Dominique Jolin, born October 24, 1964, in Quebec, is a Canadian writer, illustrator, scriptwriter and content producer. She is the creator of the characters Toopy and Binoo.
Biography After university studies in youth literature, creative writing and scriptwriting, she published her first children's book in 1992, It's Not Fair! which earned her the Mr. Christie's Book Award.
Since then, she has written and/or illustrated a hundred children's books published in French, English, Spanish, Catalan and Korean, many of which have won her awards and distinctions.
In 1996, she created two characters for a literacy series: Toopy and Binoo.
In 2005, Dominique Jolin presented her characters to a production company, Spectra Animation.
Then, in collaboration with Raymond Lebrun, author and director, she adapted Toopy and Binoo into an animated television series.
In 2013, Dominique Jolin and Raymond Lebrun created two new animated series for children: YaYa & Zouk and Genius Genie.
Dominique Jolin and Raymond Lebrun wrote and directed a feature-length animated film, Toopy and Binoo, which was released in August 2023.
Children's literature publications Selected books Au cinéma avec papa, Raton Laveur, 1991 Nom de nom!, text by Pierrette Dubé, Raton Laveur, 1992 C’est pas juste!, Raton Laveur, 1992 Qu’est-ce que vous faites là?, Raton Laveur, 1993 Mario le pingouin, text by Michel St-Denis, Héritage, 1994 Un prof extra, text by Dorothée Roy, Raton Laveur, 1994 Pas de bébé pour Babette, 400 coups, 1995 Cruelle Cruellina, text by Carole Tremblay, 400 coups, 1995 Roméo le rat romantique, text by Carole Tremblay, Dominique et cie, 1997 Marie-Baba et les quarante rameurs, text by Carole Tremblay, Dominique et cie, 1998 Bambou à l’école des singes, text by Lucie Papineau, Dominique et cie, 1999 Attends une minute!, 400 coups, 1999 Bambou à la plage, text by Lucie Papineau, Dominique et cie, 2000 Destructotor, text by Carole Tremblay, Dominique et cie, 2000 Bambou à l’école des bambous, text by Lucie Papineau, Dominique et cie, 2001 Juliette, la rate romantique, text by Carole Tremblay, Dominique et cie, 2003 Chut fais dodo, La Bagnole, 2016
Toopy and Binoo series (books) Toupie a peur, Dominique et cie, 1996 Toupie dit bonne nuit, Dominique et cie, 1996 Le bobo de Toupie, Dominique et cie, 1996 Toupie se fâche, Dominique et cie, 1996 Toupie joue à cache-cache, Dominique et cie, 1997 Un ami pour Toupie, Dominique et cie, 1997 La promenade de Toupie, Dominique et cie, 1998 Toupie raconte une histoire, Dominique et cie, 1998 Toupie se déguise, Dominique et cie, 1999 Toupie veut jouer, Dominique et cie, 1999 Toupie fait la sieste, Dominique et cie, 2000 Le shampoing de Toupie, Dominique et cie, 2000 Joyeux noël Toupie, Dominique et cie, 2000 Toupie aime Toupie, Dominique et cie, 2000 Le petit Toupie rouge, Dominique et cie, 2001 Super Toupie, Dominique et cie, 2001 Robinson Toupie, Dominique et cie, 2002 L’Halloween de Toupie, Dominique et cie, 2002 Abracadabre Toupie!, Dominique et cie, 2003 Toupie et le sommeil perdu, Dominique et cie, 2003
Binoo series (books) Coucou Binou!, Dominique et cie, 2001 Comment ça va Binou?, Dominique et cie, 2001 Binou en couleurs, Dominique et cie, 2001 Binou et les sons, Dominique et cie, 2001 Binou joue, Dominique et cie, 2002 Brave Binou, Dominique et cie, 2002 Beau dodo Binou, Binou joue, Dominique et cie, 2002 Le ballon de Binou, Dominique et cie, 2002 Binou joue, Dominique et cie, 2002 À l’eau Binou, Dominique et cie, 2002 Ça flotte Binou?, Dominique et cie, 2002 Binou-la-bulle, Dominique et cie, 2004 Le bébé de Binou, Dominique et cie, 2004
Yaya et Zouk series (books) Si j’étais toute seule, La Bagnole, 2013 Si j’étais super Yaya, La Bagnole, 2013 Si j’étais en colère, La Bagnole, 2013 Si j’étais un bébé, La Bagnole, 2013
TV series Toopy and Binoo, season I - 104 X 5 minutes (Co-writer with Raymond Lebrun) Toopy and Binoo, season II - 6 X 22 minutes, 78 X 2 minutes (Co-writer with Raymond Lebrun) Yaya et Zouk, season I - 78 X 5 minutes (Co-writer with Raymond Lebrun) Genius Genie - Concept (Co-writer with Raymond Lebrun) Toopy and Binoo: Fabulous Adventures, season I - 54 X 7 minutes (Co-writer with Raymond Lebrun)
Feature film Toopy and Binoo: The Movie - 80 minutes (Co-writer and co-director with Raymond Lebrun)
Awards 1992 Mr. Christie's Book Award (for illustrations) for C'est pas juste! 1993- Livromagie prize (children's favourite book) for Au cinéma avec Papa 1995- Livromagie prize (children's favourite book) for Qu'est-ce que vous faites là? 1996- Livromagie prize (children's favourite book) for Un prof extra 1997- Livromagie prize (favourite children's book) for Cruelle Cruellina 1997- Finalist for the Mr. Christie's Book Award for Roméo le rat romantique 1998- Finalist for the Mr. Christie's Book Award for Marie-Baba et les quarante rameurs 2000- Silver Seal of the Mr. Christie's Book Award for Destructotor 2002- GVL illustration prize (Youth Illustration Award at the Trois-Rivières Book Fair) for Le Petit Toupie Rouge 2006- Boomerang Award (Toopy and Binoo's website) 2007- Award of Excellence for Toopy and Binoo in the New Canadian Media category 2007- Finalist at the Gemini Awards for Toopy and Binoo, category: Preschool animated series 2016- Gémeaux nomination for Toopy and Binoo (best television series) 2019- Gemini Award nomination for YaYa and Zouk (Best Animated Series or Program)
References
External links Official website of Dominique Jolin Dominique Jolin on the Quebec Ministry of Education's website Les Libraires – Dominique Jolin's bibliography (in French) Resource on literature: L’infocentre Littéraire des écrivains Québécois (in French) Library and archives Canada