Charlotte Pardi: Denmark ⋆ Illustrator

Charlotte Pardi admits that finishing a picture book leaves her feeling sad, as she becomes incredibly attached to the characters and their stories. Born in Spentrup in 1971, Pardi grew up with a passion for drawing—a passion she continues to put to good use today. Her mother was a kindergarten teacher, and she encouraged Pardi to express her creativity through artistic means. Pardi's primary interest lies in people—particularly children—and she fills her artistic literary universes with expressive, vivacious children. She is truly in love with her career as a children's book illustrator, and when faced with the question of her future, she admits that she cannot see herself on any other career path, noting "the kids would win out in the end."

Pardi pays close attention to the emotional responses of the characters she brings to life, making sure to express their feelings and reactions in every situation. She works to evoke a deep connection between the characters and her child readers, and does so by relating to them on the level of everyday life. She draws and paints her characters realistically—while the lines are intentionally wild and contorted, the color remains within them, as she works to portray the world through a child's eyes. Her characters are not meant to be romantically beautiful, and instead Pardi's boys and girls have freckles, big noses, and messy hair. She connects to her readers by offering them a realistic representation of everyday life, while still playing with shapes and colors. Primarily using watercolors and pencil, Pardi's unique style strikes a balance between the bold and the traditional, creating calm spaces and relatable settings. While she does have a unique and recognizable style—thick lines and meticulous color—she does experiment with other artistic techniques, such as her collage pieces in Farsdreng [Daddy's Boy]. Her style relates to children at each level of development, and grounds her readers in everyday Danish experience.

Pardi's illustrations have won a number of awards and places in exhibits. Her work was on display at the Bologna Book Fair in 2003 and the Itabashi Art Museum in Tokyo in 2010. In both 2000 and 2002 she placed on the Honour List for the Danish Ministry of Culture award, and in 2002 she won the Carlsens Fortællefantorden Award. Her books have also been translated into Russian, Japanese, German, and Swedish.