Meet the Canadian illustrator Stéphane Jorisch

Read more about this series here on the blog Kinderbookswitheverything

Blurb: Suki's favorite possession is her blue cotton kimono. A gift from her obachan, it holds special memories of her grandmother's visit last summer. And Suki is going to wear it on her first day back to school — no matter what anyone says.When it's Suki's turn to share with her classmates what she did during the summer, she tells them about the street festival she attended with her obachan and the circle dance that they took part in. In fact, she gets so carried away reminiscing that she's soon humming the music and dancing away, much to the delight of her entire class!  Read more here. 

Read more here

Stéphane Jorisch is an illustrator whose imaginative work has won many awards, including the prestigious Governor General’s Award for Children’s Illustration. His works are produced in watercolor, gouache and also pen and ink, following in the footsteps of his father who illustrated comic strips for newspapers in Europe. Stéphane’s first book, Oma’s Quilt, won the Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award and was shortlisted for the Blue Spruce Award. His second project, Suki’s Kimono, was named an Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award Honour Book. Stéphane has illustrated two titles in the KCP Visions in Poetry series, including Jabberwocky, and his latest, The Owl and The Pussycat. They both won the Governor General’s Awards for Illustration. In addition to his books for young people, Stéphane Jorisch also illustrates for magazines and has created designs for the renowned Cirque de Soleil. Stéphane was born in Brussels and grew up in Lachine, Quebec. He now lives in Montreal.  Kids Can Press

Stephanie Jorisch has illustrated over 80 books in English and French.  Here are a few titles:

• The Riddlemaster, written by Kevin Crossley-Holland (Tradewind Books)
• What Does It Mean To Be Kind?, written by Rana DiOrio (Little Pickle Press)
• Betty Bunny Loves Easter, written by Michael Kaplan (Dial)
• A Gift for Sophie, written by Gilles Vigneault (The Secret Mountain)
• Oma’s Quilt (Kids Can Press)
• Suki’s Kimono (Kids Can Press)
• Jabberwocky (Kids Can Press)
• Footwork: The Story of Fred and Adele Astaire (Candlewick Press)
• Granddad’s Fishing Buddy (Penguin)
• The Owl and the Pussycat (Kids Can Press)

I wonder if Stéphane Jorisch will attend the 2026 IBBY Congress in Ottawa. I do hope the bookshop at the congress has some of his books for sale although many are now sadly out of print. 

Blurb: A heartwarming tale about friendship and sharing wisdom between generations, accompanied by 9 songs. Sophie and Emilio spend their days enjoying life’s small discoveries in a tiny seaside village with their best pet friend “Sir” and a mischievous crow. Sophie’s regular visits and gift exchanges with her great-uncle lead to teachings about how value is determined by the intentions of the heart. The wisdom found in Old Man Tom’s eloquent quote, “It’s all in the nature of things,” sums up this poetic tale of friendship, values, mentorship, overcoming loss, and rites of passage. An accompanying CD includes the narrated story along with nine folk-infused songs performed by Martha Wainwright, Paul Campagne, and Thomas Hellman, among others.

Blurb: When the girl in the red hat finds the courage to be kind to the new student in class, her kindness spreads. Kind act by kind act, her whole community experiences the magical shift that happens when everyone understands—and acts on—what it means to be kind.

Blurb: Monsieur Oliphant's cake shop, the only bakery game in town, has long had customers lining up outside its door for Oliphant's delicious jelly rolls and marvelous wedding cakes . . . until the day cookie concocter Mademoiselle Fée takes over the old shoemaker's shop. And it isn't long before the divine piemaker Madame Clotilde soon moves into the old bric-a-brac shop. Three different bakers all trying to outclass one another means their little cul-de-sac is packed with customers every day and night, so, one morning, when everyone is bumpling and jostling each other with their cakes, cookies and pies, a food disaster -- a massacre of cream, a devastation of crumbs -- is inevitable! Only one little girl has the drive (or appetite?) to find a solution, but can it last?

Blurb: In 1905, four-and-a-half-year-old Fred Astaire put on his first pair of dancing shoes -- and from that moment, his life was filled with singing, dancing, and fancy footwork. Fred’s older sister, Adele, was the real dancer, but Fred worked hard to get all the steps just right, and it wasn’t long before he was the one capturing headlines and stealing the show. In this fascinating story of child stars who hoof their way to knockout success on Broadway and beyond, Roxane Orgill and Stéphane Jorisch team up for a bravura performance, capturing the sophistication, fluidity, and grace of two of the biggest names in dance history.

Kirkus review: Jorisch’s bright watercolors cleverly extend the story, which, with dashes of humor and delightful classroom extensions, should satisfy kids and teachers alike.

Here is the cover and an illustration from The Owl and the Pussycat. See more here.