Joanne Fitzgerald facts for kids

Joanne Fitzgerald was a talented Canadian artist, illustrator, and writer. She was especially known for her amazing work on children's books. Her book Dr. Kiss Says Yes even won a big award called the Governor General's Award for Children's Illustration in 1991!

Early Life and Art Studies

Joanne Fitzgerald was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1956. From a very young age, it was clear she had a special gift for art. She loved to draw and create!

Later, she went to Mount Allison University to study fine art. She earned her degree in Fine Arts in 1977. This helped her develop her artistic skills even more.

Joanne's Creative Career

At the start of her career, Joanne worked as an illustrator at the Royal Ontario Museum. Imagine drawing all sorts of cool things for a museum!

After that, she started illustrating for magazines. Her unique style quickly caught the eye of publishers who made children's magazines and textbooks. This led her to illustrate many children's books. Eventually, she began to write her own children's stories too!

Later in her life, Joanne went back to studying fine art. She painted at the famous Art Students League of New York. She also helped start the Lymphedema Association of Ontario in 2002. She even served as its president for a few years.

Books Illustrated by Joanne Fitzgerald

Joanne Fitzgerald illustrated many wonderful children's books. Sometimes she wrote the stories herself, and other times she worked with different authors. Here are some of her popular books:

Picture Books She Illustrated

• Plain Noodles (also called Baby Boat) (1989); story by Betty Waterton
• Emily's House (1990); story by Niko Scharer
• Doctor Kiss Says Yes (1991); story by Teddy Jam (Matt Cohen)
• Ten Small Tales (1993); story by Celia Lotteridge
• Jacob's Best Sisters (1996); story by Teddy Jam (Matt Cohen)
• The Little Rooster and the Diamond Button (2001); story by Celia Barker Lotteridge
• When You Get A Baby (2002); story by Sharon Jennings
• Circus Play (2002); story by Anne Laurel Carter
• This is Me and Where I Am (2004); story by Joanne Fitzgerald
• The Blue Hippopotamus (2007); story by Phoebe Gilman
• Yum! Yum! (2008); story by Joanne Fitzgerald

Awards and Special Mentions

Joanne Fitzgerald's books won several important awards. These awards recognized her amazing talent in children's illustration.

• Dr. Kiss Says Yes (1991) – Governor General's Award for English Language Children's Illustration (This is a really big award in Canada!)
• Ten Small Tales (1993) – IODE Jean Throop Award
• The Little Rooster and the Diamond Button (2001) – Mr. Christie's Book Awards Diamond Pin
• The Blue Hippopotamus (2007) – Finalist for the Governor General's Award for English Language Children's Illustration

Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program

To honor Joanne Fitzgerald and her amazing work, a special program was created in 2013. It's called the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program. This program helps celebrate children's book illustrators.

It's a team effort between IBBY Canada (which stands for the International Board on Books for Young People), the Canadian Urban Libraries Council, and different libraries like the Toronto Public Library and the Edmonton Public Library.

Each October, a talented Canadian children's book illustrator is chosen for a special residency at a library. During this time, the illustrator teaches people all about children's book illustration. They might lead art activities for kids, give talks for adults, visit high schools, and even review portfolios for new artists. It's a fantastic way to share the magic of creating children's books!

Past Winners of the Program