FICTION 2022

WINNER

À qui appartiennent les nuages?

Text by Mario Brassard
Illustrations by Gérard Dubois
La Pastèque, Canada, 2021

What the jury said:

“The light, dynamic title, To Whom do the Clouds Belong?, wafts up through the dense grey cover illustration. On opening the book, the reader’s bewilderment reverberates in emotions evoked by the tale of a little girl piecing together wartime memories. The images cross the ever-shifting boundaries between reality and imagination, collective history and universal memory, and emotions triggered by looking at old family photographs. The book invites the reader into this intimate and personal sharing, deeply involved in the story. In a sophisticated style that is both philological and modern, the illustrations create an intensely poetic atmosphere deeply pervaded by nostalgia.”

¿Qué tiene un bosque?

SPECIAL MENTION

¿Qué tiene un bosque?

Text and illustrations by Yael Frankel
Claraboya Ediciones, Chile, 2021

What the jury said:

“This board book, designed for toddlers, is an invitation into a forest of colourful spots and subtle black strokes. On each page readers discover the tiny creatures that may be found in a wood, one of whom wears a tiny waistcoat with a cute worm in the pocket! This little gem perfectly synthesizes form, text, illustration and design in a narrative suitable from early childhood.”

Summer

SPECIAL MENTION

Summer

Text and illustrations by Suzy Lee
BIR Publishing Co., Ltd., South Korea, 2021

What the jury said:

“Through an endless series of emotions and an explosion of perceptible feelings on each page, author Suzy Lee uses a variety of techniques (pastels, collage, crayon, watercolours, acrylics, clean brushstrokes and chromatic backgrounds) to enable readers to “feel” the rhythm of Vivaldi’s Summer even before discovering the possibility (via QR code) of listening to the music while reading the book. Each page is a crystallization of emotions and dynamism, from the joyful laughter of children splashing around in the water to the melancholy of sudden storms. So spirited is this silent book that its musical quality conjures up the exuberance of childhood.”

Fechamos

SPECIAL MENTION

Fechamos

Text by Gilles Baum
Illustrations by Régis Lejonc
Les Éditions des Éléphants, France, 2020

What the jury said:

“We are closing” is a powerful book for the story it tells, its use of color, graphic language, the rhythm of its vignettes, and intensely-written text. This uncompromising book advocates for the care of cultural objects and heritage. When the museum is forced to shut down due to a lack of funds, museum guard Edson Arantes entrusts its treasures – a sarcophagus, a collection of butterflies, even a dinosaur skeleton – to people who appreciate them and who will display them on the street, providing an opportunity to reflect on and discuss the political and social role of the museum.”