Biography
Genevieve Simms studied Illustration at the Alberta College of Art and Design and completed her Masters in Architecture at the University of Toronto in 2018. Genevieve has illustrated for many magazines since 2006, and has only recently begun to illustrate children’s books. Ojiichan’s Gift, written by Chieri Uegaki, is Genevieve’s first children’s book. Genevieve enjoys working on picture books for the opportunity to combine illustration and architecture by creating a world of spaces for the characters to inhabit within the pages of a book. As an architecture student, Genevieve traveled to Japan, an experience that was an inspiration for the artwork in Ojiichan’s Gift.#Genevieve is from St. John’s, Newfoundland, but has also lived in Calgary, Wabasca and Edmonton, Alberta. Genevieve currently lives in Toronto with her husband, Josh Holinaty, who is also an illustrator. They share a home with a mostly-beagle named Jack.
Awards
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Ojiichan’s Gift
2021 - Chocolate Lily Book Award - Picture Book Category, Skipping Stones Magazine, Short-listed
2020 - Skipping Stones Honor List, Canadian Children's Book Centre, Winner
2019 - Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection, Kirkus Reviews, Winner
2019 - Best Picture Books of 2019 List, Spirituality and Practice, Winner
2019 - Best Spiritual Children's Books of the Year list, Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, Winner
2019 - Ezra Jack Keats Award, , Short-listed
Picture Books
Ojiichan’s Gift, 2019