Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, April 2, ICBD is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books. Each year a different national section of IBBY decides upon a theme, and invites a prominent author to write a message to the children of the world and a well-known illustrator to design a poster. ICBD 2003 is sponsored by IBBY Brazil, with the theme "The World in an Enchanted Network" written by author Ana Maria Machado and a poster illustrated by Rafael Fabrice Yockteng Benalcázar. Both the author and illustrator have recently published their first books in Canada with Groundwood Books.
Canada sponsored ICBD in 1990. Canadian author Monica Hughes, who passed away on March 7, 2003, wrote the message that accompanied the poster by Canadian illustrator Ted Harrison. A member of the Order of Canada, Ms. Hughes published more than 35 books in ten languages, including Swedish, French and Spanish.
IBBY believes in the ability of children's books to bridge cultures and, ultimately, to promote peace. Jella Lepman, founder of the International Youth Library, started IBBY in 1953 in postwar Germany. Her goal was to promote international understanding through children's books. Established in 1980, IBBY Canada is one of more than sixty sections worldwide.
For more information about IBBY, please visit www.IBBY Canada.org or www.ibby.org or write to info@IBBY Canada.org.
Author Margaret Atwood's children's books (Key Porter Books) – published in France, UK, Africa, Italy, Denmark, US, Japan and Germany
The Boy in the Burning House and The Maestro, written by Tim Wynne-Jones (Groundwood Books) – translated into Danish, Dutch, French, German and Italian; and Catalan, Danish, Dutch, German, Italian, and Spanish, respectively
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books) – sold over 200,000 copies worldwide, rights sold include Catalan, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Marathi, Spanish, Swedish, and Portuguese
Caged Eagles by Eric Walters (Orca Book Publishers) – 2002 UNESCO Honourable Mention for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance
Camilla Gryski's Favourite String Games, written by Camilla Gryski (Kids Can Press) – available in Iceland, Germany, Belgium and Spain
Author Brian Doyle (Groundwood Books) – published in Holland, German, Italian, French and Spanish
Franklin the Turtle Series, written by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark (Kids Can Press) – published in 26 languages in over 50 countries and sold over 45,000,000 copies worldwide
If the World Were a Village: A Book About the World's People, written by David J. Smith and illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong (Kids Can Press) – published in French Canada, France, Korea, UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Mexico
Generals Die in Bed: A Story From the Trenches, written by Charles Yale Harrison (Annick Press) – rights sold include Australian, UK and Eire
Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang, written by Mordecai Richler (Tundra Books) –published in 12 territories
Janey's Girl, written by Gayle Friesen (Kids Can Press) – available in Belgium, Norway and Lithuania
Author Susan Juby (HarperCollins) – published in the US, UK, and Australia
Author Dennis Lee (Key Porter Books) – IBBY Canada's 2002 author nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award ("the little Nobel"), administered by IBBY internationally
Illustrator Michèle Lemieux (Kids Can Press/Pierre Tisseyre) – IBBY Canada's 2002 illustrator nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award
The Losers' Club, written by John Lekich (Annick Press) – rights sold include World English and World French
The Lottery, written by Beth Goobie (Orca Book Publishers – a White Ravens Selection
Author Janet McNaughton (HarperCollins) – published in the US, Denmark and Holland
Author-Illustrator J.C. Mills (Key Porter Books) – published in Italy, Germany, Denmark, Korea and Japan
Mistaken Identity, written by Norah McClintock (Scholastic Canada) – rights sold include Italian, Norwegian, French, Dutch, Swedish, German, Finnish, Russian
The Mole Sisters, written & illustrated by Roslyn Schwartz (Annick Press) – a White Ravens Selection, rights sold include French, Korean, Japanese, Italian
My Sister Gracie, written and illustrated by Gillian Johnson (Tundra Books) – published in seven territories
Author Kenneth Oppel (HarperCollins) – published in the US, UK, Italy, Germany, Holland, Denmark, France, Spain, and French Canada
The Paper Bag Princess, written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Michael Martchenko (Annick Press) – rights sold include Arabic, Armenian, Australian, Chinese, Dutch, German, Japanese, Korean, Palestinian, Swedish, UK and Eire
A Prairie Boy's Summer & A Prairie Boy's Winter, written and illustrated by William Kurelek (Tundra Books) – published in 10 territories; and 11 territories, respectively
Red is Best, written by Kathy Stinson and illustrated by Robin Baird Lewis (Annick Press) – rights sold include in Danish, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Swedish, UK and Australia
The Sex Book, written by Jane Pavenol (Lobster Press) – rights sold include the UK, Dutch, Greek, Czech, Spanish, Indonesian
The Sindbad Trilogy & The Gilgamesh Trilogy, written and illustrated by Ludmila Zeman (Tundra Books) – published in five territories; and six territories, respectively
The Stella and Sam Series, written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay (Groundwood Books) – translated into Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Portuguese, Danish and Norwegian.
Tell No One Who You Are, written by Walter Buchignani (Tundra Books) – published in 8 territories
We Share Everything, written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Michael Martchenko (Scholastic Canada) – a White Ravens Selection, rights sold include Korean, Spanish, Arabic Greek Lithuanian
When Pigs Fly, written by Valerie Coulman and illustrated by RogÈ (Lobster Press) – distributed in seven territories
Whose Bright Idea Was It? – written by Larry Verstaete (Scholastic Canada) – rights sold include Chinese, Estonian, Korean, Malay, Arabic, Bulgarian
Eric Wilson (HarperCollins) – published in Spain, the US, and Japan
THE CANADIAN NATIONAL Section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY Canada) invites young readers and their caregivers, teachers, librarians and booksellers across Canada to celebrate International Children's Book Day on April 2nd, 2003. To mark this important day, Canadians are encouraged to read books from other cultures as well as Canadian children's books that are being enjoyed by young people around the world.
