Sydney Smith is a Canadian illustrator of children's books. He is the 2024 recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his "lasting contribution to children's literature"."Canadian illustrator Sydney Smith wins prestigious children's book prize, Hans Christian Andersen Award". CBC Books, April 8, 2024. He earlier won the 2015 Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration for Sidewalk Flowers, a wordless picture book which he illustrated with author JonArno Lawson. He currently resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Education Smith studied drawing and printmaking at NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was while studying there that he realized his interest for illustrating children's books.
Career Most of his work is illustrations for other authors. Smith's first three assignments were for re-issues of books by Sheree Fitch. To date he has authored and illustrated two titles, 2019's Small in the City and 2023's Do You Remember? He has worked for two different publishing houses in his career as an illustrator: Nimbus Publishing and Groundwood Books. In addition to his work as an illustrator and author, Smith has also done graphic design work for Canadian musical acts Hey Rosetta! and Old Man Luedecke.
Published works 2010: Mabel Murple by Sheree Fitch 2011: There Were Monkeys In My Kitchen by Sheree Fitch 2012: Toes In My Nose: And Other Poems by Sheree Fitch 2014: Jewel of the Thames (A Portia Adams Adventure Book 1) by Angela Misri 2014: Music Is For Everyone by Jill Barber 2015: Grant and Tillie Go Walking by Monica Kulling 2015: Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson 2016: Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts by Esta Spalding 2016: The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem "Pangur Bán" by Jo Ellen Bogart 2017: Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz 2019: Small in the City by Sydney Smith 2020: I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott 2023: Do You Remember? by Sydney Smith 2023: My Baba's Garden by Jordan Scott 2026: Rebecca by Kate Beaton
Awards and recognition YearAwardBookResult2015Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in IllustrationMusic Is For Everyone2015Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustrationSidewalk Flowers2015Prix Libbylit for Best Picture Book (Belgium)Sidewalk Flowers2015New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the YearSidewalk Flowers2015Publishers Weekly Best Books of the YearSidewalk Flowers2015Goodreads Choice Awards Best Picture BooksSidewalk Flowers2016Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's AwardSidewalk Flowers2018CILIP Kate Greenaway MedalTown Is by the Sea2018TD Canadian Children's Literature AwardTown Is by the Sea2021Kate Greenaway MedalSmall in the City2024Hans Christian Andersen Award2024Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustrationCassandra Drudi, "Canisia Lubrin, Danny Ramadan among 2024 Governor General’s Literary Award finalists". Quill & Quire, October 8, 2024.Do You Remember?
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