Kim La Fave of Roberts Creek grew up in Richmond and studied art in Alberta and New York. He designed The Enterprising Mr. Moody for D&M in 1977 and illustrated his first book, The Mare's Egg, for Camden House in 1981. Since then he has become one of Canada's most in-demand illustrators and received the Governor-General's Award for illustration in 1988 for Amos's Sweater.
First published in 2004, A Very Unusual Dog (North Winds Press, Scholastic) was shortlisted for five awards. Aimed for ages 4-to 8 and written by Dorothy Joan Harris, it's the story of a boy with an invisible pooch for a pal. The boy decides to leave his imaginary friend at his Grandma's apartment so she can have some company.
La Fave briefly operated Nightwood Editions on the Sunshine Coast during the 1990s and has illustrated as many as six books per year. His work illustrates Judith Saltman's Goldie and the Sea, Janet Lunn's Duck Cakes For Sale, Jan Andrews' Pumpkin Time, Betty Waterton's A Bumblebee Sweater and Sharon, Lois & Bram Sing A to Z, Bruce McBay's Angels INC, to name only a few. Other titles include Big Ben and Ben Over Night, with Sarah Ellis, plus We'll All Go Exploring, We'll All Go Sailing, Andrew's Magnificent Mountain of Mittens and Emma's Emu.
His 'board books' written by Sheryl McFarlane include What's That Sound? In the City & What's That Sound? On the Farm, followed by What's That Sound? By the Sea (F&W $9.95) 1-55041-957-9 and What's That Sound? At the Circus (F&W $9.95) 1-55041-959-5.
Illustrated Fishing with Gubby (Harbour, 2010) Written by Gary Kent (see full entry). $19.95 978-1-55017-497-7
Illustrated Gubby Builds a Boat (Harbour, 2012) Written by Gary Kent (see full entry). $19.95 978-1-55017-591-2
[BCBW 2012] "Illustration"
First published in 2004, A Very Unusual Dog (North Winds Press, Scholastic) was shortlisted for five awards. Aimed for ages 4-to 8 and written by Dorothy Joan Harris, it's the story of a boy with an invisible pooch for a pal. The boy decides to leave his imaginary friend at his Grandma's apartment so she can have some company.
La Fave briefly operated Nightwood Editions on the Sunshine Coast during the 1990s and has illustrated as many as six books per year. His work illustrates Judith Saltman's Goldie and the Sea, Janet Lunn's Duck Cakes For Sale, Jan Andrews' Pumpkin Time, Betty Waterton's A Bumblebee Sweater and Sharon, Lois & Bram Sing A to Z, Bruce McBay's Angels INC, to name only a few. Other titles include Big Ben and Ben Over Night, with Sarah Ellis, plus We'll All Go Exploring, We'll All Go Sailing, Andrew's Magnificent Mountain of Mittens and Emma's Emu.
His 'board books' written by Sheryl McFarlane include What's That Sound? In the City & What's That Sound? On the Farm, followed by What's That Sound? By the Sea (F&W $9.95) 1-55041-957-9 and What's That Sound? At the Circus (F&W $9.95) 1-55041-959-5.
Illustrated Fishing with Gubby (Harbour, 2010) Written by Gary Kent (see full entry). $19.95 978-1-55017-497-7
Illustrated Gubby Builds a Boat (Harbour, 2012) Written by Gary Kent (see full entry). $19.95 978-1-55017-591-2
[BCBW 2012] "Illustration"
Articles: 2 Articles for this author
Fishing with Gubby
Press Release (2011)
BC authors Kim La Fave and Gary Kent have been shortlisted for a Joe Shuster Award for their children's book, Fishing with Gubby ($19.95, Harbour Publishing). Their book has been nominated in the Comics for Kids category, which recognizes works which capture the attention and fascination of young readers, and help to create a passion for life-long reading. Works considered for this award are comic books and graphic novels by Canadian creators that are targeted at readers 14 and under.
Fishing with Gubby follows Gubby, a salmon fisherman, and his cat Puss, as they travel up BC's west coast, through Georgia Strait, north past Port Hardy and through Johnstone and Queen Charlotte Straits to the destination of Quatsino Sound, where they settle in for a summer of fishing. Gubby and Puss face roaring rapids, rough and tumble storms, banks of fog, a pod of orcas and a tussle with a basking shark, all while trolling for spring and coho salmon and visiting other fishermen and homesteaders along the way. Marvellously illustrated in full colour, Fishing with Gubby makes the wharfs, boats, fishermen and villages of the BC coast come alive with remarkable detail and humour.
Kim La Fave, a Governor General's Award-winning artist, is the illustrator of Amos's Sweater (by Janet Lunn)--winner of the Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award and the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award for illustration--Follow That Star (by Kenneth Oppel), the bestselling The Bones Book and Skeleton (by Stephen Cumbaa) and many other children's books. He lives in Roberts Creek, BC.
Gary Kent grew up in Vancouver and has his BA from the University of British Columbia. He was a commercial fisherman and salmon troller for ten years and is now a furniture maker and instructor at the Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking. He lives in Roberts Creek, BC. Fishing with Gubby is his first book.
Fishing with Gubby
Press Release (2011)
Harbour Publishing is pleased to announce that Fishing with Gubby ($19.95), by BC authors Kim La Fave and Gary Kent, has received a Governor General's Literary Award nomination in the category of children's literatureillustration.
The Governor General's Literary Awards are national book awards created to celebrate the excellence of Canadian writers, illustrators and translators. The English and French awards are in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, children's literature (text and illustration) and translation.
La Fave and Kent's unique book about a West Coast salmon fisherman has already garnered numerous award nominations, including the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award, a Joe Shuster Award, and the Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award for best book published in British Columbia. The book has also just been awarded a Bronze Medal in the Comic/Graphic Novel category of the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, which is open to authors published in the USA and Canada.