150+ Canadians Day 103: Wallace Edwards

Wallace Edwards contributed to peace by writing and illustrating the book What is Peace? 

Wallace Edwards, artist and book illustrator was born in Ottawa, and graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1980. He lives in Toronto and Yarker, Ontario. His paintings and illustrations are found in public and private collections, books, magazines, and on public display in Canada and the United States. He has published ten books, including, You are the Earth, co-published with the David Suzuki foundation, and What is Peace?, commissioned by PeaceQuest.org and published by Scholastic.

It is true that children know a lot about war. Wallace Edward’s book, What is Peace?, explores peace, and invites young readers to think about what that means to them. The book is available in English, French and Japanese:

Is peace happy? Is it sad?

Is it lonely? Is it tender?

Edwards focus on animals (real or fantastic) and his focus on the environment and peace are evident in his client list, which includes the Metro Toronto Zoo, the City of Toronto, the B.C. Ministry of the Environment, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, and the Canadian Wildlife Federation. He loves to read to and teach young children to draw and become engaged with the world.

“I try to make the paintings simple enough for adults and complex enough for children to enjoy.”

Edward’s awards and shortlists include the Governor General’s Award, the IRA Children’s Choice Award, and the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award. His books have garnered over two dozen awards and honours.

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