Bella’s Tree, written by Janet Russell and illustrated by Jirina Marton, has won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature: Illustration!

Congratulations to both Jirina and Janet for this well-deserved award.

From the jury: “Jirina Marton’s illustrations invite the reader to a winter landscape full of textures and subtle, earthy colour palettes. The Van Gogh-like interior and its warm tones create a holiday season mood that evokes an emotional response. The illustrations are well crafted and capture the imagination and humanity of the everyday lives they portray.”

When asked by the CBC what it took to create Bella’s Tree, Jirina Marton said: “When you are looking at one illustration, it must invite you to turn the page.”

See a sample of Jirina’s page-turning illustrations below!

(The three sample page spreads can be enlarged by clicking. The spreads are not in order of the story.)

Want to give this beautiful book as a holiday gift? Buy it now!