Meet the author

Julie Morstad.

Illustrator · Canada

Julie Morstad: acclaimed Canadian illustrator whose delicate, dreamlike artwork turns picture books such as A Door Is to Open into keepsakes for imaginative young readers.

Julie Morstad is an acclaimed Canadian illustrator and author based in Vancouver, whose delicate, dreamlike artwork has made her one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary picture books. She came to children's illustration through the Vancouver arts scene, illustrating Sara O'Leary's When You Were Small before making her authorial debut with How To. She has since illustrated much-loved titles including Julia, Child and Time Is a Flower, and collaborates often with author Kyo Maclear; their A Door Is to Open turns a simple object into a playful meditation on thresholds, possibility and starting something new. Her work has won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award, with several Governor General's Award nominations besides. For families who treasure beautifully made, imaginative picture books, Morstad's artwork is reliably keepsake-worthy.