French version

IBBY Canada (International Board on Books for Young People, Canadian National Section) is pleased to announce that Stéphane Jorisch is the winner of the 2007 IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award for The Owl and the Pussycat, the famous nonsense poem by Edward Lear (Kids Can Press, Visions in Poetry series).

The Award includes a cheque for $1000, which will be presented to Stéphane Jorisch on International Children's Book Day, on Wednesday, April 2nd at 5:00 p.m. The award ceremony will be held in Montreal, at the Grande Bibliothèque (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec), 475, boul. De Maisonneuve Est, Room R.515.

Stéphane Jorisch, one of Canada's most renowned illustrators, has won many prestigious honours and awards, including the Governor General s Award. Born in Brussels, Stéphane grew up in Lachine, Quebec and now lives in Montreal with his wife and their three children.

The Award jury was made up of children's librarians Joanne Schwartz (Chair) and Pascale Grenier and author Martha Baillie. The jury's comments on the winning book:

Stéphane Jorisch's highly original interpretation of The Owl and the Pussycat brings such a new vision to it, that what once seemed a simple nonsense poem is revealed as a deeply layered love story. An older, genteel Owl and a Pussycat from "the other side of the tracks" must run away "to the land where the Bong-tree grows" to have the freedom to openly express their love. Stéphane's multi-media technique, a combination of pen and ink, watercolour and Adobe Photoshop, infuses the work with moodiness and nuance. In Stéphane's talented hands, the illustrations merge with the text, uncovering layers of meaning and creating unforgettable images.

The IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Picture Book Award was established in 1985. Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver, one of Canada's pre-eminent book illustrators, left funds in her will to annually recognize outstanding artistic talent in a Canadian picture book. The recipient receives $1,000.

IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People (www.ibby.org), founded in 1953, represents an international network of people committed to bringing books and children together. IBBY Canada is one of over 70 national sections worldwide. IBBY Canada is a volunteer organization promoting quality French and English Canadian children's literature nationally and internationally. For more information, please visit www.ibby-canada.org.

For more information, please contact:
Helena Aalto
Promotion Officer, IBBY Canada
(416) 658-3144
promotions@ibby-canada.org

____________________________________