Meet a few Italian children's book illustrators

Poster artist Alessandro Sanna

The Italian illustrator Alessandro Sanna is the author of the official poster of 2024 IBBY International Congress. First Italian Children’s Laureate in 2020, Sanna is an ambassador of children’s literature, a figure committed to witnessing and promoting the value of books and reading. whose artistic work has always been close and attentive to the world of childhood. We are grateful for his valuable contribution to spreading our call to Join the revolution! and accomplish IBBY’s mission – first and foremost, the right to read and access good books by all children worldwide.

In just under three weeks I will attend the 39th IBBY Congress in Trieste, Italy.  I am hoping there will be a Congress bookshop.  In anticipation I went hunting for Italian children's book illustrators. I am sure some of their work will feature at the congress and I am sure to discover lots of others too. 

• Beatrice Alemagna
• Laura Addari
• Andrea Antinori (see inside her IBBY Honour book Is this a Moose?)
• Silvia Borando
• Iacopo Bruno  (Look for the covers of The School for Good and Evil)
• Nicolletta Bertelle
• Marco Campanella
• Marianna Coppo
• Mariachiara Di Giorgio
• Sara Fanelli
• Chiara Fedele
• Giuliano Ferri
• Phillip Giordano (born in Italy now lives in Japan)
• Roberto Innocenti
• Simona Mulazzani
• Barbara Nascimbeni
• Irene Penazzi
• Sergio Ruzzier
• Felicita Sala  (see her books here)
• Alessandro Sanna

Roberto Innocenti is the only Italian illustrator to have been awarded the 2008 Hans Christian Andersen Prize.

Take a look at this post from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything. 

Here are a few illustrations and book covers which show the variety of work by Italian illustrators:

Antonio Lupatelli

Beni Montresor

Sara Fanelli

I'll take care of you Nicolletta Bertelle

Simona Mulazzani

Barbara Nascimbeni (see more images of her work here)

See more books by Giuliano Ferri

Felicita Sala (see more of her books here)

Simona Mulazzani

Phillip Giordano (see more images of his work here)

Phillip Giordano

Laura Addari (see more books here)

Check out these links from Let's Talk Picture Books:

Alessandro Sanna

Francesca Sanna (She talks about her book The Journey)

Camilla Pintonato

Each year IBBY select books for their honour book catalogue.  

Here is the 2024 title (for illustration) from Italy illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio.

Mariachiara Di Giorgio

Mr. Lepron is a beautiful hare, he lives in the woods and has a passion for vegetables. 

Every first day of autumn he cooks his famous soup with vegetables from the farmers. 

He is so good that he eventually opens a soup factory. But all that glitters is not gold. 

A modern fairy tale that tells us a lot about our present.

You can see art from the book Rudyard. Il bambino con gli occhiali which was the 2022 book 

selected from Italy for illustration by Cinzia Ghigliano. It is about the life of Rudyard Kipling.

And here is the 2020 honour book for illustration illustrated by 

Irene Penazzi - Nel mio giardino il mondo.

Il libro gatto by Silvia Borando IBBY Honour 2014 

Here is the Kirkus review

2020 for illustration: Irene Penazzi, Nel mio giardino il mondo, Terre di Mezzo, 2019

2018 for illustration: Maria Chiara di Giorgio, Professione coccodrillo, Topipittori, 2017

2016 for illustration: Andrea Antinori, This is a Moose? Is this a moose?

2014 category: Silvia Borando, The Cat Book, Minibombo, 2013 translation

2012 illustration category: Fabian Negrin, Call me Sandokan!, Salani, 2011 translation

2010 illustration category: Michele Ferri, Il mondo è anche di Tobias (by Elena Spagnoli Fritze)

2008 illustration category: Beatrice Alemagna, The crows (by Aldous Huxley)