Barbara Reid (born November 16, 1957) is a Canadian illustrator and author of children's books. She has been called "one of Canada's major literary figures". In 2012, she received the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, an honour presented annually to a writer or illustrator whose body of work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth".
Biography Reid was born in Toronto, Ontario, on November 16, 1957, and studied at the Ontario College of Art.
After graduation, she began her career creating illustrations for textbooks, after which she began illustrating children's books. She is known for her unique, sculpted-clay imagery, which was established with her illustrations for Elizabeth Clark's The New Baby Calf (1984). She creates her illustrations by starting with a pencil drawing, then builds up the image using coloured modelling clay to give it a three-dimensional effect. The result is then photographed and used as an illustration. The resulting illustrations are "detail rich" and often "invoke laughter and wonder."
Reid's work has been published in over 21 countries, including Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, China, Germany, Brazil and Thailand.
Awards and honours In 2006, Reid won the Canadian Library Association's Children's Illustrator of the Year award. The following year, she won the organization's award for Children's Author of the Year. In 2012, she won the organization's Libris Award for Picture Book.
In 2012, she received the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, an honour presented annually to a writer or illustrator whose body of work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth".
In 2017, the York Region District School Board honoured Barbara Reid by naming a new school in Stouffville, Ontario - Barbara Reid Public School. The elementary school serves students from Kindergarten to Grade in a new subdivision in Stouffville. +Awards for Reid's workYearTitleAwardResultRef.1986Have You Seen Birds?Canada Council Children's Literature PrizeWinnerIODE Book AwardWinner1987Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book AwardWinner1992Zoe seriesMr. Christie's Book Award for English - IllustrationWinner1993Two By TwoElizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book AwardWinner1995GiftsAmelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's AwardWinner1996International Board on Books for Young PeopleHonour1997Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustrationWinnerAmelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's AwardWinner2003Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustrationFinalist2004Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book AwardWinnerPeg and the YetiGovernor General's Award for English-language children's illustrationFinalist2009Fox Walked Alone International Board on Books for Young PeopleHonour2010Perfect SnowAmelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's AwardWinner2012Picture a TreeGovernor General's Award for English-language children's illustrationFinalist2014Libris Award for Picture BookWinner
Selected works
As author
Sing a Song of Mother Goose (1987) Playing with Plasticine (1988), non-fiction Two By Two (1992) Zoe's Year (1992) The Party (1997) Fun with Modeling Clay (1998), non-fiction The Golden Goose (2000) Read Me a Book (2004) The Subway Mouse (2004) Fox Walked Alone (2009) Perfect Snow (2009) Picture a Tree (2011) Welcome Baby (2013) The Night Before Christmas (2013)
As illustrator The New Baby Calf by Edith Newlin Chase (1984) Have You Seen Birds? by Joanne Oppenheim (1986) Effie by Bev Allinson (1990) Gifts by Jo Ellen Bogart (1994)
References
External links
Archives of Barbara Reid (Barbara Reid fonds, R11795) are held at Library and Archives Canada "Getting to Know Barbara Reid" on Canadian Children's Book Centre