Irene Penazzi was born in 1989 in Lugo, a city near Ravenna, Italy. She has a degree in Illustration from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna and completed an internship at the Hamburg University of Applied Science (HAW Hamburg, Germany).

She is the author and illustrator of three wordless books published by Maison Eliza (FR): Dans le jardin (2018), selected in the 100 Outstanding Picturebooks Exhibition curated by dPICTUS at the 2019, 2020 and 2021 Frankfurt Book Fair, Dans la montagne (2021), selected in the 100 Outstanding Picturebooks Exhibition curated by dPICTUS at the 2021 Frankfurt Book Fair and A la mer (2024), among the finalists of the Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition 2024 (Book Publishing Category).

The book Nel mio giardino il mondo (Terre di mezzo editore, 2019) was selected in the Ibby Honour List 2020. Her illustrations for Dans le jardin and Voci dal mondo verde were selected in the “Italian Excellence. The New Generation of Children’s Illustrators” exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2021.

Collaboration 

Progetto Quid, Bayard Presse – Les Belles Histoires, LiBeR rivista, Ibby Italia, Atelier Riou Céramique, La Marelle Marseille, Médiathèque Jacqueline de Romilly – Draguignan, Médiathèque Départementale du Var, Città del Sole, Cineteca di Bologna – Cinnoteca, Topipittori – 48.

Published works 

• L’uomo con il cappotto verde, text by D. Calì, Lapis Edizioni, Roma 2024
• A la mer, Maison Eliza, Paris 2024
• Luge, poussette et autres bolides. Petit imagier des transports, La Joie de Lire, Genève 2024
• I lupi delle Alpi, text by L. Scillitani, Editoriale Scienza, Trieste 2024
• Poesie della casetta, text by R. Gamberini, Topipittori, Milano 2023
• L’ultimo bisonte, text by A. Camilli, La Nuova Frontiera Junior, Roma 2023
• E’ permesso?, text by E. Rossini, Camelozampa, Monselice 2023
• Un anno tra gli alberi, text by V. Levrini, Terre di mezzo Editore, Milano 2023
• La costituzione degli alberi, text by V. Cigliola, E. Morosini, Sinnos, Roma 2022
• Piccoli, molto piccoli, piccolissimi, text by Kribbel-Krabbel, Hopi Edizioni, Roma 2021
• Ambiente Rodari, AA.VV. curated by P. Boero, Einaudi Ragazzi, Trieste 2021
• Dans la montagne, Maison Eliza, Paris 2021
• Voci dal mondo verde, text by S. Bordiglioni, Editoriale Scienza, Trieste 2020
• Ancora, papà!, text by M. Pesce, Terre di mezzo Editore, Milano 2020
• La véritable histoire de Jean qui voulait devenir résistant, text by P. Hédelin, Bayard Jeunesse, Montrouge 2019
• Bologna – Berna a testa in su, a project by the city of Bern and Hamelin Associazione Culturale, in collaboration with the city of Bologna and SBVV, in occasion of Switzerland Guest of Honour Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2019
• Dans le jardin, Maison Eliza, Paris 2018
• Scopriamo insieme segni, simboli e gesti cristiani, text by A. Pandini, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2022
• La mia Cresima, text by E. Giordano, Il Pozzo di Giacobbe, Trapani 2021
• Scopriamo insieme la Quaresima e la Pasqua, text by A. Pandini, Il Sicomoro, Trapani 2021
• Scopriamo insieme Gesù, text by A. Pandini, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2021
• Scopriamo insieme la Bibbia, text by A. Pandini, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2020
• La mia prima Comunione, text by E. Giordano, Il Pozzo di Giacobbe, Trapani 2020
• Il mio Battesimo, text by E. Giordano, Il Pozzo di Giacobbe, Trapani 2019
• Scopriamo insieme la Messa, text by E. Giordano, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2019
• Don Bosco, text by M. Pappalardo, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2019
• Paolo VI, text by B. Baffetti, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2018
• Martin Luther King, text by B. Baffetti, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2018
• Madre Teresa. Un piccola matita nelle mani di Dio, text by B. Baffetti, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2016
• Oscar Romero. La voce dei senza voce, text by B. Baffetti, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2016
• Vi presento il Cassero di Montevarchi. Gastone Brilli Peri. Un fumetto per tutte le età, in collaboration with S. Potito and Museo Civico di Montevarchi (AR), curated by Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna, 2014
• Colora la Ferrari in giro per il mondo, Franco Cosimo Panini, Modena 2015
• Gioca con la Ferrari in giro per il mondo, Franco Cosimo Panini, Modena 2015
• Giovanni Paolo II. Il papa dal cuore buono, text by M. Pappalardo, Il Sicomoro editore, Trapani 2014

Awards

• 2024 – Illustrations from “A la mer” [To the sea] finalist of the Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition promoted by the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair – CCBF
• 2024 – “Poesie della casetta” [Poems of the little house] and “I lupi delle Alpi” [The wolfs of the Alps] are selected in the Ibby Italia Choice 2024 at Frankfurt Book Fair
• 2024 – “Poesie della casetta” [Poems of the little house] is awarded with the “Premio Rodari 2024”, category Fiabe e Filastrocche
• 2024 – “Poesie della casetta” [Poems of the little house] is among the White Ravens 2024 selection curated by the Internationale Jugendbibliothek, International Youth Library, Munich, Germany
• 2023 – “Nel mio giardino il mondo” [The World in my Garden] is among “The World Through Picture Books – Books from Italy” selection – Edited by Annie Everall and Claire Stuckey, IFLA Headquarters, Netherlands
• 2023 – “Piccoli, molto piccoli, piccolissimi” [Small, very small, tiny] is selected in the Honour List Ibby Italia 2023, category non fiction
• 2022 – Sharjah Children’s Book Illustration Exhibition – Finalist Prize with the project “Altea”
• 2021 – BIBF Ananas Illustration Awards, China – Finalist Prize with the book “Dans la montagne”
• 2021 – International contest “Image of the Book”, Moscow – Laureate Award, category Illustration for non fiction, with the books “Dans la montagne” and “Voci dal mondo verde”
• 2021 – “Voci dal mondo verde” is selected in the Honour List Ibby Italia 2021, category non fiction
• 2021 – “Dans la montagne” is selected for the 100 Outstandig Picturebooks curated by dPICTUS at Frankfurt Book Fair
• 2019, 2020, 2021 – “Dans le jardin” is selected for the 100 Outstandig Picturebooks curated by dPICTUS at Frankfurt Book Fair
• 2019 – “Nel mio giardino il mondo” is selected in the Ibby Honour List 2020
• 2019 – RAM 2019 exhibition, “XII Biennale dei giovani artisti della Romagna”, promoted by Associazione Mirada, Ravenna (Italy)