Sydney Smith | |
Birth Name: | Sydney Smith |
Birth Place: | Canada |
Nationality: | Canadian |
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".[1] 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.[2]
Smith studied drawing and printmaking at NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[3] It was while studying there that he realized his interest for illustrating children's books.
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.[4]
Year | Award | Book | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration[5] | Music Is For Everyone | ||
2015 | Governor General’s Award For Illustrated Children’s Books[6] | Sidewalk Flowers | ||
2015 | Prix Libbylit for Best Picture Book (Belgium)[7] | Sidewalk Flowers | ||
2015 | New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year[8] | Sidewalk Flowers | ||
2015 | Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year[9] | Sidewalk Flowers | ||
2015 | Goodreads Choice Awards Best Picture Books[10] | Sidewalk Flowers | ||
2016 | Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award[11] | Sidewalk Flowers | ||
2018 | CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal[12] | Town Is by the Sea | ||
2018 | TD Canadian Children's Literature Award[13] | Town Is by the Sea | ||
2021 | Kate Greenaway Medal[14] [15] | Small in the City | ||
2024 | Hans Christian Andersen Award |