WIA2021: Highlights from the Professional Children’s Publishing Category, sponsored by Walker Books

The illustrations are part of a personal project about an attempt to make sense of an outside, alien world.

Andreea Chele is a self-taught illustrator living in Bucharest, Romania.

The illustrations were published in a picture book that introduces the concepts of climate change to young children, coupled with the story of the international youth movement.

Sarah Wilkins is a New Zealand born illustrator working globally for the publishing, advertising and design worlds.

“Maybe” is a book with a danger hidden in the illustrations for the children to find. The audience can see the tigers and more and more signs of them getting closer whilst the monkeys are unaware. 

Chris Haughton is an Irish illustrator based in London.

‘Atlas of Record-Breaking Adventures’: a large format non-fiction children’s book highlighting extraordinary sights and events from around the globe

Lucy Letherland is an illustrator from London and studied at the Manchester School of Art.

Story about the value of tolerance and understanding of others by Paulo M. Morais.

Sandra Sofia Santos is a portuguese graphic designer completing her Master’s in Illustration. 

The artwork for ‘Arno and his Horse’ is inspired by the colours of the Australian outback and was made with watercolours and coloured pencils.

Felicita Sala is a self-taught illustrator and painter based in Australia. 

Japanese woodblock prints, manga and anime are artistic influences throughout the book. This led to a decision to include Japanese phrases to help transport the reader to Japan.

Howard Gray is a passionate illustrator based I Durham, UK and has a background in zoology, and a PhD in Arabian dolphin phylogenetics. 

This non fictional picture book is about stories of different hairstyles and their historic background and reflects the artists’ fascination with hair and how to wear it.

Katja Spitzer studied art history and illustration In 2009 she finished her studies and is now working as a freelance illustrator for magazines and publishers. She lives in Germany.

‘The Bug Hotel’ was written for the girl who found the beetle and feels curious about the world hidden between the grass, the ground, and flowers. 

Manu Montoya is from Colombia and has worked for various advertising agencies and now as an illustrator creating children’s books.

A story about kindness and friendship: The girl and the cat make boats that set off on a journey to bring joy and inspiration to whomever they encounter.

Inna Maslyak studied at the Kharkov Academy of Design in Ukraine. This book is her first journey as a book author.

 ‘KonKonni’ is a cheeky, cuddly rabbit who poops cute droppings that spread love! KonKonni embodies the values of being yourself and inclusivity.

Ricardo Makosi is an independent illustrator based in the Netherlands.

This is a story that deals with grief and finding joy in remembrance. The images are made with ink  colouring pencil and watercolour, layering up colours and textures inspired by printmaking. 

Josephine Birch is a lecturer in Art/Design and Associate artist at Coombe Farm Studios, UK.