About the Illustrator
Sydney Smith has illustrated multiple children’s books, including The White Cat and the Monk, written by Jo Ellen Bogart, and the highly acclaimed Footpath Flowers, which was a New York Times Children’s Book of the Year, a winner of the Governor General Award for Illustration and shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Born in Nova Scotia in Canada, Sydney now lives in Toronto.
Featured books by Sydney Smith
Town Is by the Sea
5+ readers 7+ readersWinner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 | This haunting book, beautifully illustrated in ink and watercolour, bears record to a long-gone way of life. A young boy describes his day, from first thing in the morning when his father leaves for work, though playtime, lunch, shopping and his father’s return as evening falls. His descriptions are matter of fact, events presented as they happen, and the sea is a constant. It’s always there, visible from the house and playground, and the boy thinks of his father under the sea at work in the mines. Scenes underground are black and oppressive, forming a sharp contrast with the other pages, bathed in sunlight, the sea sparkling in the background. The boy accepts he’ll follow his father and grandfather into the mines: ‘I’m a miner’s son,’ he says, ‘In my town, that’s the way it goes.’ A book that demands to be studied and thought about.
Town is by the Sea
5+ readers 7+ readersShortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 | This haunting book, beautifully illustrated in ink and watercolour, bears record to a long-gone way of life. A young boy describes his day, from first thing in the morning when his father leaves for work, though playtime, lunch, shopping and his father’s return as evening falls. His descriptions are matter of fact, events presented as they happen, and the sea is a constant. It’s always there, visible from the house and playground, and the boy thinks of his father under the sea at work in the mines. Scenes underground are black and oppressive, forming a sharp contrast with the other pages, bathed in sunlight, the sea sparkling in the background. The boy accepts he’ll follow his father and grandfather into the mines: ‘I’m a miner’s son,’ he says, ‘In my town, that’s the way it goes.’ A book that demands to be studied and thought about. ~ Andrea Reece
Footpath Flowers
3+ readers 5+ readersShortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2016. Words would be completely superfluous to this beautiful and poignant picture book. A little girl in a red coat walks though the city hand and hand with her father. As he shops, chats to friends and navigates the route home, her eye is caught by flowers, flashes of colour amongst streets and scenes generally depicted in monotone. She collects a bouquet, then presents her flowers to people and creatures they pass – a sleeping man, a mother and her children, a dog and a dead sparrow are all given a flower, until she has just one left. Rich in visual detail, this will open readers’ eyes to the beauty of the world we take for granted, to the delight children find in small things, and to the love between child and parent. ~ Andrea Reece
Other books by Sydney Smith
Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts
Kim Fitzgerald-Trout took to driving with ease--as most children would if their parents would ever let them try. She had to. After all, she and her siblings live in a car. Meet the Fitzgerald-Trouts, a band of four loosely related children living together in a lush tropical island. They take care of themselves. They sleep in their car, bathe in the ocean, eat fish they catch and fruit they pick, and can drive anywhere they need to go--to the school, the laundromat, or the drive-in. If they put their minds to it, the Fitzgerald-Trouts can do anything. Even, they hope, find a real home. Award-winning poet and screenwriter Esta Spalding's exciting middle grade debut establishes a marvelous place where children fend for themselves, and adults only seem to ruin everything. This extraordinary world is brought to vibrant life by Sydney Smith, the celebrated artist behind Sidewalk Flowers.
The White Cat and the Monk A Retelling of the Poem 'Pangur Ban'
An enchanting retelling of a classic Old Irish poem, brought beautifully to life by the award-winning Sydney Smith, illustrator of Footpath Flowers. From the illustrator of Footpath Flowers, Sydney Smith, and award-winning author, Jo Ellen Bogart, comes a retelling of the classic Old Irish poem, `Pangur Ban' - the poem that inspired the character of Pangur Ban in the Academy Award nominated animation, The Secret of Kells. The monk in the poem leads a simple life - he studies his books late into the evening, searching for meaning. His cat, Pangur, leads a simple life, too, chasing his prey in the darkness. But as night turns to dawn, can each find what he seeks? Thoughtful readers will be enchanted by this elegant, classically-inspired story which pays tribute to the wisdom of animals and the wonders of the natural world.
Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts
The Fitzgerald-Trouts are four barely-related siblings living together in a small car on a lush tropical island. They are wonderfully self-reliant, but they are out-growing their small vehicle, and must band together to find a new home. A quick, delightful, and deeply resonant read, here is a beautifully imagined adventure where children live remarkable, independent lives despite some terrible grown-ups in their midst. These extraordinary siblings offer evidence that kids could get along just fine--they wouldn't even argue much with their siblings--if only grown ups left them alone.
Footpath Flowers
3+ readers 5+ readersShortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2016. An ode to the importance of small things, small people and small gestures, Footpath Flowers is a quiet but powerful testament to the joy that children can find in ordinary things and the mutual value of giving and yet adults so often miss them. There is so much to glean from this gorgeous wordless, beautifully illustrated picture book from award-winning poet JonArno Lawson.
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