What do children’s illustrators have in common? They can draw, obviously! But can they draw to catch your eye, take your breath away, or make you want to jump out of your seat? You decide in this competition!
Location: Rink, UBC Robson Square
Type: Contest
Sponsored by CWILL
Facilitator: Claire Lordon
Artists: Kathleen Gros | Lee Edward Födi | Zoe Si | Nancy Vo
About The Facilitator
Claire Lordon is an American-Canadian illustrator and designer living in Vancouver, Canada. She creates children's books, surface designs, murals, maps, and greeting cards for a number of companies.
Claire earned her BFA in illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work is inspired by her lifelong spirit for adventure, a love of the outdoors, and an enthusiasm for travel. She enjoys long distance running, hiking, and snowboarding.
About The Readers
Kathleen Gros is a Vancouver-based cartoonist. She is the creator of the graphic novels JO: An Adaptation of Little Women (Sort Of) and ANNE: An Adaptation of Anne of Green Gables (Sort Of). She graduated with a BFA in Illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2015 and teaches comics around the Lower Mainland.
Find more of her work at kagcomix.com.
Lee Edward Födi is an author, illustrator, and specialized arts educator—or, as he likes to think of himself, a daydreaming expert. He is the author of Spell Sweeper, The Secret of Zoone and The Guardians of Zoone (HarperCollins Childrens Books) and The Chronicles of Kendra Kandlestar (Simply Read Books). Lee is an engaging public speaker, specializing in presentations and workshops for children of all ages. He has taught programs for kids in Canada, the United States, South Korea, China, Thailand, and England. Lee studied at the University of British Columbia and has a degree in English Literature and a diploma in Fine Arts. He lives in North Vancouver with his wife and son.
Zoe Si is a Pulitzer-Prize nominated cartoonist, illustrator, and writer with a lifelong passion for laughing at her own jokes. She believes in the power of words, but also that wherever words fail, a cartoon can usually succeed. Zoe practiced law for a number of years and now spends her days contributing cartoons and articles to The New Yorker, working on a graphic novel, and making children’s books.
Nancy Vo was raised where the sun rose in the prairies and set behind the Rockies. By day, she works as a facility planner where her colleagues politely tolerate her love of puns and argyle socks. By night, she makes picture books. Nancy is the author and illustrator of the Crow Stories trilogy: The Outlaw (2018), The Ranger (2019), and The Runaway (tbp 2024). In 2022, she had two picture books published by Groundwood Books: Boobies, a nearly non-fiction picture book; and As Glenn as Can Be written by Sarah Ellis. "bewitching," New York Times for The Outlaw "witty and bright," Quill & Quire starred review for Boobies Nancy Vo is represented by Jackie Kaiser of Westwood Creative Artists.
