Gay, Marie-Louise: - Marie-Louise Gay has come a long way since she failed art class in the third grade. The author and/or illustrator of over sixty books for children, she has captured the imaginations of children and their parents with her whimsical cartoons and beloved characters like Stella and Sam, Caramba and Henry, and Princess Pistachio. In 2013 Marie-Louise was award the Claude Aubry Award, which is presented by IBBY Canada for distinguished service within the field of children's literature.