Marie-Louise Gay
Canadian illustrator and children's writer (born 1952)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marie-Louise Gay (born June 17, 1952) is a Canadian children's writer and illustrator.[1] She has received numerous awards for her written and illustrated works in both French and English, including the 2005 Vicky Metcalf Award, multiple Governor General's Awards,[2] and multiple Janet Savage Blachford Prizes, among others.
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Marie-Louise Gay | |
|---|---|
Gay at the Salon du livre de Montréal 2016 in Montreal Canada | |
| Born | June 17, 1952 Quebec City, Quebec, Canada |
| Occupations | Illustrator, writer |
| Spouse | David Homel |
| Writing career | |
| Language | English, French |
| Genres | Picture books, children's literature |
Biography
Gay was born in Quebec City and lived in Montreal and Vancouver as a child. She lives in Montreal.
Gay co-wrote two longer books with her husband, Montreal novelist and translator David Homel, which included her black-and-white illustrations: Travels With My Family (2006) and On the Road Again! (2008).[3] At the time, she said, "For the last twenty-five years, I have mainly been writing, illustrating and creating only for children."[3]
Gay's books received renewed attention after a public school library system in Alabama mistakenly flagged Read Me A Story, Stella as potentially inappropriate for children, because of her surname.[4]
Awards and honours
In 2013, Canada Post released a series of stamps featuring Gay's character Stella.[5]
| Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Lizzy's Lion by Dennis Lee | Canada Council Children's Literature Prize | Winner | |
| 1984 | Drôle d'école | Canada Council Children's Literature Prize | Winner | |
| 1987 | Moonbeam On A Cat's Ear | Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award | Winner | [6] |
| 1987 | Rainy Day Magic | Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration | Winner | [7][8] |
| 1988 | Angel and the Polar Bear | Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration | Shortlist | |
| 1988 | Rainy Day Magic | Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award | Winner | [6] |
| 1995 | Berthold et Lucrèce | Governor General's Award for French-language children's illustration | Shortlist | |
| 2000 | Sur mon île | Governor General's Award for French-language children's illustration | Shortlist | |
| 2000 | Yuck, A Love Story | Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration | Winner | [7][8] |
| 2001 | Stella: Queen of the Snow | Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award | Winner | |
| 2002 | Stella, Fairy of the Forest | Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration | Shortlist | |
| 2005 | Vicky Metcalf Award | Winner | [9][10] | |
| 2006 | Caramba | Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award for Children's Picture Book | Winner | |
| 2006 | Caramba | Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award | Winner | [11] |
| 2007 | Houndsley and Catina | ALSC Notable Children's Books | Selection | [12] |
| 2007 | Stella étoile de la mer | Mr. Christie's Book Award for French: 7 and under | Winner | |
| 2009 | When Stella Was Very, Very Small | Janet Savage Blachford Prize | Shortlist | [13] |
| 2009 | Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award | Longlist | [14] | |
| 2010 | When Stella was Very, Very Small | Canadian Booksellers Association Libris Award for Children's Picture Book | Winner | [15] |
| 2010 | When Stella Was Very, Very Small | Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards | Shortlist | [16] |
| 2011 | Roslyn Rutabaga and the Biggest Hole on Earth! | Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award | Winner | [6] |
| 2011 | Roslyn Rutabaga and the Biggest Hole on Earth! | Forest of Reading: Blue Spruce Award | Shortlist | [17] |
| 2014 | Any Questions? | Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award | Winner | [6] |
| 2014 | Any Questions? | Janet Savage Blachford Prize | Shortlist | [13] |
| 2014 | Any Questions? | Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration | Shortlist | [18][19] |
| 2014 | Read Me a Story, Stella | Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award for Children's Picture Book | Finalist | [20][21][22] |
| 2015 | Any Questions? | Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award | Winner | [23] |
| 2015 | Any Questions? | CBC Fan Choice Award | Winner | [24] |
| 2015 | Any Questions? | TD Canadian Children's Literature Award | Finalist | [25][26] |
| 2017 | Short Stories for Little Monsters | Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration | Shortlist | |
| 2018 | Mustafa | Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award | Finalist | [27] |
| 2019 | Mustafa | Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award for Children's Picture Book | Finalist | [28] |
| 2019 | Mustafa | TD Canadian Children's Literature Award | Shortlist | [29][30] |
| 2020 | Fern and Horn | Janet Savage Blachford Prize | Shortlist | [13][31] |
| 2020 | Mustafa | Forest of Reading Award | Shortlist | [32] |
| 2020 | The Three Brothers | Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award | Winner | [33][34] |
| 2020 | The Three Brothers | Janet Savage Blachford Prize | Winner | [13][35][36] |
| 2022 | I’m Not Sydney | Janet Savage Blachford Prize | Shortlist | [37][38][39] |
Publications
Stella and Sam series
Gay's Stella and Sam books have been published in more than twelve languages.[3] They spawned a 52-episode cartoon series in 2013 that aired on Sprout and Family Junior.
Stella series
- Stella, Star of the Sea (1999)
- Stella, Queen of the Snow (2001)
- Stella, Fairy of the Forest (2002)
- Stella, Princess of the Sky (2004)
- When Stella Was Very, Very, Small (2009)
- Read Me A Story, Stella (2013)
Sam series
Sam is Stella's younger brother
- Good Morning, Sam (2003)
- Good Night, Sam (2003)
- What Are You Doing, Sam? (2006)
Travels with My Family series
The Travels with My Family series was co-written with David Homel.
- Travels With My Family (Groundwood, 2006)
- On the Road Again! (Groundwood, 2008)
- Summer in the City (Groundwood, 2012)
- The Traveling Circus (Groundwood, 2015)
- Travels in Cuba (Groundwood, 2021)
Standalone books authored
- Lizzy's Lion (1984)
- The Garden: Little Big Books (1985)
- Moonbeam On A Cat's Ear (1986)[6]
- Rainy Day Magic (1987)[6]
- Angel and the Polar Bear (1988)
- Fat Charlie's Circus (1989)
- Willy Nilly (1990)
- Mademoiselle Moon (1992)
- Rabbit Blue (1993)
- Midnight Mimi (1994)
- Qui a peur de Loulou? (Who's afraid of Loulou?) (Montreal: VLB Editeur, 1994), 111pp, "Theatre for children"[3]
- The Three Little Pigs (Canadian Fairy Tales Series) (1994)
- Rumplestiltskin (1997)
- Sur Mon Ile (1999)
- Caramba (2006)
- Roslyn Rutabaga and the Biggest Hole on Earth! (2010)[6]
- Caramba and Henry (2011)
- Any Questions (2014)[6]
- Short Stories for Little Monsters (2017)
- The Three Brothers (2020)
Books illustrated only
- The Last Piece (1993)
- When Vegetables Go Bad! (1993)
- The Fabulous Song (1996)
- Dreams Are More Real Than Bathtubs (1999)
- Yuck, a Love Story (2000)
- Didi and Daddy on the Promenade (2001)
- Houndsley and Catina (2006)
- Maddie series; Sophie series (1993–2003)[clarification needed]
