Qin Leng author page

Qin Leng biography

Qin Leng is a Canadian illustrator and author of children’s books, renowned for her expressive ink-and-watercolor illustrations that capture the innocence and emotions of childhood. Born in Shanghai, China, she moved to France as a child and later settled in Montreal, Canada. She currently resides in Toronto with her husband and son.

Leng graduated from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University in Montreal. Initially trained in animation, she worked in the field before transitioning to children’s book illustration in 2009. Since then, she has illustrated over 40 picture books, collaborating with publishers in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Among her notable works are Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki, which was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award and received the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association Award for Best Picture Book; Over the Shop by JonArno Lawson, a wordless picture book praised for its depiction of community and inclusion; and Trèfle (English title: Clover) by Nadine Robert, which won the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award for Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books.

Leng’s illustration style is characterized by its fluidity and spontaneity, often drawing inspiration from her observations of daily life and her love for nature. She has expressed a particular fondness for watercolor as a medium, appreciating its unpredictability and the unique textures it produces.