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Summer 2013, Vol. 33, No. 2
ISSN 1704-6033


Contents

Letter from the Editor / Mot de l’éditrice
President’s Report / Rapport de la présidente
Our New Banner!
Regional Report: East
Regional Report: Quebec / Rapport régional du Québec
Regional Report: West
Call for Submissions: The 2014 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award / Appel de soumissions : le Prix Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver 2014
Illustrations Fit for a Prince
Remembering Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver
Martha Newbigging launches the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program
A Year in the Life of the Andersen Awards: Of Lattes and Dossiers / Une année dans la vie des prix Andersen
Isol Wins 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
IBBY Italia’s Camp Lampedusa / Camp Lampedusa d’IBBY Italia
Patsy Aldana’s International Imprint in China
Communication-Jeunesse Unveils 2012­–2013 Honour List / Palmarès Communication-Jeunesse des livres préférés des jeunes 2012–2013
CANSCAIP Spotlight: Sharon E. McKay
Ilustrarte 2014: Call for Submissions / Ilustrarte 2014 : Appel de soumissions
Job Alert: Bookbird Editor
Limited Edition Prints from IBBY Australia
Membership Challenge
Upcoming Events


Letter from the Editor

On a sunny afternoon in mid-July I was inside watching Malala Yousafzai’s moving speech to the United Nations. Although the sunshine outside was calling, listening to Malala’s words that I had read about in the morning’s newspaper had an even stronger pull. The 16-year-old girl from Pakistan spoke with strength and courage about a child’s right to education and the power of books to fight against terrorism and oppression. “Let us pick up our books and our pens,” she declared. “They are our most powerful weapons. One teacher, one child, one pen, and one book can change the world.” Malala’s speech touched on so much of what IBBY is about, including the power of books to promote peace and the right of every child to become a reader. I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch her speech and be reminded of why organizations like IBBY Canada are so important.

Earlier that month, I was watching another video online, one that was a bit closer to the IBBY family. In her acceptance speech for the 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the Argentinian artist Isol spoke about the challenge for illustration to satisfy a child’s high level of curiosity, and how she finds inspiration in the wild and ridiculous. We’ve embedded the speech in the full article about her award win. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did!

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the IBBY archives with Past President Brenda Halliday and Website Chair Camilia Kahrizi. Riffling through old issues of the newsletter (going back to 1982!) was an eye opener for how much the Canadian section of IBBY has accomplished since its inception. It also reminded me of the force of a small team of volunteers who work together for a common cause. I think Malala would be proud of everything we have accomplished over the years.

And last but definitely not least, I am excited to wish IBBY a happy 60th birthday! It was six decades ago, in the wake of World War II, that Jella Lepman founded the organization on a belief that books build bridges of understanding and peace between people. Here’s to 60 more years of promoting children’s literature as a force of peace and understanding across cultures and nations.

– Katie Scott, Newsletter Editor
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Mot de l’éditrice

Au cours d’un après-midi ensoleillé de la mi-juillet, j’écoutais le discours émouvant de Malala Yousafzai aux Nations-Unies. Le soleil me donnait envie d’aller dehors cependant j’étais encore plus attirée par les paroles de Malala dont on avait déjà parlé dans le journal du matin. Cette jeune Pakistanaise de 16 ans parlait avec force et courage des droits des enfants à l’éducation et au pouvoir des livres pour lutter contre le terrorisme et l’oppression. « Prenons nos livres et nos crayons » a-t-elle déclaré. « Ce sont nos armes les plus puissantes. Un enseignant, un enfant, un crayon et un livre peuvent changer le monde ». Le discours de Malala couvre tellement de points proches du mandat d’IBBY parmi lesquels la capacité des livres comme outil de promotion pour la paix et le droit de chaque enfant de devenir lecteur. Je vous encourage à prendre quelques minutes pour visionner son discours et de vous rappeler pourquoi des organismes comme IBBY Canada sont si importants.

Plus tôt ce mois-ci, je visionnais un autre vidéo en ligne, celui-ci était encore plus proche de la famille d’IBBY. Dans son discours de remerciement pour le prix commémoratif Astrid Lindgren 2013, l’artiste d’Argentine Isol parlait des défis pour que l’illustration satisfasse le haut niveau de curiosité des enfants. Elle a indiqué comment elle trouvait son inspiration dans les situations saugrenues et ridicules. Nous avons inséré son discours dans l’article complet sur le prix. J’espère que vous allez l’apprécier autant que moi!

Récemment, j’ai eu le plaisir de parcourir les archives d’IBBY Canada avec la présidente sortante Brenda Halliday et la responsable du site web Camilia Kahrizi. En feuilletant les anciens numéros du bulletin (depuis 1982!), cela m’a ouvert les yeux sur tout ce que la section canadienne d’IBBY a accompli depuis sa fondation. Cela m’a fait penser à la solidité de notre petite équipe de bénévoles qui travaillent ensemble vers un même but. Je pense que Malala serait fière de ce que nous avons accompli au cours des années.

Et pour terminer, je suis très heureuse de souhaiter un joyeux 60 ième anniversaire à IBBY! Il y a six décennies, au lendemain de la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, Jella Lepman a fondé IBBY sur le principe suivant, les livres pour enfants peuvent bâtir des ponts de compréhension et favoriser la paix entre les peuples. Célébrons 60 autres années à IBBY afin de promouvoir la littérature de jeunesse comme un véhicule de paix et de compréhension entre les cultures et les nations.

– Katie Scott, Éditrice de l’infolettre

Traduction : Josiane Polidori
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President’s Report

This summer has been full of award news for IBBY Canada. This year we nominated author Kenneth Oppel and illustrator Philippe Béha for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Awards. IBBY Canada is the only organization that is eligible to submit Canadian candidates for this international award. We would like to thank Josiane Polidori and Theo Heras for their excellent work in preparing the nomination dossiers. We would also like to thank publishers Imagine, Hurtubise, Scholastic, Tradewind, and HarperCollins for their generous contributions to defray the cost of shipping books to the international jurors.

The jury for IBBY Canada’s Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program has selected Martha Newbigging for the inaugural program. The residency will take place during October 2013 in the Northern District Branch of the Toronto Public Library. Congratulations to Ms Newbigging and warm thanks to the selection committee, and to those who helped to develop this new program for IBBY Canada.

I would like to welcome our new board members, Stephanie Dror, membership secretary, and Nafiza Azad, councillor-west. We still have two positions to fill: recording secretary and vice-president. If you are passionate about promoting quality children’s literature and would like to join a dynamic organization, do not hesitate to contact us.

This year is the 60th anniversary of the founding of IBBY International by Jella Lepman in Zurich in 1953. Happy Birthday, IBBY!

I wish you all a beautiful, peaceful, and restful summer.

– Susane Duchesne, President
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Rapport de la présidente

Voici les bonnes nouvelles d’IBBY Canada. Cette année, nous proposons l’auteur Kenneth Oppel et l’illustrateur Philippe Béha pour le prestigieux prix Hans Christian Andersen. Je tiens à rappeler que IBBY Canada est le seul organisme admissible pour la mise en candidature des aspirants canadiens. IBBY Canada tient à remercier Josiane Polidori et Theo Heras pour leur excellent travail de préparation des dossiers de nomination. Nous tenons aussi à remercier les éditeurs Imagine, Hurtubise, Scholastic, Tradewind, et HarperCollins pour leur généreuse contribution à défrayer les frais d’expédition des livres aux jurys.

Le jury du programme d’illustrateur en résidence Joanne Fitzgerald a sélectionné Martha Newbigging. La résidence aura lieu au cours du mois d’octobre 2013 à la Northern District Branch de Toronto Public Library. Félicitations à madame Newbigging et un chaleureux remerciement au comité de sélection et à ceux qui ont aidé à mettre sur pied ce nouveau programme d’IBBY Canada.

Bienvenue à nos nouveaux membres du conseil : Stephanie Dror, secrétaire d’adhésion, et Nafiza Azad, conseillère-ouest. Il nous reste encore deux postes à combler : secrétaire et vice-président. Si vous êtes passionnés par la promotion de la littérature jeunesse de qualité et que vous aimeriez vous joindre à un organisme dynamique, n’hésitez pas à nous contacter.

J’aimerais souligner que cette année est le soixantième anniversaire de la fondation d’IBBY international par Jella Lepman à Zurich en 1953. Joyeux anniversaire, IBBY!

Je vous souhaite à tous un bel été paisible et reposant.

– Susane Duchesne, Présidente
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Our New Banner!

We would like to send a very big thank you to Martha Newbigging for illustrating the new banner for the IBBY Canada newsletter. Martha is the recipient of this year’s inaugural Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program, which launches this October. She generously donated her time and resources in creating the banner, and it was an absolute pleasure working with her. Thank you, Martha!

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Regional Report: East

Although things have been somewhat quiet for the past two months, I did want to share this bit of news from the Atlantic Region. Shortly after the last newsletter went out, I received information that IBBY member Ron Lightburn received notice from the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development that 420 copies of Roll On: Rick Hansen Wheels Around the World (Greystone Books, 2012) have been distributed to 360 schools across Nova Scotia. To celebrate this, Education Minister Ramona Jennex and Human Rights Commission CEO David Shannon hosted an event at a local elementary school in Kentville. Roll On was written by Ainslie Manson and is the twelfth picture book Ron has illustrated. Congratulations to Ron!

I am interested to hear news about all things books from other IBBY members in the Atlantic Region. If you would like to get in touch with me, please email me. Also, IBBY will have a table on Literacy Way at Halifax’s Word on the Street on September 22. Look for us there.

– Jane Baskwill, Councillor-East
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Regional Report: Quebec

Counsellor-Quebec Shannon Babcock reading with her niece. A love of books runs in the family!
Counsellor-Quebec Shannon Babcock reading with her niece. A love of books runs in the family!

Activities have slowed down for summer; however, the autumn holds great promise for IBBY in Quebec. Watch this space for news of IBBY collaborations that are underway with local English- and French-speaking groups. To be continued!

– Shannon Babcock, Councillor-Quebec
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Rapport régional du Québec

Le rythme des activités d’IBBY Québec ralenti pour la période estivale, mais la rentrée arrive! Les nouvelles des collaborations entre les groupes régionaux anglophones et francophones s’en viennent. À la prochaine!

– Shannon Babcock, Conseillère-Québec
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Regional Report: West

I am pleased to introduce myself as the newly minted councillor-west for IBBY Canada. As a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, I am pursuing a Master of Arts in children’s literature. Unsurprisingly, I love children’s literature, and I am thrilled to be in a position to promote it and spread its reach to children and fellow book lovers.

As I am still settling into my new role, I have little to report about IBBY’s activity out West. However, I plan to have a lot more to say in the next instalment of the newsletter. So until then, happy reading!

– Nafiza Azad, Councillor-West
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Call for Submissions: The 2014 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award

Every year since 1986, IBBY Canada has given the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award to a Canadian illustrator in recognition of outstanding artistic talent in a Canadian picture book. The winner receives a cheque for $1000 and a certificate at an annual award ceremony.

Three members of IBBY Canada form the Cleaver committee and administer the award. The committee members for the 2014 award are Theo Heras (chair), Melanie Fishbane, and Allison Taylor-McBryde.

The recipient is a Canadian illustrator of a picture book published in Canada in English or French during each calendar year. An eligible book as defined by the terms of the award is “a picture book (as opposed to an illustrated book where the text takes precedence over the illustrations).” To be eligible, the book must be a first edition and contain original illustrations by a Canadian illustrator (either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident). All genres are considered: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and folk and fairy tales. A book submitted in a previous year, even if it was submitted in a different language, will not be eligible for consideration.

Applicants should submit one copy of any eligible book to each committee member (total of three). Please contact Theo Heras for the addresses of the committee members. IBBY Canada will donate the submitted books to a suitable recipient(s) at the end of each year.

There is a $20 fee for each title submitted to the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award. (For example, if you are submitting two titles for consideration, you will mail six books in total [three copies of each title] to the committee members and a cheque for $40 to IBBY Canada’s head office.) The fee is non-refundable, even if your submission is determined to be ineligible, so please read the submission guidelines carefully. This fee will be used to offset administration costs as well as costs associated with the presentation of the award. Please send a cheque made payable to “IBBY Canada” with “Cleaver Award fee” on the memo line to: IBBY Canada, c/o The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Suite 217, 40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto, ON M4R 1B9.

The deadline for entries is December 14th, 2013, for books published between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2013. The winner of the award will be announced in 2014.

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Appel de soumissions : le Prix Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver 2014

Chaque année depuis 1986, IBBY Canada a décerné le Prix Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver à un illustrateur ou une illustratrice canadien(ne) en reconnaissance du talent artistique exceptionnel dans un livre d’images canadien. Le/la lauréat(e) reçoit un chèque pour 1000$ et un certificat lors d’une cérémonie annuelle.

Trois membres d’IBBY Canada forment la comité Cleaver qui administre le Prix. Pour 2014, les membres du comité sont Theo Heras (présidente), Melanie Fishbane, et Allison Taylor-McBryde.

Le/la récipient(e) est un illustrateur ou une illustratrice canadien(ne) d’un album publié au Canada en anglais ou en français pendant l’année civile. Selon les normes du Prix, un livre admissible est un album (parfois appelé livre d’images), par opposition à un livre illustré dans lequel le texte prend la priorité. Pour être admissible, le livre doit être une première édition et contenir des illustrations d’un illustrateur ou une illustratrice qui est citoyen(ne) canadien(ne) ou résident(e) permanent(e) au Canada.  Tous les genres sont considérés : fiction, documentaire, poésie et folklore. Un livre soumis dans une année précédente, même si soumis dans une autre langue, ne sera pas admissible pour considération.

Le/la proposant(e) doit soumettre une copie du livre admissible à chaque membre de comité (un total de trois). Veuillez contacter Theo Héras pour les coordonnées des membres du comité. IBBY Canada fera un don des livres soumis à un récipient valable à la fin de chaque année.

Un frais de 20$ s’applique à chaque titre soumis au Prix Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver. Par example, si vous soumettez deux titres pour considération, vous allez envoyer par la poste six livres en total (trois copies de chaque titre) aux membres du comité, et un chèque pour 40$ au siège social d’IBBY Canada. Le frais est non-remboursable, même si votre soumission est déterminé d’être inadmissible, donc veuillez lire attentivement les normes. Ce frais sera appliqué aux coûts administratifs ainsi que les coûts associés à la présentation du Prix. Veuillez envoyer un chèque à l’ordre d’IBBY Canada, inscrivant « Cleaver Award Fee » sur la ligne mémo à : IBBY Canada, c/o The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Suite 217, 40 Orchard View Blvd., Toronto, ON M4R 1B9.

La date de tombée des soumissions est le 14 décembre 2013 pour les livres publiés entre le 1 janvier 2013 et le 31 décembre 2013. Le/la laureate(e) sera annoncé en 2014.

Traduction : Todd Kyle
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Illustrations Fit for a Prince

On July 25, 2013, the Canadian government announced that they will be sending a selection of Canadian children’s books to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to congratulate them on the birth of their firstborn child. Among the selected titles that will be sent to the royal couple is Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, who won the 2013 Elizabeth-Mrazik Cleaver Award for her beautiful illustrations. Congratulations, Isabelle!

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Remembering Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver

Elizabeth Cleaver, 1978 / Photo by Nicholas Bornemisza, courtesy of The Canadian Children's Book Centre
Elizabeth Cleaver, 1978 / Photo by Nicholas Bornemisza, courtesy of The Canadian Children’s Book Centre

Since 1986, IBBY Canada has been giving the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award / Le Prix Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver to a deserving illustrator. Though her name is on the prize, few people today recognize her as an outstanding Canadian illustrator in her own right.

Elizabeth Cleaver was born in Montreal in 1939. She studied fine art at the School of Art and Design of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, L’École des Beaux Arts, and Concordia University, where she worked on her master’s degree in fine art.

Cleaver was attracted to the myths and legends of Canada’s First Peoples, to the folklore of French Canada, and to the legends of Hungary, the country of her family’s origin. Her father read to her at night when she was a child, and he would often cast shadows of animals on her wall. His images created a strong attraction in Cleaver to shadows and shadow puppets. Later puppetry and dance would influence her as well.

In the late 1960s, Cleaver began to work with Oxford University Press editor William Toye to produce books of Native legends. Toye selected two stories, and Cleaver set out to research meticulously as much as she could before beginning her illustrations for the books. Cleaver’s primary medium was collage and she combined all sorts of materials including paper, potato prints, leaves, and fabric against her black-and-white or colour illustrations. For The Loon’s Necklace, Cleaver used linocuts, a very difficult medium, to create just the right lines she wanted for her illustrations. In all, Cleaver produced 13 exquisite books, several authored by her. She has won the Canadian Library Association’s Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award twice, the Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year for Children Award, the Canada Council Children’s Literature Prize for illustration, and has been an IBBY Andersen honouree (see bibliography).

After her untimely death in 1985, the National Library of Canada purchased the original artwork for 11 of Cleaver’s books. The Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books of the Toronto Public Library holds her art from The Wind Has Wings: Poems from Canada. Several years ago, Library and Archives Canada (formerly the National Library of Canada) had an exhibit of children’s illustration. Several of Cleaver’s pieces were part of the exhibit. To see her original three-dimensional work is to recognize the delicacy, ingenuity, creativity, and playfulness of her artistry.

Elizabeth Cleaver demonstrated her generosity by bequeathing IBBY Canada $10,000 for the establishment of an illustrators’ award in her name. Each year as IBBY Canada gives the award, the organization recognizes excellence in Canadian children’s book illustration. We also continue Elizabeth Cleaver’s legacy and acknowledge the debt we owe her for her dedication to Canadian children’s literature.

– Theo Heras, Chair, Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award / Le Prix Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver

Elizabeth Cleaver: Bibliography
(Written by Cleaver unless otherwise indicated)

ABC. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1984; New York: Atheneum, 1985. 55pp.

La biche miraculeuse: une legende hongroise. Adapted by Elizabeth Cleaver; Translated from English by Irene E. Aubrey. Montreal: Editions HRW, 1973. 64pp.

Canadian Wonder Tales. Collected from oral sources by Cyrus Macmillan. Toronto: Bodley Head (Canada); Clarke Irwin, 1974. 276pp.

The Enchanted Caribou. Toronto: Oxford University Press; New York: Atheneum, 1985. 32pp.

The Fire Stealer. Retold by William Toye. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1979. 32pp.

How Summer Came to Canada. Retold by William Toye. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1978, 1969; New York: H.Z. Walck, 1969. 32pp. [1972 Hans Christian Andersen Certificate of Honor from IBBY]

The Loon’s Necklace. Retold by William Toye. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1977. 24pp. [1978      Canadian Library Association’s Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award]

The Miraculous Hind: A Hungarian Legend. Toronto: Holt, Rinehard and Winston of Canada, 1973. 64pp. [1974 Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year for Children Award]

The Mountain Goats of Temlaham. Retold by William Toye. Toronto: Oxford University Press; New York: H.Z. Walck, 1969. 32pp. [1972 Hans Christian Andersen Certificate of Honor from IBBY]

The New Wind Has Wings: Poems from Canada. Compiled by Mary Alice Downie and Barbara Robertson. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1984. 110pp.

Petrouchka. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada; New York: Atheneum, 1980. 32pp. [1980 Canada Council Children’s Literature Prize, English language, illustration, and 1982 Hans Christian Andersen Certificate of Honour from IBBY]

The Wind Has Wings: Poems from Canada. Compiled by Mary Alice Downie and Barbara Robertson. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1978, 1968. 95pp. [winner of the 1971 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award, and 1972 Hans Christian Andersen Certificate of Honor from IBBY]

The Witch of the North: Folk Tales of French Canada. Adapted by Mary Alice Downie. Ottawa: Oberon Press, 1975. 54pp.

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Martha Newbigging Launches the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program

Martha Newbigging, the recipient of the 2013 Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program
Martha Newbigging, the recipient of the 2013 Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program

Martha Newbigging is the first illustrator selected for IBBY Canada’s new Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program. Martha will be in residence at the Northern District Branch of the Toronto Public Library during October 2013, presenting workshops for groups of students and the community, meeting with individual artists and art students for career advice and portfolio evaluation, exhibiting work in the gallery, and working on current projects.

Martha’s illustration career has focused on non-fiction children’s books and textbooks for publishers including Annick Press, Owl Books, Kids Can Press, Scholastic Canada, and Pearson Education Canada. She teaches illustration at the School of Creative Arts and Animation at Seneca College, and recently completed a degree in education.

A passionate advocate of community arts education, Martha provides varied arts workshops in a wide range of school and community settings. Some of her most popular workshops are on creating comic books, and two comics workshops are on the roster for her October 2013 residency at the Toronto Public Library. Martha also volunteers with an LGBTQ youth support group near her community of Consecon, Ontario, and LGBTQ groups in Toronto will be invited to participate in her residency programs.

The call for submissions for the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program required applicants to have extensive experience in making presentations and to suggest programming ideas for the residency. Martha’s application wowed the selection jury, comprised of Shannon Babcock (Ministère de l’Éducation) and Meghan Howe (The Canadian Children’s Book Centre) from IBBY Canada’s board, Lisa Heggum and Martha Scott of the Toronto Public Library, and illustrator Marie-Louise Gay. The jury commended her “many creative, original and dynamic propositions for workshops for all age groups … extensive experience in teaching art and illustration, in mentoring new illustrators, and her work with all ages, and diverse communities.”

In the reference letters that were part of Martha’s submission package, teachers and community leaders praised her “personable rapport,” “dynamic approach [that] engaged and inspired the students,” and “conviction for the transformative role of the arts to validate and honour the experience of each young person.”

A great start for the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program!

– Helena Aalto, Promotions Officer

IBBY Canada’s Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program offers children’s book illustrators a unique residency in a public library. During the month-long residency, a jury-selected illustrator presents group workshops and demonstrations for students and the community, and meets with individual artists and art students. The Toronto Public Library will host the residencies in 2013 and 2014. The Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program is a joint project of IBBY Canada, Toronto Public Library, and the Canadian Urban Libraries Council, with financial support from Joanne’s family and from Groundwood Books. The program honours Joanne Fitzgerald (1956–2011), who illustrated many influential children’s books, including Plain Noodles, Emily’s House, The Blue Hippopotamus, and Governor General’s Literary Award winner Doctor Kiss Says Yes.

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A Year in the Life of the Andersen Awards: Of Lattes and Dossiers

Philippe Béha, nominated for illustration for the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Awards
Philippe Béha, nominated for illustration for the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Awards

September 2012: It all started during a coffee break at the IBBY Congress in London. Theo Heras, librarian extraordinaire (and IBBY Canada past president), told the current president, Susane Duchesne, that she could volunteer to work with me as co-chair of the Canadian Andersen nomination committee.

October 2012: The Andersen nomination process started with a latte shared with Theo Heras as she was visiting Ottawa. Over coffee, we planned the schedule and the selection process, reviewed the selection criteria, and divided the many tasks among the two of us.

November and December 2012: Numerous phone calls and emails were needed to prepare preliminary lists of nominees.

January 2013: The Andersen clock is ticking with the New Year. Those preliminary lists have to come down. More phone calls and emails leading to THE selection.

February 2013: Two happy co-chairs agreed on the nominations for Kenneth Oppel for writing and Philippe Béha for illustration. More lists circulating among us to select five representative books to send to jurors. February 15 was a crazy day, as I was rushing to submit names of candidates and their list of five books for the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Awards to the IBBY Secretariat ahead of the February 28 deadline. I am leaving for Morocco later that day. Whew!

March 2013: Theo and I were honoured as Andersen co-chairs to inform author Kenneth Oppel and illustrator Philippe Béha and their respective publishers about their nomination to the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Awards. Both Ken and Philippe are thrilled. Susane Duchesne shares the good news at the IBBY Canada AGM.

April and May 2013: These are very busy months to research biographical and bibliographic information for the author and illustrator dossiers. Theo Heras spends many hours on the Kenneth Oppel dossier; she gets support from Hadley Dyer and staff at HarperCollins for the research. Gillian Robinson whips up the Oppel visual presentation. Lecturer Jeffrey Canton is commissioned to write an essay on Kenneth Oppel’s contribution to children’s literature.

I am in charge of the dossier on illustrator Philippe Béha. Sonia Fontaine from Hurtubise and Chantale Lalonde sends me some bibliographical information. A lot of time is spent translating and researching articles in English. Most reviews about Béha’s books are in French, but many jurors do not read French. As I am writing the essay on Philippe Béha’s contribution to children’s literature, I ask my sons (now in their 20s) how they remember those picture books from their childhood. My husband helps me to polish my essay written in English. This dossier is a family affair! Daniel St-Hilaire adds his magic touch to the Béha visual presentation.

June 2013: Selected books are collected from publishers who are sending them to 14 different countries, the IBBY Secretariat, and the Bookbird editor. Great collaboration from Hadley Dyer at HarperCollins, Sonia Fontaine at Hurtubise HMH, Michael Katz at Tradewind Books, Martine Villeneuve at Éditions Imagine, and Chantale Lalonde at Scholastic Canada.

June 30, 2013: This was the deadline for dossiers and books to be sent. A few crazy facts: Michael Katz from Tradewind has his European distributor send books to jurors located in Europe and the Middle East. His designer travelling to Brazil sends books from Rio to jurors in Venezuela and Brazil.

July 2013: Is the Andersen work over? Not so. The two co-chairs still have to resolve shipping issues, such as an individual who cannot receive a parcel in Russia, so we must provide the address of a company or cooperative in Moscow. The network capacity in Cuba does not allow us to send electronic files with visuals, not easy for the illustration award or book covers for fiction. The solution is to copy the electronic file on a CD and mail it to Cuba. Two other jurors changed their email addresses and did not inform us (sent them a new file!). One book is missing in Iran. The list goes on. Not a dull moment with the Andersen nomination.

August, 2013: Time for both co-chairs to relax with a latte. Until next time…

– Josiane Polidori, Hans Christian Anderson Award Co-Chair
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Une année dans la vie des prix Andersen

Septembre 2012 : Tout a commencé au cours d’une pause-café pendant le Congrès IBBY à Londres. Theo Heras, merveilleuse bibliothécaire (et ancienne présidente d’IBBY Canada), a proposé à la présidente actuelle Susane Duchesne qu’elle se portait volontaire pour travailler sur le comité de nomination Andersen à titre de co-présidente avec moi.

Octobre 2012 : Le travail du comité de nomination Andersen a débuté autour d’un café latte partagé avec Theo Heras alors qu’elle visitait Ottawa. En sirotant notre café, nous avons planifié le calendrier et le processus de sélection; nous avons revu les critères de sélection et divisé les tâches.

Novembre et décembre 2012 : Échange de nombreux coups de téléphone et messages pour préparer la liste des auteurs et illustrateurs en nomination.

Janvier 2013 : Le compte à rebours Andersen se met en branle dès le Nouvel An. Ces listes préliminaires doivent rétrécir. Encore plus de coups de fil et de courriels pour arriver à LA sélection.

Février 2013 : Deux co-présidentes très joyeuses s’entendent sur la nomination de Kenneth Oppel comme écrivain en nomination et pour Philippe Béha comme illustrateur. D’autres listes circulent encore pour dresser la sélection des cinq livres à envoyer aux jurés. Le 15 février est une journée folle où je dois me dépêcher à soumettre les noms des candidats et la liste des livres pour les Prix Hans Christian Andersen 2014 au Secrétariat d’IBBY avant la date limite du 28 février. Je pars le soir même pour le Maroc. Ouf!

Mars 2013 : Theo et moi sommes honorées à titre de co-présidentes de prévenir l’auteur Kenneth Oppel et l’illustrateur Philippe Béha de leur nomination aux Prix Hans Christian Andersen 2014. Ken et Philippe sont ravis. Susane Duchesne partage cette bonne nouvelle à l’Assemblée annuelle d’IBBY Canada.

Avril et mai 2013 : Ce sont des mois extrêmement occupés par la recherche biographique et bibliographique pour préparer des dossiers de nomination. Theo Heras passent de nombreuses heures sur le dossier de Ken; elle a du soutien de Hadley Dyer et de l’équipe de HarperCollins pour la recherche. Gillian Robinson s’ingénie avec talent sur la présentation visuelle. Jeffrey Canton, critique et professeur, écrit un essai sur la contribution de Kenneth Oppel à la littérature de jeunesse.

Je suis responsable du dossier de l’illustrateur Philippe Béha. Sonia Fontaine et Chantale Lalonde m’envoie des informations bibliographiques. Je passe beaucoup de temps à traduire et à chercher des articles en anglais. La plupart des articles du Philippe Béha sont en français, mais les jurés internationaux ne lisent pas le français. Alors que j’écris mon essai sur la contribution de Philippe Béha sur la littérature jeunesse, je demande à mes fils (qui ont maintenant plus de 20 ans) comment ils se souviennent de ces livres qui ont marqué leur enfance. Mon mari m’aide aussi à fignoler mon essai écrit en anglais. Ce dossier est une affaire de famille! Daniel St-Hilaire ajoute sa touche magique à la présentation visuelle du dossier Béha.

Juin 2013 : Les livres sélectionnés sont rassemblés par les éditeurs qui les envoient dans 14 pays différents, au Secrétariat d’IBBY et aux éditeurs de Bookbird. Quelle collaboration extraordinaire de la part de Hadley Dyer chez HarperCollins, Sonia Fontaine chez Hurtubise HMH, Michael Katz chez Tradewind Books, Martine Villeneuve aux Éditions Imagine et Chantale Lalonde chez Scholastic Canada.

30 juin 2013 : C’est la date limite pour l’envoi des dossiers et des livres. Quelques faits incroyables : Michael Katz de Tradewind Books confie l’envoi des livres à son distributeur européen pour les jurés habitant en Europe et au Moyen-Orient. Sa designer en voyage au Brésil poste les livres pour les jurés du Venezuela et du Brésil.

Juillet 2013 : Avons-nous terminé le travail sur les dossiers Andersen? Pas encore. Les deux co-présidentes doivent résoudre plusieurs problèmes d’expédition. Par exemple, un individu ne peut pas recevoir un colis en Russie; il faut trouver une adresse de compagnie ou de coopérative au plus vite. La capacité du réseau informatique à Cuba ne permet pas d’envoyer d’éléments visuels : pas facile pour l’illustration ou pour les couvertures de livres. La solution est d’envoyer par la poste le dossier copié sur un CD. Que faires des jurés qui ont changé d’adresse électronique sans prévenir. Un livre a été perdu en Iran. Enfin, la liste des défis continue. On ne s’ennuie pas un instant.

Août 2013 : Une petite pause-café pour les deux co-présidentes est de mise. À la prochaine fois…

– Josiane Polidori, Prix Hans Christian Andersen Co-présidente
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Isol Wins 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Isol, the Argentinian illustrator, cartoonist, graphic artist, writer, singer, and composer is the winner of the 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), the world's largest award for children's and young adult literature.
Isol, the Argentinian illustrator, cartoonist, graphic artist, writer, singer, and composer is the winner of the 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA), the world’s largest award for children’s and young adult literature.

After a week of activity in Stockholm, Sweden, Isol received her award from H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria on May 27, 2013.

According to the jury, “Isol creates picture books from the eye level of the child. Her pictures vibrate with energy and explosive emotions. With a restrained palette and ever-innovative pictorial solutions, she shifts ingrained perspectives and pushes the boundaries of the picture book medium. Taking children’s clear view of the world as her starting point, she addresses their questions with forceful artistic expression and offers open answers. With liberating humour and levity, she also deals with the darker aspects of existence.”


Isol’s acceptance speech at the ALMA award ceremony, Stockholm Concert Hall, May 27, 2013

Groundwood Books has published four of Isol’s books in Canada: Beautiful Griselda (2011), Doggy Slippers (2010), Petit, the Monster (2010), and It’s Useful To Have a Duck (2009).

More information about the award and this year’s winner can be found on the ALMA website.

– Merle Harris, Alberta Chair
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IBBY Italia’s Camp Lampedusa

Campers listen to Mariella Bertelli read a story at Camp Lampedusa
Campers listen to Mariella Bertelli read a story at Camp Lampedusa

The island of Lampedusa is located in the Mediterranean Sea off the southern coast of Italy. It is known as the “bridge island” because it’s where migrating people and animals rest on their long trips to and from the European continent. Because of its remote location, the island’s history comprises long periods of isolation and poverty.

The exterior of the new library in Lampedusa, which will open in September 2013
The exterior of the new library in Lampedusa, which will open in September 2013

Recognizing that there are 600 children living in this place with few books, IBBY Italia organized a summer camp from June 22–29, 2013. Working with teachers, children, and a team of 15 volunteers (one of whom was Mariella Bertelli from Canada!), we hosted a series of programs and book displays for the children on the island. The camp was part of the Silent Books Project, which will see the creation of a children’s library on Lampedusa in September 2013.

The first thing we had to do was teach the children a new word: library. It was very interesting to watch the kids learn about this new idea, this place where you could come and read books. In the evening we displayed the books donated from IBBY in the street so that passing children could look at them and listen to stories being read aloud.

Children join in an activity during Camp Lampedusa, June 2013
Children join in an activity during Camp Lampedusa, June 2013

As with any new project, we have faced some challenges, including having to refurbish the bathroom of the new library and building new furniture so that the library can be a modern, functional space. Our volunteers were wonderful at helping every problem find its solution.

They also helped every child find a story. The kids were hungry for books and interesting conversation. We all want to go back soon and hope that next time you can join us, because IBBY people can really change the world with a book.

For more information or to make a contribution, please contact ibbyitalia@gmail.com or soria.deb@gmail.com.

– Deborah Soria, IBBY Italia
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Camp Lampedusa d’IBBY Italia

Des campeurs écoutent Mariella Bertelli lisant une histoire au Camp Lampedusa
Des campeurs écoutent Mariella Bertelli lisant une histoire au Camp Lampedusa

L’île de Lampedusa est située dans la Méditerranée à l’extrême sud de la péninsule italienne. Elle est connue comme une « île servant de pont » où les populations et les animaux migrant se reposent de leur long périple en allant et en revenant du continent européen. À cause de son éloignement, l’histoire de l’île a connu de longues périodes d’isolement et de pauvreté.

Prenant conscience qu’il y avait plus de 600 enfants y vivant avec peu de livres, IBBY Italia a organisé un camp d’été du 22 au 29 juin 2013. IBBY Italia a travaillé avec des enseignants, les enfants et une équipe de quinze bénévoles, parmi lesquels Mariella Bertelli du Canada. Une série de programmes et de présentations de livres ont été préparé sur l’île pour les enfants. Ce camp s’inscrivait dans le projet des livres sans parole qui vise la création d’une bibliothèque sur Lampedusa en septembre 2013.

La première chose que nous devions faire était d’enseigner un nouveau mot aux enfants : bibliothèque. C’était intéressant d’observer les enfants apprendre ce nouveau concept : un lieu où vous pouvez venir et découvrir des livres. En soirée, nous faisions des présentations des livres offerts par IBBY dans les rues afin que les enfants puissent les regarder et écouter des histoires lues à voix haute.

Comme avec n’importe quel nouveau projet, nous avons fait face à des défis; parmi lesquels rénover les toilettes de la nouvelle bibliothèque et faire construire des meubles afin que la bibliothèque soit un lieu moderne et fonctionnel. Nos bénévoles ont été merveilleux en aidant à trouver une solution pour chaque problème.

Les bénévoles ont également aidé chaque enfant à trouver une histoire. Les enfants étaient avides de livres et de discussions intéressantes. Nous voulons tous y retourner bientôt et nous espérons que vous vous joindrez à nous car les membres d’IBBY peuvent vraiment changer le monde avec un livre.

Pour plus d’informations ou pour faire une contribution, veuillez contacter : ibbyitalia@gmail.com ou soria.deb@gmail.com.

– Deborah Soria, IBBY Italia

Traduction : Josiane Polidori
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Patsy Aldana’s International Imprint in China

Patsy Aldana
Li Xueqian and Patsy Aldana in CCPPG’s children’s bookstore in Beijing, December 2012 / Courtesy Patsy Aldana

Patsy Aldana, president of the IBBY Foundation and former publisher of Groundwood Books, will head an international imprint with China Children’s Press and Publication Group (CCPPG). Beginning in September 2013, this groundbreaking collaboration is designed to bring the very best children’s books from around the world to Chinese children.

Li Xueqian, president of CCPPG, stated that he is “delighted by this new undertaking. The purpose of the cooperation between us is to take CCPPG to the international market and introduce the world to Chinese kids.” In July, Mr. Li Xueqian also became the president of CBBY (Chinese Board on Books for Young People, the Chinese national section of IBBY).

Patsy Aldana added, “I am honoured and excited by this opportunity to bring the very best of the world to Chinese children. My career as a publisher and in IBBY has been dedicated to the idea that children everywhere need books that are mirrors and books that are windows.”

CCPPG is the largest and most influential children’s publisher in China. Its widely circulated journals for teens and children include the China Teenage Newspaper, Pre-school Pictorial, We Love Science, and Children’s Literature. In addition, they publish over 400 new books each year from some of the country’s best known authors for young people.

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Communication-Jeunesse Unveils 2012­–2013 Honour List

IBBY Canada’s partner in Quebec, Communication-Jeunesse, has revealed its honour list, known as the Palmarès Communication-Jeunesse des livres préférés des jeunes 2012–2013. Young readers from across the country made the final selection of the best French-language books in Canada.

To view the full honour list, please visit the Communication-Jeunesse website.

For more information, please contact Anne-Marie Fortin.

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Palmarès Communication-Jeunesse des livres préférés des jeunes 2012–2013

Le 7 juin, Communication-Jeunesse, une organisation vouée à la promotion de la littérature québécoise et canadienne-française pour la jeunesse, a dévoilé le Palmarès Communication-Jeunesse des livres préférés des jeunes 2012-2013. Grâce à un vote pan-canadien, les jeunes ont ainsi récompensé leur livres favoris parmi une sélection proposée par Communication-Jeunesse.

Pour consulter la liste complète des ouvrages lauréats, visitez le site Internet de Communication-Jeunesse.

Pour plus d’informations, contactez Anne-Marie Fortin.

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CANSCAIP Spotlight: Sharon E. McKay

Young adult author Sharon E. McKay
Young adult author Sharon E. McKay

Introduction

Sharon E. McKay, both a CANSCAIP and IBBY member, resides in Prince Edward Island. She doesn’t shy away from tackling difficult and controversial topics, which have taken her to war-driven countries to do research on her young adult books. She has earned close to 20 awards, including the Arthur Ellis Award, the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, and the IODE’s Violet Downey Book Award.

No stranger to IBBY, Sharon’s Thunder Over Kandahar (Annick Press, 2010) made the 2011 United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Honour List and Charlie Wilcox (Stoddart Kids, 2000) made the 2002 IBBY Honour List.

Q: Tell us your experiences with IBBY when your books landed on the Honour Lists.

A: It is a huge honour to be included on the IBBY list. IBBY has such a rich history. Founded in Zurich, it’s composed of more than 70 worldwide groups. How many times have we all been frustrated while standing in front of the book sections in Canadian bookstores only to see row after row of stories imported from the US? American books should be on our bookstore shelves, but where are we on the shelves? Where is Europe? Where is Africa? South America? Not only does IBBY introduce us to the world, but the world to us!

Q:  How have you evolved as a writer from your first non-fiction books, such as Kick the Can and Chalk Around the Block, to your current themes about political hotspots?

A: I loved “packaging” books, but it was time to move on. I wrote Charlie Wilcox (set during World War I) and didn’t look back. I learned how to write violence for the YA market without dumbing down history or putting teacher librarians in the hot seat. It takes practice.

Q: What attracts and compels you to write about human rights stories?

A:  If I could, I’d write about poodles. Poodles don’t carry big guns and can’t write reviews. Maybe I’d write a blockbuster. I can’t do sex. I can’t even do a decent kiss. I start to giggle.

Q: What was the impact on your writing ever since becoming not only a war artist in the Canadian Forces Artist Program (CFAP-vet) but the first author to participate?

A: I have tried to get writers to look into this program. It began, under different names, after World War I. It is a venerable institution that has nothing to do with the glory of war and everything to do with the waste and sadness of war. I have known about it since I was 12 years old. What I know for sure: I would make a terrible soldier. I can’t take orders and I can’t keep my mouth shut. “Loose lips sink ships.” I’d get everyone killed.

Q: What was it like writing books for the Our Canadian Girl series published by Penguin Canada about Penelope, a fictional girl who lived through the Halifax Explosion of 1917? Do you think it was a good vehicle to teach young readers about Canadian history?

A: Fact-based fiction only works if the facts are NOT tinkered with. Too many books play fast and loose with facts. Children and teachers use our books in the classroom. Anyone who attempts this genre MUST do original research. It is amazing how the wrong information just keeps getting passed down. Go to the source.

Q: What’s a nice gentile girl like you doing writing Jewish-themed stories? How did you get started?

A: I got stuck. I was a volunteer on the Christian Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Board (say that ten times fast!) for a decade and a half, and one thing led to another, and one book to another, and getting off the track proved challenging. Along the way I took online courses at Yad Vashem in Israel, and well, here I am.

Q:  Your YA book Enemy Territory is the winner of the 2013 Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award for Children and Youth Literature.  Why do you think this book was so well received?

A: I have no idea. It was hell to write. I kept going at it because of Rick Wilks, director of Annick Press, and I had spent the advance money. I just had to finish it. To those who have “writer’s block,” I suggest they do the same. Returning money is way harder than spending it.

Q: In the Whispers series you collaborated with Kathy Kacer. This was a different approach for you.  Talk about the process.

A: Kathy and I are an odd couple. I love the telephone, and Kathy hates it. I could chat all day, and Kathy likes to get to the point. I send one sentence emails (and dozens of them), and Kathy writes long emails. She is a strong, steady, talented writer with her feet rooted in the ground. My head is in the clouds. It’s a miracle, but we work well together.

Q: Describe the challenges as a writer presenting the stories for the Whispers series using different formats including a play and poetry.

A:  Kathy and I listened to the Holocaust survivors. Their stories told us how to write them. I was honoured to have met so many survivors, listened to them, and be trusted to write them down.

War Brothers: The Graphic Novel by Sharon McKay, illustrated by Daniel Lafrance (Annick Press, 2013)
War Brothers: The Graphic Novel by Sharon E. McKay, illustrated by Daniel Lafrance (Annick Press, 2013)

Q: War Brothers is a story of abduction in Uganda to make children into soldiers and slaves. What made you turn this award-winning book into a graphic novel?  What was the process like, and did you work closely with the illustrator?

A: Easy peasy. Dan Lafrance is a brilliant and gifted artist. How could I not do a graphic novel with this man? (His wife is very cool, too.)

Q: While interviewing and researching in Afghanistan did you have any frightening experiences? For example, when you went to the school where the kidnapping took place or when you went to the bush to take photos, did you feel like you were in danger? How did you override your fears?

A: I had my moments—­­Kabul is not for sissies, but neither was Belfast in the 70s, Northern Uganda when Kony was still floating around, or the West Bank at night. Don’t make too much of this. Do not make me into a hero. I have met heroes. Two were young, tall, gorgeous morticians at Kandahar Airfields. Don’t get me started.

I get on a plane, get my story, find great sources (to fact check and back check), and come home. I’m not a complete idiot, but I have been lucky a few times. I’m 60. I am frightened on occasion, but sitting in the nursing home talking to my bunny slippers with my dress tucked into my underpants is pretty scary, too.

Q: Do you think that your presentations in schools teach or encourage students to take action and help children in war-driven countries?

A: I find that whole notion of creating a generation of mini non-governmental organizations (NGOs) out to save the world unappealing, to say the least. I dislike the idea of saying, in word or action, “See how lucky you are to be born in Canada.” Which child has come to school hungry? How many are abused? Is there a child who is ill? Is he or she losing a parent to cancer? Which child is being bullied?

On the other end, the idea that “we are the lucky ones” presupposes that a poor child in Africa is not happy. Really? Are we so sure about that? Do laptops and iPhones make children happy? I believe sincerely in the quote by George R.R. Martin, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”

I want readers to live the lives of the characters. I do not want them to feel more blessed, luckier, or superior. All I ask is understanding and maybe compassion. No need to feel guilty or send money.

Q: Why did you recently fly back to Afghanistan? Are you writing a sequel to your other books, or are you jumping into a new story?

A: New story. Thunder Over Kandahar has been optioned for a movie. It is a book-on-tape (Random House) and will be a graphic novel.

The next big project, with Annick, will address the hardest topic of my life. This is it—I fall on the sword over this one. I can’t get this one wrong. And yep, it has to stay under wraps.

I’d like to retire before I make a complete jackass of myself. I have trust in my editors (Barbara Berson and Catherine Marjoribanks) that they will take away my pen/keyboard when the time is right.

Q: Let’s time travel to the future. What advice would you give other writers?  What do you hope that you will have accomplished as a writer looking back at your career?

A: What do you care about? If you have one foot on a banana peel and the other over an open pit, would you care about how much money you made or the size of your house? If you are in it for the money, you are an idiot. (Think of your comeback line to, “Bet you wish you were J.K. Rowling.” We should make that a contest. “Bet you wish that you were Bill Gates” is too easy.)

In Thunder Over Kandahar, Yasmine’s father says, “without our artists and storytellers, we have no history, and without history our future is unmoored—we drift. It is art, never war, that carries culture forward.”

At the risk of sounding ridiculous, it is a privilege to be published. It is a huge privilege to be part of (in a small way) “moving our culture forward.”

Oh, and forget this thing about “write what you know.” Who made that up? Write what you want to know. Rewrite. Check it. Write it again. And dear God, read. I know writers who do not read. Baffling.

What do I want to accomplish? Books go out-of-print. No one will be reading War Brothers in a hundred years. Heck, ten years would be a great run. I care about my friends. I care about what my children remember and what my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren think. Imagine a great-great grandchild saying, “My great-great-grandma was a writer and she wrote about . . .”

Conclusion

Sharon E. McKay’s children’s books stand out because of the intense research that makes the stories so strong, accurate, and current. Not many writers take on a journalistic approach like Sharon, who travels to dangerous, war-driven countries to interview and discover the truth from the people living there. She has the talent of putting the facts into a voice that connects so powerfully with children. Her stories are filled with empathy, tension, and adventure. What more could you ask for in a book? Sharon E. McKay’s life is an adventure, and she takes the readers along for the ride.

– Debbie Spring, Liaison CANSCAIP

Debbie Spring is the author of eight children’s books, including The Kayak (Thistledown Press, 2010) and Screwed (Solstice Publishing, 2012), which has been optioned for film.
Debbie Spring is the author of eight children’s books, including The Kayak (Thistledown Press, 2010) and Screwed (Solstice Publishing, 2012), which has been optioned for film.

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Ilustrarte 2014: Call for Submissions

Ilustrarte14

Attention all illustrators! Submissions are now being accepted for the Ilustrarte 2014 exhibition, which will be held at the Museum of Electricity in Lisbon, Portugal. This biennial competition aims to promote children’s book illustration as an art form and to showcase the world’s best illustration all in one place!

The grand winner is awarded EUR 5000 and is selected by a jury of illustrators, designers, art directors, and editors.

To enter, submit the entry form with three original illustrations (unpublished or published after January 1, 2011) by September 30, 2013. Full regulations and guidelines can be found here on the Ilustrarte website.

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Ilustrarte 2014 : Appel de soumissions

À l’attention des illustrateurs et des illustratrices : des soumissions sont maintenant à l’appel pour l’exposition Ilustrarte 2014 qui se passera au Musée de l’électricité à Lisbon en Portugal. Cette compétition biennale vise à promouvoir les illustrations des livres jeunesse comme forme d’art et à étaler les meilleures illustrations du monde dans un seul endroit!

Le/la lauréat(e) gagnera EUR 5000 et sera choisi(e) par un jury composé d’illustrateurs, de dessinateurs, de directeurs artistiques et de réviseurs.

Pour soumettre, veuillez remplir la formulaire d’inscription et l’envoyer avec trois illustrations originelles (soit inédites, soit publiées après le 1 janvier 2011) d’ici le 30 septembre 2013. Tous les règles et les normes se trouvent sur le site Web d’Ilustrarte.

Traduction : Todd Kyle
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Job Alert: Bookbird Editor

Bookbird Inc. is seeking an editor or editorial team for Bookbird: A Journal of International Children’s Literature, a refereed journal published quarterly by IBBY and distributed by Johns Hopkins University Press.

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious and creative person with a strong interest in international children’s literature to acquire invaluable experience. This is a part-time position with modest remuneration. The editor(s) work from their own homes or offices and may be based in any country. Applicants are expected to be familiar with Bookbird and with the aims of IBBY.

The application deadline is August 21, 2013. Interviews for the post are likely to be conducted by Skype or telephone with a possible follow-up interview in person.

For more information about the position and how to apply, please see the full job posting here.

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Limited Edition Prints from IBBY Australia

Shaun Tan, Story Furnace, Giclee print from original Gouache on paper, 210 mm x 270 mm, $150 plus shipping
Shaun Tan, Story Furnace, Giclee print from original Gouache on paper, 210 mm x 270 mm, $150 plus shipping
Bob Graham, original Giclee print created for IBBY Australia, 545 mm x 429 mm, $175 plus shipping
Bob Graham, original Giclee print created for IBBY Australia, 545 mm x 429 mm, $175 plus shipping

IBBY Australia has made a selection of limited edition prints by Shaun Tam and Bob Graham available for purchase. Both artists have been previously nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition given to an author or illustrator of children’s books.

For more information or to place an order, please contact Tina Price.

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Calling All IBBY Canada Members!

This year is IBBY’s 60th anniversary. One way to celebrate is to help increase our membership here in Canada. I challenge each IBBY Canada member to bring in one new member by the end of 2013. Finding a new member can be as simple as sending an email or posting to Facebook to let your contacts know about the important work being done by IBBY Canada and why you’ve decided to support the organization. You can even link to the membership page on our website to let people know how they can lend their support.

If you accept this membership challenge, let us know by sending an email to newsletter@ibby-canada.org.

– Theo Heras, Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award Chair
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Upcoming Events

September 22, 2013: Stop by to say hello at the IBBY Canada booth on Literacy Lane at your local Word on the Street. Toronto: Queen’s Park, 11 a.m.­–6 p.m. Halifax: Waterfront (near the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic), 11 a.m.­–5 p.m.

October 1, 2013: Join us as we celebrate the launch of the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program with recipient Martha Newbigging. Northern District Branch, Toronto Public Library (40 Orchard View Blvd., Room 224, Toronto, 6:30­–8 p.m.)

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IBBY Canada Newsletter

Editor: Katie Scott
Copy editor: Meghan Howe
Proofreader: Magdalen Lau
Formatter: Camilia Kahrizi
Banner design: Martha Newbigging
French translation: Shannon Babcock, Susan Duchesne, Todd Kyle, and Josiane Polidori

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