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Barbara Reid

Although picture-book artist Barbara Reid works in a variety of mediums, her favourite is the children's modelling clay called plasticine. She says that her plasticine artwork is "funny and silly", "childish yet sophisticated"; it is a perfect medium for picture-book illustration because it allows her to please and entertain her young readers without talking down to them. When she has a story to illustrate she familiarizes herself with it by reading it over and over and surrounding herself with reference materials and props. She then plans all the pictures for the new book with pencil drawings or "roughs". Using the roughs as a guide, she applies a smooth plasticine background of sky or grass to an illustration board or to hard cardboard which is a bit rough. She adds layer upon layer of plasticine and detail after detail to construct the completed work. She uses her fingers and fingernails, sticks, pins, combs, wires, cloth and other items to help shape and build each part of the picture. If she makes a mistake, she just peels off the offending piece and starts again. She mixes her own colours and adds special materials such as silver paint or glitter when special effects are needed. Because her work must be photographed to transfer to the printed page, Barbara works closely with her husband, photographer Ian Crysler, to set up the lights and frame the shots so that the artwork is shown to its best advantage. She stores her art in pizza boxes; if something is to be kept, it is framed in an airtight acrylic box to protect against dust. Because of the oils in the plasticine, it dries out very slowly and the pictures last a long time. Sometimes she shows and sells her art after her books are printed, saying that she is more attached to the books than to the art.

Awards

• 1986 Canada Council Children's Literature Prize for Have You Seen Birds?
  
• 1986 Municipal Chapter of Toronto IODE Book Award for Have You Seen Birds?
  
• 1987 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award for Have You Seen Birds?
  
• 1987 Ruth Schwartz Children's Book Award for Have You Seen Birds?
  
• 1988 UNICEF - Ezra Jack Keats Award for The New Baby Calf, Sing a Song of Mother Goose, and Have You Seen Birds?
  
• 1991 Mr. Christie's Book Award (for best illustrations) for Zoe (Series).
  
• 1993 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award for Two by Two.
  
• 1995 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award for Gifts.

Selected Bibliography

Ah, ces oiseaux! Written by Joanne Oppenheim; translated by Christiane Duchesne; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic Canada, 1991? (c1986).
32 p.: ill.; 21 x 26 cm.
ISBN 0590738275
(French edition of Have You Seen Birds?)

Cadeaux. Written by Jo Ellen Bogart; translated by Christiane Duchesne; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Éditions Scholastic, c1995.
32 p.: col. ill.; 25 cm.
ISBN 0590246828
(French edition of Gifts)

Deux par deux. Written and illustrated by Barbara Reid; translated by Christiane Duchesne. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic Canada, c1992.
29 p.: col. ill.; 21 x 26 cm.
ISBN 0590736582
(French edition of Two by Two)

Effie. Written by Beverley Allinson; translated by Christiane Duchesne; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic Canada, c1991.
30 p.: col. ill.; 22 x 27 cm.
ISBN 0590740792
(French edition of Effie)

Effie. Written by Beverly Allison; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic Canada, 1992 (c1990).
30 p.: col. ill.; 22 x 27 cm.
ISBN 0590740318

Fabrique en 3 dimensions cartes et autres objets. Written by Joan Irvine; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Saint-Lambert, Québec: Héritage, c1988.
93 p.: ill.; 24 cm. (Héritage jeunesse)
ISBN 2762551889
(French edition of How to Make Pop-ups)

Gifts. Written by Jo Ellen Bogart; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic Canada, 1996, c1994.
31 p.: col. ill.; 26 cm.
ISBN 0590249355

Have Fun with Magnifying: An Ontario Science Centre Book. Illustrated by Barbara Reid.
Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1987.
30 p.: ill.; 21 cm.
ISBN 0921103131

Have You Seen Birds? Written by Joanne Oppenheim; illustrated by Barbara Reid.
Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 1991 (c1986).
32 p.: col. ill.; 21 x 26 cm.
ISBN 0590738259

How to Make Pop-ups. Written by Joan Irvine; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Toronto: Kids Can Press, c1987.
93 p.: ill.; 24 cm.
ISBN 0921103360

I Like Balloons. Written by Susan Green and Sharon Siamon; illustrated by Barbara Reid.
Toronto : Gage Educational Publishing, c1986.
8 p.: col. ill.; 21 cm. (Expressways 2. Level 1: 5)
ISBN 0771566751

It's Tough to be a Kid. Written by Mary Blakeslee; illustrated by Barb Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic-TAB, 1983.
35 p.: ill.; 20 cm.
ISBN 0590711776
ISBN 0590711776

It's Tough to be a Kid; It's Still Tough to be a Kid. Written by Mary Blakeslee; illustrated by Barbara Reid and Victor Gad. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic Canada, 1992.
35, 31 p.: ill.; 20 cm.
ISBN 0590742671
Text of It's Still Tough to be a Kid on inverted paging with separate title page; illustrations for It's Tough to be a Kid by Barbara Reid; illustations for It's Still Tough to be a Kid by Victor Gad.

Jenny Greenteeth. Written by Mary Alice Downie; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1984.
38 p.: ill.; 23 cm.
ISBN 0919964583

Jouons avec la plasticine. Written and illustrated by Barbara Reid; translated by Nicole Ferron. Saint-Lambert, Québec: Héritage, 1989.
95 p.: ill.; 25 cm.
ISBN 276255246X
(French edition of Playing with Plasticine)

Just Desserts and Other Treats for Kids to Make. Written by Marilyn Linton; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1986.
64 p.: ill.; 21 cm.
ISBN 0921103026

Moutarde. Written by Betty Waterton; translated by Françoise Marois; illustrated by Barbara Reid.. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic-TAB Publications, 1983.
40 p.: col. ill; 21 cm.
ISBN 0590711768
(French edition of Mustard)

Mustard. Written by Betty Waterton; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scolastic-TAB Publications, 1983.
40 p.: col. ill.; 21 cm.
ISBN 0590702459
ISBN 059071175X

The New Baby Calf. Written by Edith Newlin Chase; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 1990.
30 p.: col. ill.; 22 x 26 cm.
ISBN 0590736787

Playing with Plasticine. Written and illustrated by Barbara Reid. Toronto: Kids Can Press, c1988.
95 p.: ill.; 24 cm.
ISBN 0921103417

Signposts. Written by Vivian Gouled; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Scarborough, Ont.: Ginn, c1984.
8 p.: chiefly col. ill.; 24 cm. (Journeys in reading through the language arts level 1, book 4)
ISBN 0770212794

Sing a Song of Mother Goose. Illustrated by Barbara Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic Canada, 1991, (c1987).
40 p.: col. ill.; 26 cm.
ISBN 0590738380
Sophie Vertedents. Written by Mary Alice Downie; translated by Christiane Duchesne; illustrated by Barbara Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic-TAB Publications, c1989.
40 p.: ill.; 23 cm.

ISBN 0590730258
(French edition of Jenny Greenteeth)

Two by Two. Written and illustrated by Barbara Reid. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Scholastic Canada, c1992.
29 p.: col. ill., music; 22 x 26 cm + 1 sd. cassette
ISBN 0590243888 (set)
ISBN 0590744070 (book)
ISBN 059024390X (cassette)

Un, deux, trois, voilà la Mère l'Oie! Adapted by Ormonde deKay; illustrated by Barbara Reid. New York; Toronto: Scholastic, 1987.
40 p.: ill.; 23 cm.
ISBN 0590713833 (petit livre)
(French edition of Sing a Song of Mother Goose)

Zoe's Rainy Day. Illustrated by Barbara Reid. Toronto: HarperCollins, c1991.
12 p.: all col. ill.; 13 cm.
ISBN 0002237644
(Wordless picture book)

Zoe's Snowy Day. Illustrated by Barbara Reid. Toronto: HarperCollins, c1991.
12 p.: all col. ill.; 13 cm.
ISBN 000223758X
(Wordless picture book)

Zoe's Sunny Day. Illustrated by Barbara Reid. Toronto: HarperCollins, c1991.
12 p.: all col. ill.; 13 cm.
ISBN 0002237598
(Wordless picture book)

Zoe's Windy Day. Illustrated by Barbara Reid. Toronto: HarperCollins, c1991.
12 p.: all col. ill.; 13 cm.
ISBN 0002237636
(Wordless picture book)

Prepared 24.06.96