Explore the highlights from the projects longlisted for the WIA203 Children’s Publishing category. This curated list features illustrations created to inspire the next generation of readers, for use in publications for readers under 16 years old, including inside illustrations, whole book design or entire publications.
The World Illustration Awards 2023 Longlist features 500 projects by New Talent and Professional illustrators from all over the world across ten categories. This year, the awards celebrate great illustration!
Read on to see our Children’s Publishing Category Highlights – and if you’d like to learn more, click through to see the full project and contact information!
Professional
This image was created entirely in Photoshop for a story called Kanoni, written by Seona MacRuary for Giglets Education. The book is about a young Tanzanian girl whose health is deteriorating, but who finds comfort in the appearance of some lovebirds. These spark Kanoni’s imagination and, for the first time in a long time, expands her universe outwith the confines of her barred windowed bedroom.
Graeme Nimmo is a Scottish artist based outside Edinburgh, and works as Lead Artist at Giglets Education.
Professional
Commissioned by Gallimard Jeunesse publishing, this book is a pop-up project created as a 3D paper theatre. It pictures the story of nature waking up in the spring as a metaphor of the birth and growth of a child. The haiku-inspired text immerses the reader in a magical journey within the enchanted garden. The book invites the reader to contemplate the intricate paper-cut details of lively plants, insects and animals hiding out in the garden.
Elena Selena is a Lithuanian artist based in Paris, France.
Professional
Mama Baobab is a magical story set in Africa. A young boy, Abedi, falls asleep under a Baobab tree while herding his goats. In his dream, together with a bird, a tortoise and a chipmunk he tries to find Mama Baobab who will save his goats from evil hyaenas. The artist created 13 full page illustrations for the story written by author Nasrin Siege, using pens and digital collage to visualise the dreamlike atmosphere.
Maike Neuendorff is a German illustrator who worked as a landscape architect for many years. She creates illustrations for magazines, newspapers and other publications.
New Talent
This piece is a cover for the children’s book Alebrije which tells the story of Pedro Linares, the Mexican artisan who recreated the Alebrije creatures out of cardboard and paint after seeing them in a dream.
Laura Sandoval Herrera is a Brooklyn-based illustrator, designer, and children’s book writer born in Mexico. Her work is characterised by bright colors and interesting textures, imbued with her passion for storytelling and art.
New Talent
This illustration was created for a university project. The piece is about the traditional costume of the Naxi, a Chinese ethnic minority, and the story of a girl who bravely fights against the drought to save her people.
Joy.li is studying at Cambridge College of Art. She is interested in Chinese minority cultures and storytelling through illustration and graphic design.
New Talent
This illustration is from a series which tells the story of a little girl who has never seen the sea, but is determined to find it. The artist uses various traditional tools for drawing, including pencils and watercolors, as well as digital tools such as Photoshop and Procreate.
Sixian Wang is an illustrator based in New York.
If you enjoyed these highlights, why not check out the full WIA2023 Longlist for the Children’s Publishing Category!