the worldwide picture book illustration competition
Winners
2021
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
NAAM
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the worldwide picture book illustration competition
And the winners are… THE NETHERLANDS
Nadya Bonten-Slenders Marij ke Eijsink Amber Moonen Dian Folkersma (honourable mention) G E R MA N Y
Caroline Reissner Steffi Stroh Jule Wellerdiek SOUTH AFRICA
Richard Murombedzi Elizabeth Sparg Megan Vermaak Danolene Johanessen (honourable mention) U N I T E D K I N G D OM
Mariska Gewald Emma Simpson Dide Tengiz
Copyright: © 2021 Lemniscaat b.v., Rotterdam Cover illustration: © Evelien Jagtman (winner 2019) Photographs: © the winners Picture this! logo: © Tobias Hickey Juries: The Netherlands: Jean Christophe Boele van Hensbroek, Mark Janssen, Ellen Vesters, Eline de Viet, Fred Wartna Germany: Paula Peretti, Maria Linsmann, Bettina Herre (S. Fischer Verlage/Sauerländer) South Africa: Alida Bothma, Reon Erasmus, Piet Grobler, Jaco Jacobs United Kingdom: Tobias Hickey, Petr Horáček, Louise Jackson, Denise Johnstone-Burt More information on www.wwpbic.com
l emniscaat
rotterdam
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface by the publisher The winners
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The Netherlands Nadya Bonten-Slenders 14 Marijke Eijsink 18 Amber Moonen 22 Dian Folkersma (honourable mention)
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Germany Caroline Reissner 30 Steffi Stroh 34 Jule Wellerdiek 38 South Africa Richard Murombedzi 42 Elizabeth Sparg 46 Megan Vermaak 50 Danolene Johanessen (honourable mention) United Kingdom Mariska Gewald 58 Emma Simpson 62 Dide Tengiz 66
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PREFACE BY THE PUBLISHER
the worldwide picture book illustration competition
In this catalogue we proudly present the winners of the 2021 edition of the international picture book illustration competition Picture this!, with entries from England, South Africa, Germany and the Netherlands. From the many entries, juries in these countries chose the three most talented new and unknown illustrators. The result is an impressive demonstration of the versatility and originality of the picture book. Picture books have become a worldwide art form at which many try their hand, from newcomers to more established artists. And with good reason, as picture books are now a cherished part of many a child’s and parents’ world. Also in child day-care centres, reading picture books is becoming a regular activity, which often inspires all sorts of further activities. In short: the picture book is here to stay! Nevertheless, coming to notice and finding a publisher often remains a challenge for recently graduated illustrators. That is why publishers, academies and other cultural institutes banded together in 2014 to launch the Picture This! competition: as a platform for upcoming talented illustrators to demonstrate their ability. To bring the winners’ work to attention, this catalogue is distributed online among picture book publishers, art institutes and academies, worldwide. Also, exhibitions of the work by the winning illustrators will travel along art institutes and libraries in the participating countries. On behalf of the juries of the Worldwide Picture Book Illustration Competition, the International Institute for the Picture Book in Society and Walker Books/United Kingdom, Lemniscaat Publishers/The Netherlands, Protea Publishers/South Africa, Fischer Sauerländer and the Bilderbuchmuseum in Troisdorf/Germany, we wish you much enjoyment and the artists every success! Jean Christophe Boele van Hensbroek
THE WINNERS
Nadya Bonten-Slenders
The Netherlands
Marijke Eijsink
Dian Folkersma (honourable mention)
Amber Moonen
THE WINNERS
Caroline Reissner
Germany
Steffi Stroh
Jule Wellerdiek
THE WINNERS
Richard Murombedzi
South Africa
Elizabeth Sparg
Danolene Johanessen (honourable mention)
Megan Vermaak
THE WINNERS
Mariska Gewald
United Kingdom
Emma Simpson
Dide Tengiz
The winning art...
A FRIEND N A D Y A - B O N T E N S L E N D E R S lives in
Zuid-Limburg with her husband, son and bunnies. She has her own art studio in her home in Terwinselen. She officially graduated as a speech and language therapist but has been drawing ever since she was a child and continues to enjoy it tremendously to this day.
On his way home from school, the introvert Luuk finds a small and fragile seed in the snow. He takes it with him to care for it. At home, Luuk plants the little seed. He puts a lot of love and attention into it. Suddenly, Luuk feels less lonely. At night, he dreams about the exciting adventures that lie ahead. This extraordinary bond makes both friends flourish. When Luuk is asleep, the first leaves start to show. Will his little plant be everything Luuk imagined it to be? Nadya worked with mixed media for this collection of three artworks. She used graphite pencil, water colour and gouache. The finishing touches were added digitally. Nadya made several sketches before starting to work on a larger scale, to get to know Luuk and to find the compositions that felt just right. The third artwork features multiple spot illustrations to picture all the ways that Luuk gives attention to his new friend. It was important for Nadya to show mood changes throughout the illustration sequence. That is why her colour palette features warmer and brighter colours in the second and third piece. Nadya tried to create some mystery about what kind of plant it would become, to appeal to the reader’s imagination.
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Nadya Bonten-Slenders
In 2012 she took the plunge and started working as a freelance illustrator. For years she only created commissioned paintings, birth announcements and prints for her Etsy shop. A couple of years ago she signed up for illustration courses, followed by an extensive illustration mentorship, with the ultimate goal of illustrating picture
books. She loves how this lets her combine her passion for drawing, stories, language and working with children, all at once! Nadya’s art often testifies to her love for all sorts of animals, big and small. Her personal work and stories feature characters that feel different in some way and must learn to cope with strong emotions. She hopes she can send a message of acceptance and belonging to those that see and read her work. Through her art and stories,
N A D Y A B O N T E N - S L E N D E R S - A Friend
Nadya invites young children and their parents into a world of wonder and imagination, meeting endearing, whimsical and adventurous characters along the way. In her spare time she loves hiking through nature, taking care of her house plants and reading picture books with her son. www.nadyart.me
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J U R Y R E P O R T A squirrel, drawn in a seemingly simple manner, gains a very strong character
through posture and facial expression. As the saying goes, ‘less is more’; and Nadya’s drawings are spot-on. She needs very little to tell a lot: how a squirrel finds a seed, puts it in a pot, waters it and pampers it and hopes that they will become friends. The fact that we, as viewers, know more than protagonist Luuk adds a special dimension. The plant emerges from the soil while Luuk is asleep. A subtle piece of work infused with a tender atmosphere.
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N A D Y A B O N T E N - S L E N D E R S - A Friend
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THE ACORN THIEF It is winter, and a blanket of snow covers the forest floor. A squirrel and a jay are looking for their food stash. But no matter how much they search and wherever they dig, no acorns are to be found. They have all disappeared
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Marijke Eijsink
– bar one. Initially they are suspicious of each other, resulting in a confrontation. But eventually they decide to work together. Even though they can barely resist the temptation to eat the last acorn, they need it. They use it to set
a trap, so they can find out who took their supplies. The story is a funny whodunit that also touches on themes of friendship, the importance of sharing, and cooperation.
The illustrations consist of monotypes and ink structures, combined with materials such as pastels and acrylic paint, and some digital assistance to bring everything together.
Already as a child, M A R I J K E E I J S I N K loved to write and draw. After graduating as an art teacher from the art school in Arnhem, she taught in secondary education and offered art classes for adults. Later she attended a creative writing course at Script Plus in Amsterdam. She currently works as an art teacher and coach for fellow teachers in primary education. Working with young children inspired her to write and illustrate stories for little ones. Marijke Eijsink grew up nearby the forested Veluwe area, where a love of nature came naturally. The forest was a place where her imagination could run free. And it still is, today. This story came to her during an autumn walk. Squirrels and jays were working overtime in preparation for winter. She saw a jay burying food and then pretending he hadn’t done anything, in an attempt to trick any onlookers. Later he buried it elsewhere. So there it was: a character begging to be made into a story. When illustrating, the search for appealing characters and emotions is an exciting process. Marijke would love to develop this in other books. Besides printing techniques she likes to use all kinds of materials such as watercolour and ink. Marijke lives and works in Deventer. www.marijke-eijsink.nl @marijkeeijsink
M A R I J K E E I J S I N K – The Acorn Thief
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J U R Y R E P O R T In three strong narrative pictures, Marijke Eijsink presents animals full of charac-
ter. During winter, the acorns hidden by the squirrels have disappeared. A wild boar turns out to be the culprit, but his gluttony has caused him to get stuck in a hollow tree. But then the force of his sneeze sends him flying out. The maker must have had a lot of fun making this work. Curiosity, anger and movement are all depicted very beautifully. Based on mono-prints, Marijke Eijsink manages to create interesting textures, especially in animal fur and tree bark.
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
M A R I J K E E I J S I N K – The Acorn Thief
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MAUD IN SEARCH OF… Amber Moonen The three illustrations are part of the manuscript Maud in search of…, written by Nienke Groenewege. Maud is a girl who, instead of waiting around for something to go her way, goes out to get what she wants. Maud can’t seem to fall asleep no matter how hard she tries. So instead of waiting for Sleep to come and find her, she sets sail to go and find Sleep! She prepares her boat for the journey, and off she goes. During her travels she meets all sorts of beautiful, strange and sometimes grumpy creatures of the sea. Most of them do encounter Sleep once in a while, or Sleep just happens to them. But none of them can tell her with absolute certainty where Sleep is now. It turns out that finding Sleep is an even bigger adventure than she had imagined at first… The illustrations were created using watercolour and pencil on paper.
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
For as long as A M B E R M O O N E N can remember, she has loved painting and drawing. As a child she would create entire worlds on paper and would go on adventures using her imagination. Stories were one of her first loves, especially when they were well told and beautifully illustrated. Because of her dyslexia, reading was never easy for her. But because of her wonderful mother who read to her endlessly, she got to enjoy all the stories that inspire her to this day. With the making of illustrations, Amber gets to combine her love for stories with creating
A M B E R M O O N E N – Maud in Search of…
images. Her dream is to make quality picture books for children, like the ones that she grew up hearing and still enjoys today. Amber Moonen graduated as a teacher of visual arts and design in Amsterdam in 2015. After her studies she specialised in the technique of oil painting, figure drawing and illustrating. www.ambermoonen.com
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J U R Y R E P O R T The jury is unanimous in its praise for Amber Moonen’s work. Maud in search of… narrates a girl’s encounters with various creatures of the sea. Strong images, refined compositions and an intriguing story. Each picture is spot-on; the whale, jelly-fish and an sea-elephant are beautifully depicted and interesting down to the smallest detail. The whale’s eye alone reveals so much. ‘Enchanting’ and ‘very special’ were descriptions heard often in the jury’s deliberations. Amber Moonen’s artistry is indisputable.
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
A M B E R M O O N E N – Maud in Search of…
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BEAR AND PANDA Bear thinks he can hold the moon and wants to show it to his best friend, Red Panda. They watch the night sky together and when the moon emerges, Bear creates the illusion with his paws. Later that night Red Panda ‘catches’ a star. This story is about the feeling of magic and wonder when surrounded by nature. The pictures are made using gouache resist technique, which is later painted with watercolours and gouache. Dian likes to work traditionally, using watercolour, gouache, oil paint, coloured pencils and ink. D I A N F O L K E R S M A (1994) lives in Groningen,
a city in the northern Netherlands. She has been passionate about picture books for as long as she can remember. Although she felt too old to read them by the age of 10, she would still enjoy them nevertheless. She was inspired by the illustrations, the colours and the otherworldly feeling they gave her. At 16 years old, she decided to become a nurse. It was a struggle. Her free time was spent drawing, painting and writing stories. Then she decided to get serious about art, and signed up for a study at the Classical Art Academy. She studied there for 4 years, drawing and painting in a figurative fine art style. At the Academy she saw the poster for the Picture This! contest. She remembered her childhood dream of painting a beautiful and fantastical picture book. So she joined the contest to follow her dream, and is now looking forward to continuing this creative adventure.
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Dian Folkersma
(Honourable mention)
D i a n F o l k e r s m a – Bear and Panda
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J U R Y R E P O R T Dian Folkersma receives an honourable mention for the illustrations of a bear and a
red panda attempting to catch the stars. They are dreamy, intriguing and tranquil images that each tell a whole story. Atmospheric pictures without much action, all the attention is concentrated on the main action: catching stars and releasing them again. The direction of the animals’ gaze and their interaction also direct the viewers’ gaze. A special piece of work.
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
D i a n F o l k e r s m a – Bear and Panda
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NOMADIC CHILDREN Nomadic Children is a 56-page children’s and young adults’ non-fiction book that explores different cultures and related ways of life around the world. Many people live in a way that they do not call the land their own, believing instead that the world cannot be owned but only shared and used. Nomadic cultures are found in countries where the soil is infertile or the climate does not permit farming. The barrenness of the landscape forces peoples to continually migrate. The individual family groups usually migrate seasonally, together with their livestock and possessions, for the purpose of grazing. Many nomadic peoples follow the migration of their animals. The introductory chapter of the book Nomadic Children first provides an overview of the life of nomads. This is followed by five chapters on the steppe, the sea, the desert, the ice and the forest. The last chapter points out the conflicts and problems facing the individual nomadic groups. For most nomads it has become almost impossible to maintain their culture in its original form. For example, for nomads and other pastoralists, grazing land is particularly important, but due to the ongoing privatisation of land, nomads are being pushed back further and further and are deprived of the possibility to maintain their way of life. At the same time, climate change is making nomadic life more difficult.
Growing up in Bavaria, the land of The Blue Rider (Kandinsky, Macke, Franz Marc C A R O L I N E R E I S S N E R is was inspired early by the fantastical picture world of this lake and mountain landscape. After successful years in the field of communication and media design in Munich, she started working as a freelance artist in 2016 and has been enrolled since then at the HAW in the Illustration Design Department. In 2019, during a semester abroad at the Griffith University in Brisbane/Australia, she discovered her love for fantastic natural worlds and the small hidden details. www.caroline-reissner.de
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Caroline Reissner
C A R O L I N E R E I S S N E R – Nomadic Children
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J U R Y R E P O R T An imaginary present, constructed like a stage set, gives rise to worlds beyond indus-
trial civilisation. The gesture of the mother and daughter welcome us and seem to ask us: ‘Do we really (still) exist?’ The dynamic perspectives open our eyes. Once vertically from above, like a bird engaging in a conversation with the nomadic children, very immediate. Back in the horizontal, we see the children from behind, we join them in asking: Has our globe not long since finished with this diversity? The images disagree. An apparently unreal simultaneity that corresponds with a magical-realistic style. Earthy, warm colours in digital painting manage without bold outlines, create warmth and proximity – and optimism.
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C A R O L I N E R E I S S N E R – Nomadic Children
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A PROPER FOX This story is about a little fox called Findus. Findus tries hard to be a proper fox. A proper fox has to be wild and adventurous, he should steal chickens and outsmart the other animals. But Findus is different. He finds it exhausting to be a proper fox. He prefers to smell
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Steffi Stroh
flowers, to observe butterflies and to have interesting conversations with the chicken. His family thinks his behaviour is strange. As hard as Findus tries to fit in, he simply doesn’t manage to be like the other foxes. One day Findus has a painful experience. But then this
is followed by a valuable encounter that helps Findus realise that being different is quite alright after all.
S T E F F I S T R O H – A Proper Fox
S T E F F I S T R O H (1982) has loved to tell stories
through pictures since she was a child. Pencils and paintbrushes have been her constant companions ever since. Naturally, art was more than just a subject for her during her school years. After completing secondary school, she studied art education as part of her teacher training programme for children with special needs. In 2009, during a six-month internship at the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland, she gained extensive further knowledge and practice in the field of art education. Since 2017, in addition to her work as a special needs teacher at a primary school, Steffi Stroh has worked as an art teacher and professional illustrator. As an illustrator she develops expressive figures and imaginative worlds with both digital and analogue techniques. She is particularly interested in animals in all of their facets, and loves the challenge of drawing their expressions when facing emotional situations. Through her pedagogical work, Steffi Stroh has learned much about children’s emotional worlds and interests. This deep understanding of children is reflected in her illustrations’ characters and stories. Steffi Stroh lives in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In her free time she loves to cook and bake, hike in the mountains and visit art museums – of course always with her sketchbook close at hand. www.steffi-stroh.de
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J U R Y R E P O R T Findus, the little fox, is not like other foxes. He prefers things quiet, loves to watch
animals and flowers and is not particularly brave either. And he is certainly not out to outfox others or to steal chickens. His family therefore finds him weird. And it doesn’t feel good to be different. Only when he gets to know other animals who are also not what you expect them to be, does Findus realise that being different is not bad. Everyone is good just as they are. Steffi Stroh illustrates with a powerful and zestful stroke, lovingly and realistic at the same time. The expressions on the protagonists’ faces vary skilfully, and the scenes are rich and lively, designed in warm colours. She playfully mixes different techniques so that the depiction of the animals in particular is an invitation to stroke them.
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S T E F F I S T R O H – A Proper Fox
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HOLGER’S HOUSE Holger is really mad at Pebble again. That goof is just always so noisy and makes a mess of their house. But then Holger comes up with an idea: what if this house was his house, and his
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Jule Wellerdiek
alone? At the next opportunity, Holger picks up the house and sets out for a new place. But it doesn’t take long for him to notice how lonely he feels without his friend.
From a young age, most of us are familiar with a similar inner conflict: the fear of being lonely versus the wish to be alone. Sometimes, we would rather have the four walls we normally share with others for ourselves. But at the same time, we discover that ‘home’ is not just a house but also the company we share it with.
The main characters are fox Holger and his friend Pebble. Holger loves to have things tidy and organised. He is happiest sitting quietly and reading a book. But Pebble regularly upsets his plans, causing chaos and noise. The two friends argue, upon which Holger runs off. Towards the end of the story, the two of them make up and apologise for their behaviour. In between, Holger’s inner conflict is described: how he at first seeks and enjoys the lonesomeness while still being angry with Pebble. But after a while he begins to miss him so much that he finally returns to him.
J U L E W E L L E R D I E K (1997) is an illustrator
from Germany. She started drawing from a young age. What started as a distraction from boring school classes and rainy afternoons gradually became her most favourite thing to do. It also turned out to be an excellent way of comprehending the world around her, as well as expressing all her thoughts inside. The opportunity to study illustration at the Münster School of Design eventually made her dream of making a living through being creative come true. Holger’s House is her first book and was also her final project at MSD, upon completing her Bachelor of Arts in spring 2021. While feeling mostly at home in the department of writing and illustrating for children’s books, she can’t wait to spend the rest of life exploring the possibilities of all mediums that work with illustrations.
J U L E W E L L E R D I E K – Holger ’s House
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J U R Y R E P O R T Fox Holger is neat and well-
organised. He likes to have things orderly and tidy – in contrast to his friend Pebble, who spreads disorder, chaos and noise, and simply chills out while Holger cleans the house.
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One day, when Pebble is not around, Holger spontaneously packs the house they share on his bicycle trailer and sets off. But after a while he misses his friend so much that he finally returns to him. Jule Wellerdiek narrates
this story with very airy and bright images in shades of green and blue, with numerous small loving details and a fine sense for childlike humour. The illustrations, which are created in an elaborate technique mixing water colour,
J U L E W E L L E R D I E K – Holger ’s House
drawing and collage, stand out for their cheerful and playful atmosphere.
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THE HOUSE AT THE END OF MEMORY LANE Richard Murombedzi
Olly, a little farm boy, and his family move into a ramshackle house. Olly is not happy about the move, and as he tries to fall asleep in his new bed, he keeps hearing scary noises tittering through the house. During another fitful night, he decides to go and investigate the noises, relying on his mighty flashlight and his trusty sidekick, Cockaroo, a chicken who displays
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an array of animal traits, to keep him safe. As they search through the house, they only come across noisy farm animals. Then they hear whistling pipes from the attic and Cockaroo quickly leads the way to the source of the noise. In the attic, they find a strange-looking creature playing a forlorn flute. Olly approaches him, aims the flashlight and shouts ‘freeze!’.
Instead, the creature projects a memory of a young girl playing the flute for her father. The creature, Cerrebelmus, explains that his previous owners accidentally left him behind when they moved, and soon he will be forgotten and disappear forever. Concerned, Olly assures him that he will help. He tries to think of a plan. In the end he takes the flute, and starts playing it. Music fills the room and Cerrebelmus becomes brighter. From then on, Olly understands the importance of keeping memories close to your heart and makes sure never to forget them.
R I C H A R D M U R O M B E D Z I – The House at the End of Memory Lane
In 2015, R I C H A R D M U R O M B E D Z I enrolled in a Film Arts degree at the Open Window Institute in Centurion, South Africa, where he discovered an aptitude for Cinematography and Animation. He refocused his degree to Film and Cinematography, achieving filming awards as well as screenings at Silwerskerm and the Lens Flare Film Festival. Since then he has been exploring documentary filmmaking as his source of relatable and authentic stories. Through this medium he found he was able to enhance a story by taking advantage of angles and lighting elements to infuse a still frame with emotion. This has led to a shift in his traditional art, which he still does in his free time, as he has learnt to make narratives more appealing. Although film remains a big part of his career, he has veered back to traditional art in the last few years. He sees himself firstly as a storyteller, having developed skills that are flexible in executing a narrative rich in colour and meaning, to inspire an audience with expressive stories. Although new to children’s book illustrations, he has found a distinct innocence about it that resonates with him – and he hopes to have the opportunity to develop himself further as he inspires a young generation to view the world in vivid colours.
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J U R Y R E P O R T Richard Murombedzi’s work
is atmospheric and striking, and highly publishable. His illustrations are rich in detail, hinting at a fine sense of humour. He clearly has the ability to create appealing, expressive characters who come to life on the page. His use of comic book frames add a contemporary feel to the illustrations and makes his work accessible and narratively rich. It would be wonderful to see this talented, accomplished illustrator’s work in print.
R I C H A R D M U R O M B E D Z I – The House at the End of Memory Lane
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PENGUIN’S GREAT ESCAPE Penguin is an outsider among the other penguins in Antarctica because he does not like the cold. One day he is playing on his own when an attack by a killer whale sets off a series of close calls and narrow escapes, leading him to a chance encounter on a ship, an unusual friendship, and a getaway to a warmer climate. The story speaks to bravery, adventure and finding commonality with unlikely friends. Penguin’s Great Escape was inspired by the large African penguin colony which lives at Boulder’s Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. It is a picture book written for children aged 3-6 and centres around an African penguin who finds himself out of place and lonely in Antarctica, as he actually belongs on a warm, sunny beach.
E L I Z A B E T H S P A R G is an illustrator from
Durban, South Africa. She has been working as a website and graphic designer for over 15 years, which includes illustration jobs ranging from drawing maps to pattern design. More recently, she has been developing her illustration style for the picture book and children’s publishing market. Elizabeth has a BA degree in Fine Art and Psychology (Hons) from UKZN, Pietermaritzburg. Her illustrations are created using watercolour, gouache and colour pencils, which are then scanned and finished digitally. www.elizabethsparg.com
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Elizabeth Sparg
E L I Z A B E T H S P A R G – Penguin’s Great Escape
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J U R Y R E P O R T Elizabeth Sparg’s little penguin character is endearing and charming and she
manages to capture the bird’s odd movement and behaviour. Her understanding of the different functions of image and text is demonstrated excellently in the scene with the penguin ‘running’ and ‘swimming’ by illustrating neither actions, but capturing the moments before and after them: footprints in the snow and the big dive. Varying viewpoints and perspectives add to the sense of drama and place. They are lively illustrations promising an adventurous and intriguing journey!
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E L I Z A B E T H S P A R G – Penguin’s Great Escape
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PANDA BEAR
Mr Bird is on a mission to find his missing friend, Panda Bear. There are other animals who are willing to help Mr Bird. However, each of them is so busy with something else that they mishear who exactly Mr Bird is looking for, sending him on a search for a possibly non-existent creature. At the end of the day, each animal brings someone to Mr Bird who they think could be Mr Bird’s missing friend. Instead, standing before Mr Bird is a group of
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Megan Vermaak
very strange-looking creatures, and Mr Bird is left wondering where his missing friend, Panda Bear, could be. The last page reveals Panda Bear happily munching on some bamboo in the middle of a bamboo forest, very far away from Africa. M E G A N V E R M A A K is a young South African
children’s picture book illustrator. She completed her BA Honours in Visual Communication
Design at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography in 2020, receiving an overall distinction for her degree. Her deep affinity for children’s book illustration was recognised by the Australian agency, The Illustration Room, during her final year of study and the agency now represents her worldwide as a children’s picture book illustrator. A peek into Megan’s process reveals a predominantly traditional approach in which she
MEGAN VERMAAK
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Panda Bear
uses both traditional media and a digital process to create illustrations which retain a hand-made quality. Every element is individually hand-painted using watercolours and ink. The images are scanned and digitally compiled to produce the final composition. Megan has developed a unique and humorous approach to characterisation which is especially noticeable in her quirky animal characters.
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J U R Y R E P O R T Megan Vermaak uses playful
visual language, full of movement and humour. Her portrayal of the characters is free and loose. Her hand-drawn watercolour technique combines well with the handwritten wording in-between the animal drawings. The result is light-hearted and will make for a delightful picture book.
MEGAN VERMAAK
–
Panda Bear
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BAREFOOT BUT NOT ALONE My name is Anna, sister of two younger brothers who are my responsibility. We live on a farm and take turns sharing one pair of school shoes. Big feet, small
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feet, we make it work. There never seems to be enough money for food and clothes. We walk barefoot for many miles daily to get to school.
Danolene Johanessen
(Honourable mention)
This children’s photo art book captures the emotions of impoverished children everywhere hoping for a better day, for themselves and
those they love. A child’s faith is childlike, simple in spirit, generous and kind.
D A N O L E N E J O H A N E S S E N is an artist from
the Western Cape. In 2013 she founded the non-profit organisation Royal Kidz. The NPO seeks to restore dignity to children from impoverished communities by providing school uniforms and shoes.
D A N O L E N E J O H A N E S S E N - Barefoot but not Alone
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J U R Y R E P O R T Danolene Johanessen’s illustrations are bold and
striking, and well-suited for the subject matter. Her use of digital photo manipulation techniques give the illustrations a realistic feel. Given the right project to work on, this illustrator’s technique could make for a bold, child-friendly picture book.
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D A N O L E N E J O H A N E S S E N - Barefoot but not Alone
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I AM THE NIGHT
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Mariska Gewald
‘I am a being of unrivalled intellect and grace, doomed to the life of a lowly house cat. My beauty and prowess are underrated by the lower mortals that share my home. But when the littlest one extends a peace offering of surreptitious snacks, I begrudgingly allow her to become my ally. This is my story of how I put aside my superiority and humbly accepted the friendship of one so far beneath me.’ Mariska developed I am the Night during her MA Children’s Book Illustration in Cambridge. During this master she spent many hours in the print room experimenting with various printing techniques, like mono printing and lithography. The illustrations for I am the Night are made on an offset lithography press as mono prints in different layers. The original prints are 51 by 38 cm.
M A R I S K A G E W A L D is an illustrator and
printmaker from Leiden, the Netherlands. Before studying Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Arts, she taught printmaking workshops to children of all ages and worked as a graphic designer. In her illustration practice, Mariska likes to work with bold, simplified shapes, textures and vivid colours using a limited colour palette. Her aim is to create bright and fun illustrations with printmaking and mixed media at its foundation. Her current picture-book projects are humorous with a focus on animal characters, as the natural world is a big inspiration in her work. She loves to use a mix of materials when illustrating, like gouache, crayons and pencil crayons, but her favourite medium is printmaking, especially mono printing. The artwork for her picture book Being an Elephant is Epic! has been selected for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2021 Illustrators Exhibition. www.mariskagewald.com
MARISKA GEWALD
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I am the Night
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
J U R Y R E P O R T Mariska’s strong, graphic cat imagery and bold colours are
playful and energetic. The richly textured cat on the mat, almost spilling off the page – with the hovering shadow, it’s use of colour and texture, and the half white eye staring out – is both exciting and intriguing.
MARISKA GEWALD
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I am the Night
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A LIFE WITHOUT CEILINGS Clara is fascinated by the birds as they dip and dive, soar and glide in seemingly endless spaces. Spaces that are tantalizingly out of reach. In contrast, Clara feels trapped, stuck on the ground, more like a stone than the birds she so admires. But there is no stopping Clara as she goes on a magical journey to discover a life without ceilings, to soar wild and free like the birds.
E M M A C H R I S T I N A S I M P S O N is a British
author, illustrator and picture-book maker. A happy childhood climbing the oak tree at the bottom of the garden, watching the house martins build their nests from the bedroom window and long summer days on the wild beaches in Cornwall: these are some of the vivid memories that provide fertile ground for Emma’s illustrations. Graduating from university with a BMedSci in Speech Therapy, she worked for many years in London and Munich with young children in the special educational needs sector, before dedicating herself full-time to picture book making. She took part in the Children’s Book Illustration Summer School in Cambridge. Emma’s passion for picture books comes not only from the endless possibilities to create beautiful artwork interwoven with text, but the shared experience it represents for children. Picture book illustrators and authors that inspire her include Laura Carlin, Beatrice Alemagna and John Burningham. As well as drawing, Emma plays the violin and loves swimming in the beautiful lakes surrounding Munich where she currently lives.
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Emma Christina Simpson
E M M A C H R I S T I N A S I M P S O N – A Life Without Ceilings
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J U R Y R E P O R T An original artist with strong compositions, unusual perspectives and a limited
palette. The jury liked the creative used of mixed media – pencil, watercolour, printmaking and collage, and her bold use of negative space. Small details stood out, like matching the blue of the girls jumper to the bluebird soaring into the sky, and the jury liked the use of leaf rubbings interspersed with watercolour in the tree spread.
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
E M M A C H R I S T I N A S I M P S O N – A Life Without Ceilings
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MAI
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Dide Tengiz
This is a picture book that Dide Tengiz made as her last project for her Masters in Children’s Book Illustration. It is a surreal story of a giant, who represents what we would usually describe
as ‘mother earth’, but we soon realise she is a vulnerable child, much like the Earth, she needs taking care of.
D I D E T E N G I Z loves to bring stories to life
and find narratives in the everyday. She likes to create a sense of place and feeling in her work using colour and observational drawing. She is particularly interested in old folklore and exploring ways she can give those tales modern adaptations. Dide studied her BA in illustration at UWE, Bristol and went on to do her MA in Children’s Book Illustration at ARU. She is now working as an illustrator in Bristol and is represented by Alice Williams Literary. www.didetengiz.com
D I D E T E N G I Z – Mai
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AND THE WINNERS ARE…
J U R Y R E P O R T The jury loved Dide’s delicate, dreamlike
watercolours and her lightness of touch. Compositionally her work is very strong, with imaginative visual imagery that pulls you into a magical, playful and beautifully realised surreal world, where nothing is quite what it seems.
D I D E T E N G I Z – Mai
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T H E C O M P E T I T I O N I S S U P P O R T E D B Y:
Lemniscaat Publishers (nl) The International Centre for the Picture Book in Society (gb) Walker Books (gb) Protea (sa) The Burg Wissem Bilderbuch Museum Troisdorf (de) S.Fischer Verlage/Sauerländer (de)
