Meet the author

Joanne Schwartz.

Writer · Canada

Joanne Schwartz: Canadian author of Town Is by the Sea (with Sydney Smith, Greenaway-winning) — gentle, observational, emotionally restrained literary picture books for ages 4–8.

Joanne Schwartz is a Canadian author best known to children's-book readers as the writer of Town Is by the Sea (illustrated by Sydney Smith, 2017 Kate Greenaway winner), a quietly powerful picture book about a Nova Scotian coal-mining town from the perspective of a boy whose father is underground in the mine. Schwartz also wrote Pinny in Summer, Awake Beautiful Child and other picture books. Her voice is gentle, observational and emotionally restrained. A reliable contemporary literary-picture-book author for ages 4–8.