Illustrator Gérard DuBois has won the 2021 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award.

IBBY Canada gives the $1,000 award to a Canadian illustrator each year for “oustanding artistic talent” in a Canadian picture book. DuBois won for his work on À qui appartiennent les nuages? (Éditions La Pastèque).

The jury comprised of Josiane Polidori, Heather Doepner, and Julie Girard-Tarifhad had the following to say about selecting À qui appartiennent les nuages?:

“The richness of the interactions between text and images gives a lot of depth to this work and shows how there can be hope in darkness. The topical nature of the theme of war and exile of À qui appartiennent les nuages makes it a valuable work for younger and older readers alike, and especially for children who have had to live such an experience; more generally, the work can also be a great resource for history classes.”

The two honour books also selected include Gemma and the Giant Girl, by Sara O’Leary and Marie Lafrance, ill. (Tundra Books) and Time Is a Flower, by Julie Morstad (Tundra Books).

À qui appartiennent les nuages?, written by Mario Brossard, won the 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award for illustrated books in French, and more recently was awarded the 2022 Bologna Ragazzi Award for fiction.