A World of Kindness

Suzanne Del Rizzo is the award-winning author/illustrator of My Beautiful Birds and the illustrator of several other books for children. Suzanne's dimensional illustrations use polymer clay, acrylic, and other mixed media to bring rich texture and imagination to her books. She lives in Oakville, Ontario.Brian Deines is a fine artist and the award-winning illustrator of over 20 children's books, including A Bear in War, Bear on the Homefront, The Road to Afghanistan, and On a Snowy Night. Dragonfly Kites, part of a trilogy written by Tomson Highway, was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for illustration and the Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. A graduate of the Alberta College of Art, Brian lives in Toronto, Ontario with his wife and daughter.Kim La Fave is a multi-award-winning illustrator and designer in paint, pencils, or digital media. His honors include the Governor General's Literary Award for Illustration, the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, the Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award, and the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award. A graduate of the Alberta College of Art, Kim also honed his skills in Toronto and New York before returning to British Columbia where he now lives with his wife and family.A folk artist and award-winning illustrator who trained at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Tara Anderson is known for her lively and humorous illustrations of animals. Her books include That Stripy Cat, Rhino Rumpus, and the award-winning Nat the Cat Can Sleep Like That. Tara shares a farmhouse in Tweed, Ontario, with her husband, her young daughter, and several cats.Manon Gauthier is a graphic artist who made the leap to picture book illustration in 2006. After her first book was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature, she dedicated herself entirely to illustration, and to giving presentations and art workshops in schools across Quebec. A flexible artist, Manon works in many media, including gouache, pencils, and paper collage. She lives in Montreal.Author/Illustrator Rebecca Bender is best known for her award-winning Giraffe And Bird books. Her other publications include How Do You Feel? and Peach Girl (illustrations). Rebecca graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design with the medal for illustration and is now an art director and designer. She lives in Burlington, Ontario, with her husband and two children.François Thisdale's work blends traditional drawing and painting with digital imagery. He is the illustrator of The Stamp Collector, which is on IBBY Honor List, and That Squeak, an honor book for the IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award. Missing Nimama won the TD Canadian Children's Book Award. François lives in Montreal, Quebec.Wallace Edwards is a beloved children's book author-illustrator whose vivid imagination has transformed the world of animals and strange creatures for a generation of children. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art, he is a popular guest speaker at conferences and literary events. Wallace's awards and shortlists include the Governor General's Award, the IRA Children's Choice Award, and the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award. Wallace lives in Yarker, Ontario.Dean Griffiths is a popular picture book artist with more than 25 titles to his name. His many awards include the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Book Prize for Maggie Can't Wait, the Chocolate Lily Award for Ballerinas Don't Wear Glasses, and the Rainforest of Reading Award for Bad Pirate. Dean lives in Duncan, British Columbia, with his daughter.