Sydney Smith nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen by IBBY Canada

Sixty-two candidates from 33 countries have been nominated for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Here are all the name. You might recognise some:

Argentina: Author María Cristina Ramos; Illustrator Gusti

Australia: Author Margaret Wild; Illustrator Tohby Riddle

Austria: Author Heinz Janisch; Illustrator Linda Wolfsgruber

Belgium: Author Thomas Lavachery; Illustrator Carll Cneut

Brazil: Author Marina Colasanti; Illustrator Nelson Cruz

Canada: Author Angèle Delaunois; Illustrator Sydney Smith

China: Author Jin Bo; Illustrator Xiong Liang

Colombia and Venezuela: Illustrator Ivar Da Coll

Croatia: Illustrator Dubravka Kolanović

Cyprus: Author Anna Kouppanou; Illustrator Dora Oronti

Estonia: Author Andrus Kivirähk; Illustrator Piret Raud

France: Author Marie-Aude Murail; Illustrator Gilles Bachelet

Germany: Author Andreas Steinhöfel; Illustrator Nikolaus Heidelbach

Greece: Author Maria Papayanni; Illustrator Iris Samartzi

Hungary: Author András Dániel; Illustrator László Herbszt

Iran: Author Jamshid Khanian; Illustrator Pejman Rahimizadeh

Italy: Author Roberto Piumini; Illustrator Beatrice Alemagna

Japan: Author Joko Iwase; Illustrator Ryoji Arai

Republic of Korea: Author Yi Hyeon; Illustrator Suzy Lee

Latvia: Illustrator Aleksejs Naumovs

Lebanon: Author Fatima Sharafeddine; Illustrator Sinan Hallak

Lithuania: Illustrator Kestutis Kasparavičius

Netherlands: Author Tonke Dragt; Illustrator Sylvia Weve

Poland: Author Marcin Szczygielski; Illustrator Iwona Chmielewska

Russia: Author Sergey Makhotin; Illustrator Julja Gukova

Slovenia: Author Peter Svetina; Illustrator Damijan Stepančič

Spain: Author Jordi Sierra i Fabra; Illustrator Elena Odriozola

Sweden: Author Annika Thor; Illustrator Anna Bengtsson

Switzerland: Author Franz Hohler; Illustrator Catherine Louis

Turkey: Author Behiç Ak; Illustrator Mustafa Delioğlu

Ukraine: Author Halyna Malyk; Illustrator Kost' Lavro

United Kingdom: Author Marcus Sedgwick; Illustrator David McKee

USA: Author Linda Sue Park; Illustrator Kadir Nelson

In this post I plan to focus on Canadian illustrator Sydney Smith. In a previous post I talked about Footpath or Sidewalk Flowers.

Town is the Sea by Joanne Schwartz illustrated by Sydney Smith (2017) winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2018.

Opening lines: From my house, I can see the sea. It goes like this - house, road, grassy cliff, sea. And town spreads out, this way and that. My father is a miner and he works under the sea, deep down in the coal mines.

Publisher Blurb: Stunning illustrations by Sydney Smith, the award-winning illustrator of Footpath Flowers, show the striking contrast between a sparkling seaside day and the darkness underground where the miners dig. This beautifully understated and haunting story brings a piece of mining history to life. The ever-present ocean and inevitable pattern of life in a mining town will enthral children and move adult readers, as a young boy wakes up to the sound of the sea, visits his grandfather's grave after lunch and comes home to a cosy dinner with his family, but all the while his mind strays to his father digging for coal deep down under the sea.

Reviews:

A quiet book that will stay with readers long after they have closed it. Kirkus Star review 

This is, in short, a magnificent book. The kind that every reader will interpret in a different way. Only the best books can do that. Only the best books are capable. SLJ Elizabeth Bird

The combination of small, private moments and sweeping landscapes complete with shimmering water show off the simple grandeur of the natural environment and the boy’s experiences. Quill and Quire

My thoughts: The art in this book is all about light and dark. I love the way the sunlight shimers on the surface of the sea and the contrast Sydney Smith creates when he shows  us, in four double spreads, the dark beneath the sea where the miners are working. I held my breath through this book. One of my early school libraries was in a coal mining town. It was utterly terrible when a coal mining accident in that town took a father away from two precious children and their beautiful mum. Above ground the light forms shadows, below ground light comes from miner lamps. Above ground the young boy is free to run and play and swing and walk to the shops. Below is danger. When the father arrives home it is a moment of great relief but there is also the thought of tomorrow when his father will work again and the thought of the future when the boy himself will have to enter those deep dark tunnels.

Here are a set of teaching notes from Amnesty International.  Here is an interview where Sydney and Joanne talk about their book.

I Talk like a River by Jordan Scott illustrated by Sydney Smith (2020)

Opening lines: I wake up each morning with the sounds of words all around me.

Publisher blurb: After a day of being unable to speak when asked, and of being stared at, a boy and his father go to the river for some quiet time. "It's just a bad speech day," says Dad. But the boy can't stop thinking about all the eyes watching his lips twisting and twirling. When his father points to the river bubbling, churning, whirling and crashing, the boy finds a way to think about how he speaks. Even the river stutters. Like him. "I talk like a river," he says. An incredibly moving picture book that offers understanding rather than a solution, and which will resonate with all readers, young and old.

Reviews:

Again, Sydney Smith's illustrations do the impossible: They show how the narrator feels about his stutter. NPR

An important and unforgettable offering presented with natural beauty and grace. Horn Book

An astounding articulation of both what it feels like to be different and how to make peace with it. Kirkus Star review

Deft poetic language pairs with the resonant watercolors of Sydney Smith to create a book that is more than a memoir and more than conveying a message. This is pain, turned into art, and written for young children. Incomparable. SLJ Elizabeth Bird

My thoughts: When Elizabeth Bird said teachers and Teacher-Librarians should just read this book to a class with no agenda, no pointing out the message, and especially not mentioning this book is for a particular child - I cheered.  I have such a powerful memory of the day I read The Mouse with the too long Tail to a class. A young boy in the class had been born without fingers on one hand. I didn't connect this book with "Ben" I just read it aloud. At the end, he was sitting right in front of me, this young boy sighed. He had seen so much in this story - a celebration of difference. I hope this book is shared in families and in classes and that the sharing is done slowly. I am certain this book will touch the hearts of many children and adults. 

Listen to this podcast where Sydney and Jordan discuss their book. You can see the art here. Here are a set of teaching notes from the US Publisher.

Sydney Smith is a Canadian children's book illustrator. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. You can follow Sydney on Instagram @sydneydraws.  Here is an interview with Sydney. In the interview Sydney mentions Felix Hoffman. You can see some illustrations by Felix Hoffman here. Take a look at some art here. 

I suppose I take the text seriously these days. I allow myself to get carried away and invest all my time. I understand more about the dynamics between the images and text, visual literacy, pacing, and the role illustrations have in telling a story. I have learned that there are ways of storytelling that I gravitate toward, and that only comes with the experience of taking on different stories and approaching them all differently.