Barbara Reid (born November 16, 1957) is a Canadian illustrator and author of children's books. She has been called "one of Canada's major literary figures". She was born in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and studied at the

Ontario College of Art Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within do ...

. She began her career creating illustrations for textbooks. She creates her illustrations by starting with a pencil drawing. She then builds up the image using coloured

modelling clay Modelling clay or modelling compound is any of a group of malleable substances used in building and sculpting. The material compositions and production processes vary considerably. Ceramic clay Ceramic clays are water-based substances made f ...

to give it a three-dimensional effect. The result is then photographed and used as an illustration. Her work has been published in over 21 countries, including Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, China, Germany, Brazil and Thailand. In 2012, she received the

Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People The Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, colloquially called the Vicky, is given annually at the Writers' Trust Awards to a writer or illustrator whose body of work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth". It is a top honour for ...

. Her Zoe series of books received a Mr. Christie's Book Award.

Selected works

* ''The New Baby Calf'' (1984), text by Edith Newlin Chase * ''Have You Seen Birds?'' (1986), text by Joanne Oppenheim, received the Canada Council Children's Literature Prize and the

Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award The Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award is an annual literary award for children's picture illustrators. It was established in 1985 following the death of Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver, one of Canada Canada is a country in N ...

* ''Sing a Song of Mother Goose'' (1987) * ''Playing with Plasticine'' (1988), non-fiction * ''Effie'' (1990), text by Bev Allinson * ''Two By Two'' (1992), won the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award * ''Zoe's Year'' (1992) * ''Gifts'' (1994), text by

Jo Ellen Bogart Jo Ellen Bogart (born October 20, 1945) is a US and Canadian writer of children's books living in Guelph, Ontario. The daughter of a telephone company manager, the oldest of four children, she was born in Houston and grew up there, in San Antonio ...

* ''The Party'' (1997), received the

Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration The Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration is a Canadian literary award that annually recognizes one Canadian illustrator for a children's book written in English. It is one of four children's book awards among the Go ...

* ''Fun with Modeling Clay'' (1998), non-fiction * ''The Golden Goose'' (2000) * ''The Subway Mouse'' (2004), nominated for a Governor General's Award, received the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award * ''Read Me a Book'' (2004) * ''Fox Walked Alone'' (2009), named to the

International Board on Books for Young People The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is an international non-profit organization committed to bringing books and children together. The headquarters of the IBBY are located in Basel, Switzerland. IBBY history In 1952, Jella Lepm ...

International Honour List * ''Perfect Snow'' (2009), received the

Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award The Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award was presented annually by the Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques (CLA) to an outstanding illustrator of a new Canadian children's book. The book must be "suita ...

* ''Picture a Tree'' (2011), nominated for a Governor General's Award * ''Welcome Baby'' (2013) * ''The Night Before Christmas'' (2013)

References

External links

* * Archives of Barbara Rei
(Barbara Reid fonds, R11795)
are held at

Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is th ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Barbara 1957 births Living people Governor General's Award-winning children's illustrators Canadian women children's writers Writers from Toronto