Sydney Smith

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".

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.

Education

Smith studied drawing and printmaking at NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was while studying there that he realized his interest for illustrating children's books.

Career

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.

Published works

2010: Mabel Murple by Sheree Fitch

2011: There Were Monkeys In My Kitchen by Sheree Fitch

2012: Toes In My Nose: And Other Poems by Sheree Fitch

2014: Jewel of the Thames (A Portia Adams Adventure Book 1) by Angela Misri

2014: Music Is For Everyone by Jill Barber

2015: Grant and Tillie Go Walking by Monica Kulling

2015: Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson

2016: Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts by Esta Spalding

2016: The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem "Pangur Bán" by Jo Ellen Bogart

2017: Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz

2019: Small in the City by Sydney Smith

2020: I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott

2023: Do You Remember? by Sydney Smith

2023: My Baba's Garden by Jordan Scott

2026: Rebecca by Kate Beaton