2025 Governor General's Literary Awards: Finalists announced

Yesterday, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the highly prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards.

The seven categories of books, both in French and English, for which awards are given are the following:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Poetry
• Young People's Literature (Text)
• Young People's Literature (Illustration)
• Drama
• Translation

Congratulations to the finalists 

of all the awards.
 

I present here those finalists of

works for young people.

English-language: Young People's Literature (Text) 

A Drop in the Ocean

Written by Léa Taranto

Arsenal Pulp Press 

 

Beast

Written by Richard Van Camp

Douglas & McIntyre 

 

Best of All Worlds

Written by Kenneth Oppel

Tundra Books 

 

The Outsmarters 

Written by Deborah Ellis

Groundwood Books 

Reviewed here 

 

Tig

Written by Heather Smith

Tundra Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration) 

Bog Myrtle
Written and illustrated by Sid Sharp

Annick Press 

 

It Bears Repeating

Written by Tanya Tagaq

Illustrated by Cee Pootoogook

Tundra Books 

 

Oasis

Written and illustrated by Guojing

Henry Holt & Co.

 

The Rock and the Butterfly

Written by Kathy Stinson

Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan

Orca Book Publishers

Reviewed here

 

This Land is a Lullaby

Written by Tonya Simpson

Illustrated by Delreé Dumont

Orca Book Publishers 

 

 

 

 

French-language: Young People's Literature (Text) 

 

Cheer
Écrit par Laura Doyle Péan
Les Éditions de la Bagnole  

 

Coup bas

Écrit par Laurie Léveillé

la courte échelle 

 

Fatigué mort
Écrit par Marc-André Dufour-Labbé
Leméac Jeunesse 

 

Tête boule disco
Écrit par Noémie Pomerleau-Cloutier
Éditions du Boréal  

 

Vieille Branche
Écrit par Catherine Fouron
Les Éditions de la Bagnole 

 

 

 

 

 

 

French-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration) 

 

En crise
Écrit par Annick Lefebvre

Illustré par Vincent Partel-Valette
Les Éditions de la Bagnole 

La tasse de Gilles

Écrit par Catherine Trudeau

Illustré par Qin Leng

La Pastèque 

 

Le livre aspirateur
Écrit par Jocelyn Boisvert

Illustré par Enzo
Éditions Michel Quintin 

 

Murielle et le mystère
Écrit et illustré par Charlotte Parent
comme des géants  

 

Un cadeau de Noël en novembre

Écrit par Stéphane Laporte
Illustré par Jacques Goldstyn
Les Éditions de la Bagnole  

 

Winning titles will be announced
on November 6, 2025.

 

2024 Governor General's Literary Awards: Winners announced

 

Last month, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for its highly prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards. Of the seven categories of books, which are presented for both French and English titles, two categories are specific for books for young people, one for text and one for illustration. Today, the winners of these awards were announced.

Hearty congratulations to all winners 

of this year's Governor General's Literary Awards.

WINNER
English-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Crash Landing

Written by Li Charmaine Anne

Annick Press

 

 

 

 

 WINNER

English-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration) 

Skating Wild On an Inland Sea
Written by Jean E. Pendziwol

Illustrated by Todd Stewart

Groundwood Books

 

 

WINNER

French-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Une bulle en dehors du temps
Écrit par Stéfani Meunier
Leméac Éditeur

 WINNER

French-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

Le premier arbre de Noël
Écrit par Ovila Fontaine
Illustré par Charlotte Parent
Éditions de la Pastèque

 

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:

 

Sidewalk Flowers

Written by JonArno Lawson
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-7

2015

 

Grant and Tillie Go Walking

Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8

2015

 

The White Cat and the Monk

Written by JoEllen Bogart
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
32 pp.
Ages 4-8

2016 

 

Look Out for the Fitzergerald-Trouts

Written by Esta Spalding
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Tundra
224 pp.
Ages 8-12

2016

 

Town Is by the Sea

Written by Joanne Schwartz
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
52 pp.
Ages 5-9

2017 

 

Inkling

Written by Kenneth Oppel
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
HarperCollins
256 pp.
Ages 8-12

2018

 

Small in the City

Written and illustrated by Sydney Smith
Groundwood Books
40 pp.
Ages 4-7

2019

 

 

 

My Baba's Garden

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

2023

Do You Remember?

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!

2023 Governor General's Literary Awards: Winners announced

Earlier this month, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for its highly prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards. Of the seven categories of books, which are presented for both French and English titles, two categories are specific for books for young people, one for text and one for illustration. Yesterday, the winners of these awards were announced.

Hearty congratulations to all winners 

of this year's Governor General's Literary Awards.

WINNER
English-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

The Probability of Everything

Written by Sarah Everett

Clarion Books

 

 

 

 

 WINNER

English-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration) 

When You Can Swim
Written and illustrated by Jack Wong
Orchard Books (Scholastic)

Reviewed here

 

 

WINNER

French-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Linoubliable
Écrit par Lou Beauchesne
la courte échelle

 WINNER

French-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

Le plus petit sauveur du monde
Écrit par Samuel Larochelle

Illustré par Eve Patenaude
Éditions XYZ

 

2023 Governor General's Literary Awards: Finalists announced

Yesterday, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the finalists for the highly prestigious Governor General's Literary Awards.

The seven categories of books, both in French and English, for which awards are given are:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Poetry
• Young People's Literature (Text)
• Young People's Literature (Illustration)
• Drama
• Translation

Congratulations to the finalists 

of all the awards.
 

I present here those finalists of

works for young people.

English-language: Young People's Literature (Text)
 

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

Written by Zoulfa Katouh
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Berani

Written by Michelle Kadarusman

Pajama Press 

Reviewed here

Fire on Headless Mountain

Written by Iain Lawrence

Margaret Ferguson Books, Penguin Random House Canada

The Probability of Everything

Written by Sarah Everett

Clarion Books

Weird Rules to Follow

Written by Kim Spencer

Orca Book Publishers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration) 

 

Boobies

Written and illustrated by Nancy Vo
Groundwood Books

Reviewed here

 

Mr. S

Written and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo
Katherine Tegen Books (An Imprint of HarperCollins)

Reviewed here

Still This Love Goes On
Written by Buffy Sainte-Marie

Illustrated by Julie Flett
Greystone Books

The Skull

Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Candlewick Press

Reviewed here

 

When You Can Swim
Written and illustrated by Jack Wong
Orchard Books (Scholastic)

Reviewed here

 

 

 

French-language: Young People's Literature (Text)

Escarpolette

Écrit par Sylvie Drapeau

Dominique et compagnie / Les éditions Héritage

Le plancher de la lune
Écrit par Jean-Christophe Réhel
la courte échelle

Linoubliable
Écrit par Lou Beauchesne
la courte échelle

Mélie quelque part au milieu
Écrit par Mylène Goupil
Éditions Québec Amérique

Zipolaris Tome 3 : La malédiction de Zangra
Écrit par J.L. Blanchard
Éditions Fides

 

French-language: Young People's Literature (Illustration)

Gervais et Conrad
Écrit et illustré par Iris Boudreau
Éditions Les 400 coups

Je tʼécris de mon lit
Écrit par Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve

Illustré par Agathe Bray-Bourret
Éditions Les 400 coups

 

Le Bourlingueur de Matungoua
Écrit par Boucar Diouf

Illustré par François Thisdale
Éditions La Presse

Le plus petit sauveur du monde
Écrit par Samuel Larochelle

Illustré par Eve Patenaude
Éditions XYZ

Parfois les lacs brûlent
Écrit et illustré par Geneviève Bigué
Front Froid

 

 

 

 

Winning titles will be announced
on November 8, 2023.