Established in 1985 following the death of Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver, the award is presented to a Canadian illustrator in recognition of outstanding artistic talent.
There are ten finalists for this award - here are the seven books in English:
Bear Wants To Sing
Illustrations by Dena Seiferling, text by Cary Fagan, Tundra Books, Toronto, 2021.
A bear finds a ukulele in the woods. It makes a nice sound -- PLINK! -- and inspires him to write his own song. His friend Mouse would love to hear it. But Bear isn't the only animal in the forest to find musical inspiration that day, and Snake, Crow and Tortoise keep taking his turn to perform. When they finally give him the opportunity and meet his song with less enthusiasm than he'd like, the discouraged bear shelves his music career forever . . . but the kindness, empathy and appreciation of his best friend will prove that his art deserves recognition and can even inspire others.
Gemma and the Giant Girl
Illustrations by Marie Lafrance, text by Sara O’Leary, Tundra Books, Toronto, 2021.
Gemma has always lived in a very nice little house, always slept in the same room and always worn the same clothes. A doll in an old forgotten dollhouse, Gemma wonders if she will ever grow up, but her parents tell her she will always be their little girl. Until, one day, the dollhouse is opened by a GIANT, and Gemma's whole life changes. New things are introduced into the little house -- and Gemma finally has an opportunity to leave what's familiar and see the enormous world beyond.
Hare B&B
Illustrations by Bill Pechet, text by Bill Richardson, Running the Goat, St. John’s, 2021.
After her parents are duped by a coyote who is a master of disguise, Harriet ("Harry" for short) and her seven younger siblings are left to fend for themselves. Their only resource is their parents' now-empty bedroom, so Harry and her brothers and sisters open a "hare bed and breakfast." It is a great success. Then, the coyote comes calling again and learns that revenge is a dish best served as breakfast.
Maya’s Big Scene
Illustrations and text by Isabelle Arsenault, Tundra Books, Toronto, 2021.
Maya is a bossy, burgeoning playwright and loves to have the kids in her Mile End neighborhood bring her scenes to life. Her latest work, about a feminist revolution, is almost ready for public performance. But as her actors begin to express their costume preferences, Maya quickly learns that their visions may not match hers . . . and as both Director and Queen, Maya demands obedience and loyalty in her queendom of equality! But she soon realizes -- with the help of her friends and subjects -- that absolute bossiness corrupts absolutely!
On the Trapline
Illustrations by Julie Flett, text by David A. Robertson, Tundra Books, Toronto, 2021.
A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, take a trip together to visit a place of great meaning to Moshom. A trapline is where people hunt and live off the land, and it was where Moshom grew up. As they embark on their northern journey, the child repeatedly asks his grandfather, Is this your trapline? Along the way, the boy finds himself imagining what life was like two generations ago -- a life that appears to be both different from and similar to his life now. This is a heartfelt story about memory, imagination and intergenerational connection that perfectly captures the experience of a young child's wonder as he is introduced to places and stories that hold meaning for his family.
Time is a Flower
Illustrations and text by Julie Morstad, Tundra Books, Toronto, 2021.
What is time? Is it the tick tick tock of a clock, numbers and words on a calendar? It's that, but so much more. Time is a seed waiting to grow, a flower blooming, a sunbeam moving across a room. Time is slow like a spider spinning her web or fast like a wave at the beach. Time is a wiggly tooth, or waiting for the school bell to ring, or reading a story . . . or three! But time is also morning for some and night for others, a fading sunset and a memory captured in a photo taken long ago.
We All Play
Illustrations and text by Julie Flett, Greystone Kids, Vancouver, 2021.
This wonderful book celebrates diversity and the interconnectedness of nature through an Indigenous perspective, complete with a glossary of Cree words for wild animals at the back of the book, and children repeating a Cree phrase throughout the book. Readers will encounter birds who chase and chirp, bears who wiggle and wobble, whales who swim and squirt, owls who peek and peep, and a diverse group of kids who love to do the same, shouting: We play too! / kimetawanaw mina
Past Winners of the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award
2020 – Marie-Louise Gay, The Three Brothers
2019 – Rachel Wada, The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden
2018 – Julie Morstad, Bloom
2017 – Julie Kraulis, A Pattern for Pepper
2016 – Isabelle Arsenault, Louis parmi les spectres
2015 – Sydney Smith, Sidewalk Flowers
2014 – Pierre Pratt, Stop, Thief!
2013 – Julie Morstad, How To
2012 – Isabelle Arsenault, Virginia Wolf
2011 – Cybèle Young, A Few Blocks
2010 – Julie Flett, Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: L’Alfabet di Michif / Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet
2009 – Oleg Lipchenko, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
2008 – Christine Delezenne, La Clé
2007 – Stéphane Jorisch, The Owl and the Pussycat
2006 – Kady MacDonald Denton, Snow
2005 – Geneviève Côté, The Lady of Shalott
2004 – Stéphane Poulin, Un chant de Noël
2003 – Pierre Pratt, Where’s Pup?
2002 – Janie Jaehyun Park, The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon
2001 – Marie-Louise Gay, Stella, Queen of the Snow
2000 – Michèle Lemieux, Stormy Night
1999 – Kady MacDonald Denton, A Child’s Treasury of Nursery Rhymes
1998 – Pascal Mileli, Rainbow Bay
1997 – Harvey Chan, Ghost Train
1996 – Janet Wilson, Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt
1995 – Murray Kimber, Josepha: A Prairie Boy’s Story
1994 – Leo Yerxa, Last Leaf First Snowflake to Fall
1993 – Barbara Reid, Two by Two
1992 – Ron Lightburn, Waiting for the Whales
1991 – Paul Morin, The Orphan Boy
1990 – Ian Wallace, The Name of the Tree
1989 – Eric Beddows, Night Cars
1988 – Stéphane Poulin, Can You Catch Josephine?
1987 – Barbara Reid, Have You Seen Birds?
1986 – Ann Blades, By the Sea: An Alphabet Book
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