Mari Kanstad Johnsen
About Mari Kanstad Johnsen
Mari Kanstad Johnsen (b. 1981) lives and works in Oslo (NO) as an illustrator and writer. She has illustrated close to 30 books, most of them for children, and 5 of which she has also written. The books have been widely translated, and won several awards in Norway and abroad.
Johnsens Jeg Rømmer ( I`m Out Of Here) received a special mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award 2017.
Mari works with pencils and watercolors, and often coloring drawings digitally in vivid colors. Her drawings can be described as free and poetic, humorous and childlike, and with an attention to details.
Awards and Nominations
2025 Nominated for The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
2024 Nominated for The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
2023 Bedtime for Bo (Dyrene Sover) on The New York Times & New York Public Library’s list of the 10 best illustrated picture books of 2023
2023 Nominated for The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
2022 The Most Beautiful Books of the Year (awarded by Grafill) and Gold in Fiction Picture book for Dyrene Sover
2017/ 2019/2021 Nominations for The Brage Prize (ABC, 321 og Dyrene Sover)
2019 The Most Beautiful Books of the Year (awarded by Grafill) – Gold for Skogen den Grøne
2018 The Most Beautiful Books of the Year (awarded by Grafill) – Gold for ABC
2018 The Most Beautiful Books of the Year (awarded by Grafill) – Gold for ABC
2018 Best Adapted Book of the Year (awarded by Grafill) for (ABC)
2017 The Ministry of Culture’s awards for children and young people – Picture Book Award for ABC
2017 Ordknappen-Prize for Jeg rømmer
2017 Special Mention Bologna Ragazzi Award for Jeg Rømmer/ I`m out of here
2017 The Most Beautiful Books of the Year (awarded by Grafill) – Gold for Eg er eg er eg er
2016 Visual Award (by Grafill) – Gold for Tunellen
2014 The Most Beautiful Books of the Year (awarded by Grafill) – Gold in Picture Book for Livredd i Syden