 

 
Written by Esta Spalding
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Tundra
224 pp.
Ages 8-12
2016
 
Written by Joanne Schwartz
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
52 pp.
Ages 5-9
2017 
 
Written by Kenneth Oppel
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
HarperCollins
256 pp.
Ages 8-12
2018
 
Written and illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 4-7
2019

 
 
 
Written by Jordan Scott
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Neal Porter Books (Holiday House)
32 pp.
Ages 4-8
2023

Written and illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 3-6
2023
 
 
 
 
 
These are only a selection of Sydney Smith's books. For a more complete listing, check out his web page at https://www.sydneydraws.ca/.
 
Also, if you'd like to read the press release from IBBY, with lovely comments about Sydney Smith's art, it is posted  here.
 
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 

Congratulations to 
Sydney Smith 
on this extraordinary recognition!

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous15 April 2024 at 19:50

    Helen, thank you for mentioning my book, Grant and Tillie Go Walking as one of Sydney's titles. It never gets mentioned in the listing of his picture books because he hadn't come into his signature style. You are a thoughtful and kind reviewer. Hope all is well with you. — Monica

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  2. Helen K15 April 2024 at 21:29

    Of course it’s included, Monica. Sydney Smith’s current style only came from developing it through trying different styles. So your book with Sydney is part of that evolution. (And I’m well, Monica. Thank you for asking. Hope the same of you and your family.)

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