François Thisdale's thirty-year career in creating images for children's books has garnered him many honours and awards at home and abroad. Among them are: the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award and the Notable Books for a Global Society Award (Missing Nimâmâ), the IBBY Honour List (The Stamp Collector), and the Crystal Kite Award. His most recent picture books include The Girl Who Loved Giraffes and Anna Maria & Maestro Vivaldi. His trademark atmospheric images are the product of a unique blend of drawing, photography, and richly textured painting techniques interwoven with digital imagery. François lives near Montreal, Quebec.