1st Prize

Title

The City ABC Book

Designer

Karen Birkemoe

Author

Zoran Milich

Publisher

Kids Can Press

Photographer

Zoran Milich

Printer

Book Art Inc.

Comments

All the judges loved this book and proclaimed it the best of this year's entries for children. Using photographs of buildings and city views, the letters of the alphabet are discovered in the architectural and civic forms and highlighted in red. We were impressed with the way the book introduces children to the alphabet and teaches them to look at their environment at the same time. The design and presentation was economic and uncomplicated, yet extremely effective. The entire book was well paced and easy for a young child to grasp. The book works as an educational tool and as an outstanding example of fine design.

3rd Prize

Title

Where Poppies Grow : A World War I Companion

Designer

Blair Kerrigan

Author

Linda Granfield

Publisher

Stoddart Kids

Printer

Book Art Inc.

Comments

This book is perhaps a too-tasteful depiction of war and the artifacts of war, but of all the historical and educational texts it was the best. The focus of the book is on people and this has worked well, as there is a sense of the colour of the times and of the documents from the period. However, some sense of the horrors of combat might have appealed more to the age group and given them a more realistic view of war. The judges felt the type used was sometimes heavy, but the design worked quite well. A few more maps of the scenes of battles would have been more helpful but otherwise this was a very good production containing a lot of material that has been attractively assembled.

Hon. Mention

Title

Alexis : Chevalier des nuits : Un conte à lire avant d'aller au lit

Designer

Pascale Constantin

Author

Andrée-Anne Gratton

Publisher

Les éditions Les 400 coups

Illustrator

Pascale Constantin

Printer

Litho Milles-Îles

Comments

Here again was a book that the judges could not agree upon, but we all loved its many charms. The engaging illustrations were presented from a child's point of view of the world where things and events can be enormous and threatening. The text and llustrations were well integrated, and the type was warm, crisp, and easy to read. Nor did it interfere with the overall pictorial quality of the book. The story and all the other design elements combined to create a real sense of progression and movement. A delightful production.

1st Prize

Title

Alphabetical [and] Cosmologies [two books in a slipcase]

Designer

Alexander Lavdovsky

Author

P.K. Page

Publisher

Poppy Press

Illustrator

Alexander Lavdovsky

Printer

Alexander Lavdovsky, Classic Engraving Ltd

Comments

Note: Although dated 2000, this book was actually published and issued in 2001. All the judges felt this was an outstanding production from every angle, far and above the best item in this category. We threw a number of superlatives at this text and still found things to praise. For us, this was a highlight of the year; a beautiful design married to the writing of a fine poet. Everything worked well together in both volumes. The type and the spacing were assured and accomplished. The use of colour was superb, subtle but sensitively handled and effectively controlled. For some of the judges the blue tonalities in Cosmologies were rather understated, but all agreed on the beauty of its cool tones. The use of colour in Alphabetical was also very subtle, but suddenly a single note of pale yellow would resound to great effect. "Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!" was, in the end, all we could say.

3rd Prize

Title

Reid's Leaves : A Bibliography of Books from the Private Press of Robert R. Reid, 1949-1962, with Commentaries and Sample Leaves

Designer

Rollin Milroy

Author

Robert Reid

Printer

Rollin Milroy

Comments

The judges all enjoyed this outstanding book, a testament to Robert Reid, one of Canada's great book artists and designers. We were not, however, unanimous in our praise. This production was lavish and its large size, multiple formats and inserts, made it look and feel important. The entire project was sensitively handled, the type was splendid, and the pacing excellent. Unfortunately we were unable to reconcile the lavish format and size of the book with its stated purpose as a bibliography. Was this a research tool for collectors and librarians or an exhibition display piece? We felt it could not be both, and this production did not resolve the issue for us. It was also noted that the right edge of the text block should have been justified—its ragged shaping irritated some of the judges. One or two widowed sentences were also found and were thought to be oversights in an otherwise excellent and well-researched production. This is an important bibliography for anyone interested in Robert Reid and the typographic arts in Canada.

1st Prize

Title

Design in Canada : Fifty Years from Teakettles to Task Chairs

Designer

Dinnick & Howells

Author

Rachel Gotlieb & Cora Golden

Publisher

Alfred A. Knopf Canada and The Design Exchange

Photographer

Pete Paterson (jacket), Karen Levy (back jacket), and various contributors

Printer

Friesens

Comments

One would hope that a book outlining the history of industrial and commercial design in Canada would itself be well designed, and this book did not disappoint the judges. Design in Canada was the best of this year’s entries in the pictorial division. An arrangement of historical and contemporary photographs of industrial and household appliances and furniture could have been repetitive, but the designers have created a lively and intelligent book that makes a strong and effective statement. Colour photographs have been well integrated and have been effectively used to pace the text. The text has also been well balanced against the illustrations, and it was clear that some care had been taken to select the type. It exactly suited the contents. Our only reservation was the font size of the type used in the "Biographies and Corporate Histories" section at the back. It was the one questionable decision in an otherwise exceptional production.

3rd Prize

Title

David Blackwood : Master Printmaker

Designer

Peter Cocking

Author

William Gough

Publisher

Douglas & McIntyre

Printer

C & C Offset

Comments

Books using monochromatic prints for illustrations can be problematic and repetitive for designers. They must use all their design skills to create an attractive and effective book. The design in David Blackwood works very well creating excellent variety in the layout and lovely spacing of the text and illustrations. Unfortunately some illustrations were too large and ended up being divided unevenly by the gutter. Greater care should have been taken with the scale of the reproductions and their relationship to the size of the page.

1st Prize

Title

Execution Poems

Designer

Andrew Steeves

Author

George Elliott Clarke

Publisher

Gaspereau Press

Illustrator

Wesley Bates

Printer

Gary Dunfield at Gaspereau Press

Comments

Execution Poems won for a number of simple reasons. It was a wonderful book to hold, and to look at. The judges all liked the blood red titles in full caps that accented each poem and visually reminded us of the violence and blood associated with Clarke's search for his family history. Originally set in lead type, the text in this offset production was understated and clear, and contrasted nicely with the paper. Such detailing, right down to the beautifully centred page numbers, really worked well. There was every indication that this entire volume was sensitively presented and produced. A lovely book.

3rd Prize

Title

Rehearsing the Miracle

Designer

Alexander Lavdovsky

Author

Linda Rogers

Publisher

Poppy Press

Illustrator

Alexander Lavdovsky and Vilem Téfr

Printer

Alexander Lavdovsky, Classic Engraving Ltd

Comments

Here was another nicely conceived design marred by a few flaws. The cover jacket and illustration were letterpress and were immediately attractive, as was the embossing on the half-title page. The lovely colour linocut, the well-placed illustrations, and the carefully set type all provided pleasant transitions and pacing for the reader. The unfortunate choice of paper, however, made the book too difficult to handle—the reader struggled to keep the book open. Softer paper would have made the printing more attractive and the book more manageable. The judges were also puzzled as to why the pagination was on the left. We felt this was an odd design choice.

1st Prize

Title

Hippolyte's Island

Designer

Barbara Hodgson

Author

Barbara Hodgson

Publisher

Raincoast Books

Illustrator

Barbara Hodgson

Printer

C & C Offset

Comments

At first glance Hippolyte's Island looks like a historical travel guide or botanical journal with its coloured maps and illustrations. Some of us thought it had slipped into the wrong category. An examination of its contents and its beautiful presentation, however, soon made it clear that this was that rare hybrid, an illustrated novel. As such, it was the unanimous choice of the judges for first prize. The type was well-chosen and beautifully presented, with plenty of breathing space around the text. The illustrations and maps were not only decorative, but informative and engaging. This presentation was highly imaginative, and unique amongst all the other fiction entries this year. Our choice was obvious.

3rd Prize

Title

Ditch

Designer

Carmen Dunjko (cover), Daniel Cullen (text)

Author

Hal Niedzviecki

Publisher

Random House Canada

Photographer

Natalie Kovacs (cover image)

Printer

Transcontinental

Comments

This playful and witty little book was designed to be contemporary and urbane and it does each to perfection. The type is varied and playful, and it effectively holds together, balances, and distinguishes the different sections of the book. Some of the judges felt the design was a bit too neat and should have been edgier, but we all chose it as one of the more interesting design productions of the year.

2nd Prize (tie)

Title

Exploded View : Observations on Reading, Writing and Life

Designer

Peter Cocking

Author

Jean McKay

Publisher

Douglas & McIntyre

Illustrator

Roxanna Bikadoroff

Photographer

Eric Tucker (cover)

Printer

Friesens

Comments

Exploded View paid more attention to detail than many of the other books in this category. The book had an excellent cover and felt very satisfying in its opening and handling. There was a poetic feel to the text block which the judges admired, but the designer could have taken more care with the randomness of the rag right margins. There was perhaps an over-reliance upon the illustrations to punctuate and pace the text; this we felt led to some odd arrangements, especially with the chapter breaks.

Hon. Mention

Title

From Rupert's Land to Canada

Designer

Alan Brownoff

Author

Theodore Minnema, Gerhard J. Ends & R.C. Macleod (editors)

Publisher

The University of Alberta Press

Illustrator

Peter H. Rindisbacher Jones (cover)

Printer

Houghton-Boston

Comments

This book suffered from many of the same problems noted above. Nonetheless it was very well handled and exhibited many “signs of life” and careful design. The charts were excellent, and so the judges felt it deserved to have some recognition.

1st Prize (tie)

Title

Mies Van Der Rohe : L'art difficile d'être simple = The Difficult Art of the Simple

Designer

Chris Rowat Design

Author

Phyllis Lambert

Publisher

Canadian Centre for Architecture

Printer

Litho Acme

2nd Prize

Title

Couture and Commerce : The Transatlantic Fashion Trade in the 1950s

Designer

Mark Timmings

Author

Alexandra Palmer

Publisher

UBC Press with the Royal Ontario Museum

Printer

Friesens

Comments

What impressed the judges most was the calm pacing of this fashion chronicle. The variation of text and illustration, and the contrasts of scale and detail in the photographs, set forth the subject attractively. The designer knew when to provide colour shots to enliven the text after a series of historic black and whites. Along with the selection of a very suitable typeface for this topic, all the elements of the book came together in a wonderfully pleasing way.

Hon. Mention

Title

The Illustrated History of British Columbia

Designer

George Vaitkunas

Author

Terry Reksten

Publisher

Douglas & McIntyre

Photographer

various

Printer

Friesens

1st Prize

Title

Butterflies of British Columbia

Designer

Gary Blakeley

Author

Crispin S. Guppy & Jon H. Shepard

Publisher

UBC Press

Photographer

various

Illustrator

various

Printer

Friesens

Comments

This book was the best of this year's entries for reference books. Everything about it was well structured and cleanly presented. The balanced text and well-paced design contained abundant information that was expertly placed on each page. Entries were easy to find. The illustrations were excellent and descriptive, although it was noted that this was not a guide one could take into the field - nor was it intended to be; it was too unwieldy to carry in the hand. We took special notice of the maps listing the habitats of the various species. They went well beyond the boundaries of the province, making this guide useful not only for BC residents but for all west-coast lepidopterists.

3rd Prize

Title

Fitzhenry and Whiteside Canadian Thesaurus : The Word You Want, Where and When You Want It

Designer

Darrell McCalla

Author

Compiled by Celia Munro

Publisher

Fitzhenry & Whiteside

Printer

Tri-Graphic

Comments

Why isn't every dictionary, thesaurus and reference text this well designed, this clearly presented, this easy to handle? The Canadian Thesaurus was a pleasure to hold, and to use. It opened beautifully, and stayed open on the table. The text blocks were well balanced and pleasingly arranged, with each entry word set in an easy-to-find boldface, followed by an easy-to-read text and wordlist. What more could one want in reference book design?

Hon. Mention

Title

Rob Feenie Cooks at Lumière

Designer

Peter Cocking

Author

Rob Feenie

Publisher

Douglas & McIntyre

Photographer

John Sherlock

Printer

C & C Offset

Comments

Two books were given an honourable mention in this category and both were cookbooks. The judges could not decide which of these very different items was the best designed, and which was the best "cook" book. Which one would work best beside the stove, or were they really for the armchair reader? A lively discussion resulted in an honourable mention for both. A Year of the Best, we felt, was a better scale for use beside the stove, though it would not stay open. Its type was clearer and best suited for someone who was actually cooking. The design was well done with excellent pacing and good illustrations, although some judges thought them somewhat harsh in comparison to the illustrations in Rob Feenie Cooks at Lumiere. This latter book was, in the words of one judge, "great food porn", and perhaps best beside the armchair or the exercise machine. The text and illustrations were beautifully handled, although the type may not have been suitable for the busy cook with bifocals. Both books were, in our estimation, excellent examples of their kind.