This spring edition of the newsletter is brimming with news, including a tribute to legendary children’s book publisher May Cutler, international and national awards announcements from the AGM, and our first news tip from a reader (thanks Linda!):
Michelle Mulder’s book After Peaches was shortlisted for both the Chocolate Lily Award and the Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize, and she was selected to tour for TD Book Week 2011. Michelle was awarded the Frances E. Russell Grant in 2006 for her work and research for After Peaches.
IBBY Canada Makes Plans for 2011
The 2011 IBBY Canada executive is still riding off of the great energy from our annual general meeting. Thanks to those of you who made it to the February event, where we fêted IBBY Past President and Groundwood publisher Patsy Aldana, welcomed two new members to the executive—Jane Baskwill, Councillor-East, and Susane Duchesne, Vice-President—and discussed ongoing projects.
IBBY Canada President Patricia Ocampo (left) and Vice-President Susane Duchesne (right)
Perhaps most important, we realized the need for a fundraising committee to ensure IBBY Canada remains a viable organization. The committee will meet in May to start planning ways to bring in more resources so we can continue to carry out our mission of promoting quality Canadian children’s literature at home and on the international stage as well as supporting initiatives like the Children in Crisis Fund.
You can keep up with IBBY Canada’s fundraising efforts and other news by bookmarking the news page on our website, liking our Facebook page, or following us on Twitter. And remember that every little bit counts! Consider donating to IBBY Canada for birthday, anniversary, teacher, or holiday gifts. You can even designate how your money should be used—toward IBBY’s general operations, the Children in Crisis Fund, or the Solidarity Fund. Click here to find out more.
Thanks for your continued support of IBBY Canada! We look forward to seeing you at our events across the nation in 2011.
Le comité exécutif de 2011 d’IBBY Canada demeure inspiré par l’énergie de l’assemblée générale annuelle. Merci à ceux qui ont participé à l’événement de février, où nous avons fêté Patsy Aldana présidente sortante et éditrice de Groundwood Books, souhaité la bienvenue à deux nouveaux membres de l’exécutif-Jane Baskwill, Conseiller-Est, et à Susane Duchesne, Vice-Présidente- et discuté des projets en cours.
La formation d’un comité de collecte de fonds afin d’assurer la viabilité d’IBBY Canada nous est apparue nécessaire. Ce comité se réunira en mai pour commencer sa planification afin de continuer notre mission de promotion de la littérature jeunesse canadienne de qualité à la maison et à l’international autant que les initiatives de soutien tel que le fondChildren in Crisis.
Vous pouvez suivre les efforts de collecte de fonds d’IBBY Canada et d’autres nouvelles en ajoutant dans vos signets la page de news page sur notre site Web, en visitant notre page Facebook, ou en nous suivant sur Twitter. Et rappelez-vous que chaque petit geste compte! Envisagez de donner à IBBY Canada pour la fête, l’anniversaire, le professeur, ou les cadeaux des fêtes. Vous pouvez même indiquer comment votre argent devrait être utilisé: vers les opérations générales d’IBBY; le fond Children in Crisis; ou les fonds de solidarité. Cliquez ici pour en savoir davantage.
Merci de votre appui continu à IBBY Canada! Nous attendons avec intérêt de vous rencontrer à nos événements à travers le pays en 2011.
As I still am quite new to this position, I have been using this initial “breaking-in” period to make and meet with contacts in the Atlantic region.
I have also been making great use of the IBBY bookmarks I was sent, leaving them with school librarians when I visit schools as part of the Nova Scotia Writers in the Schools Program.
I am also planning information sessions in the fall for students at Mount Saint Vincent University, in particular with students in English and Education. I hope these sessions can also be offered to other universities. I am looking into the possibility of using E-luminate or Skype to reach groups outside of Nova Scotia.
Après plus de trois ans comme conseillère-Québec, ne pouvant plus m’investir comme avant, j’ai par un petit matin d’hiver décidé qu’il était temps que je cède ma place à quelqu’un d’autre. Pour assurer une continuité, dynamiser, partager, construire, rendre ce pont qui unit les canadiens francophones et anglophones intéressés par les livres et les enfants moins étroit et moins long, mais plus solide et plus haut.
Ce que je retiens d’abord et avant tout de mon implication auprès d’IBBY, ce sont tous les gens rencontrés, qui y croient avec force, s’investissent avec générosité: «Passeurs, ce n’est pas une fonction mais c’est un peu plus qu’un rôle. C’est une manière d’être, une immersion dans la vie.»
(Expression de Daniel Pennac, cité par N. Dounikian, F. Foulquier et D. Macé. 2002. Entre l’intime et le social, l’empreinte des mots et des images, La littérature dès l’alphabet, o.d. par Henriette Zoughebi, Gallimard Jeunesse: 119.)
Merci et au revoir!
-Pascale Grenier
Conseillère-Québec 2008-2011 back to top
Spring can’t seem to start here in Toronto, but I’ve somehow managed to clear the cobwebs, feel refreshed, and find some enthusiasm. In fact, I find spring so refreshing that this is the time of year when I resolve to do things a little differently.
For starters, I’m connecting and reconnecting with people I know and talking up IBBY Canada as often as possible. I’ve been shy to pitch IBBY to people in the past, but I know so many people in the children’s book business that it seems like a no-brainer. So my spring resolution is to tell people about IBBY. I’m going to tell them who we are and what we do and how they can help. We do wonderful things and people will help, but first they need to know that we exist. I have already put this resolution into effect and I was amazed to discover that a few colleagues (who had never heard of IBBY) were only too happy to check out our website and offer up their time for future events! Why haven’t I done this before?!
I’ve also joined our newly minted fundraising committee and I can’t wait to get started. I know that we’ll come up with some great ways to raise money in the name of IBBY.
Finally, I was flattered and a little overwhelmed when our fine President asked if I was willing to design the dossier for our Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nomination this year. Of course I said, YES! As I type this report, the documents are open on my screen and I’m doing my best to make this dossier a winner for our beloved Jean Little.
Here’s to another great year. Happy Spring, IBBY Canada!
I just returned from a short but interesting trip to Mexico where I helped raise awareness of IBBY. It wasn’t long ago that I received an email from a lady in Texas who had come across my book, My Librarian is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World. She wrote to me because she was in the final stages of building a small library in a Mayan village in Mexico and invited me to come read books to the children during the opening of this new building.
Biblioteca Del Sol, Chumpon, Mexico
Originally from Texas, Larka spends part of the year on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, just south of Cancun. During her travels she came across a small jungle village where the children speak Mayan at home but are taught in Mexican. The Mexican government supplies each student with one textbook per year but it is in Mayan, a language they speak but cannot read. The small school had no other teaching resources and is very poor.
Together with a group of American and Canadian snowbirds, she decided to fundraise and build a library for the school. Now, three years later, the group of men and women in their sixties and seventies has not only raised money but cleared rocks, mixed concrete, bought stones, and built a small white building with beautiful bookshelves and furniture made of wood from the nearby jungle.
The shelves still need stocking. They can use donations of Spanish books.
It was a privilege to be present when they officially opened the building. The kids were so excited—they stormed into the building and couldn’t wait to finally have books at their fingertips. I read some of my books to the children through a translator. I also left IBBY bookmarks and encouraged them to contact IBBY Mexico.
The children loved my new book: Amazing Animals (Tundra)
Members old and new gathered on February 26, 2011 at the historic Runnymede Branch of the Toronto Public Library. With the help of liberal spoonsful of honey, President Patricia Ocampo nobly battled strep throat to chair her first IBBY Canada AGM.
It was a pleasure to meet Susane Duchesne, our new Vice-President. We also welcomed the opportunity to honour Patsy Aldana, former IBBY President, on her appointment to the Order of Canada. We regret that several of our out-of-province Executive Committee members could not attend the AGM, as we were unable to underwrite their travel expenses this year. (Fortunately, they joined us via Skype the following day for the first meeting of our 2011 Executive Committee.)
Former IBBY President Patsy Aldana
Reports shared at the AGM highlighted a year of positive change and ongoing challenges. In the international arena, IBBY Canada’s nominee, the Osu Children’s Library Fund, was co-winner of the 2010 IBBY-Asahi Award, presented at the Congress in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Canadians contributed generously to IBBY’s Children in Crisis Fund to assist bibliotherapy projects, particularly in disaster areas.
To celebrate our 30th anniversary and to attract new members, we launched a colourful new logo, a redesigned website and a reformatted quarterly newsletter. To deal with the past two years in which we needed to draw on our mutual fund for bridge financing, the Executive Committee has taken strong measures to cut costs—and enlists all members’ support in creating fundraising opportunities.
IBBY Canada Treasurer Yvette Ghione presents the financial report.
We launched into 2011 with a new look and renewed resolve.
IBBY Canada is pleased to announce that children’s author Tim Wynne-Jones and illustrator Stéphane Jorisch are Canada’s nominees for the 2012 international Hans Christian Andersen Awards.
The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are internationally recognized as the highest honour for children’s authors and illustrators. IBBY Canada is the only Canadian nominating body for these prestigious awards. It is crucial that, as Canadians, we promote and celebrate the best of our children’s authors and illustrators by nominating them for the Andersen Awards.
We need your help to finance the nomination process. A portfolio and copies of each nominee’s work are sent to jury members worldwide, underlining the truly international nature of the awards. The distant and varied locations of jury members make mail and courier costs very expensive. In 2009, it cost over $2500 to nominate Brian Doyle and Marie-Louise Gay for the 2010 Andersen Awards.
Please help us pay for the costs associated with the Andersen Award by making a donation. You can donate via the IBBY Canada website by clicking on the “Donate Now” button at the bottom left. Please include a message saying that you would like the money to go to the Andersen Awards. Alternatively, you can send a cheque payable to IBBY Canada, c/o The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, 217 – 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1B9.
IBBY Canada’s nomination package for Jean Little, for the 2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is on its way to Sweden.
Jean Little is one of Canada’s most prolific and beloved writers for young people. Blind since birth, she has inspired hundreds of thousands through her life and through her body of work which will soon reach fifty titles, including memoir, fiction, poetry and picture books, all of it for young readers. Her first book was published half a century ago and remains in print today, and it and dozens of others have been translated into many languages, reaching children around the world. Little has received numerous awards and honours for her outstanding contribution to young people’s literature.
For more information about the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, please click here.
IBBY Canada is pleased to announce that illustrator Julie Flett is the winner of the 2010 IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award for Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: L’Alfabet di Michif / Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet, published by Simply Read Books. The $1000 award will be presented to Julie Flett at the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable’s Illustrator’s Breakfast on October 15, 2011.
Jury’s comments:
Flett’s sparse use of colour and her magnificent use of white space evoke a silent, majestic landscape. Every image reflects the context of the word beautifully: large black silhouettes amid shards of grass for Buffalo; an otter swimming down to a small, red school of fish hiding behind reeds for Water (Diloo). The prairie wind is evoked in the blowing hair of the girl; bears, rabbits, ants poke their heads out from behind silhouetted trees; sheaves of wheat and willows. Flett has breathed new life into some of the most archetypal Canadian images. Each page could be framed and hung!
My third year as Chair of the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award has come and gone, and once again I had the privilege of perusing the outstanding, imaginative work of Canadian illustrators. In the past years, it had been relatively easy to narrow down the shortlist and proportionately difficult to choose an ultimate winner. This year turned out to be the opposite. There were so many innovative, superlative submissions we had a hard time narrowing it down to three titles. Once we did manage it however, the jury was unanimous.
The Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award jury was made up of Lina Gordaneer, a Montreal librarian; Brianne Grant, MA in Children’s Literature candidate; and Susane Duchesne, IBBY Canada Vice-President and Responsable du secteur jeunesse, Librairie Monet.
The IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award, established in 1985, honours the name and talent of one of Canada’s pre-eminent book illustrators. Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver left funds in her will to annually recognize outstanding artistic talent in Canadian picture books; the recipient receives $1000.
-Lina Gordaneer
Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award Chair back to top
IBBY Canada est heureux d’annoncer que l’illustratrice Julie Flett est la gagnante du prix IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver 2010 pour Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: L’Alfabet di Michif / Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet, publié par Simply Read Books. Ce prix d’un montant de 1000 $ sera remis à Julie Flett lors du déjeuner du Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable le 15 octobre, 2011.
Les commentaires du jury composé de Lina Gordaneer, une bibliothécaire jeunesse de Montréal; Brianne Grant étudiante à la maîtrise en littérature pour la jeunesse; et Susane Duchesne, vice-présidente d’IBBY Canada et responsable du secteur jeunesse de la Librairie Monet à Montréal:
« L’utilisation clairsemée de la couleur et son utilisation magnifique de blanc évoquent un paysage silencieux,majestueux. Chaque image reflète soigneusement le contexte du mot : grandes silhouettes noires au milieu d’éclats d’herbe pour les bisons; loutre qui nage jusqu’à un banc de poissons rouges se cachant derrière des roseaux (Diloo); vent des prairies évoqué par les cheveux flottant de la jeune fille; ours, lapins, fourmis sortant la tête derrière les silhouettes des arbres; gerbes de blé et saules. Flett a insufflé une nouvelle vie aux images les plus symboliques du Canada. Chaque page mériterait d’être encadrée! »
Ma troisième année à titre de présidente du prix Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver est déjà terminée, et encore une fois j’ai eu le privilège de parcourir le travail exceptionnel et imaginatif des illustrateurs canadiens. Ces dernières années, il avait été relativement facile de restreindre la liste et proportionnellement difficile de choisir un vainqueur final. Cette année, s’est avérée complètement différente. Il y avait tellement d’originalité novatrice dans les soumissions que nous avons eu du mal réduire la liste à trois titres. Une fois cette étape franchie, le jury a été unanime.
Le prix IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award, créé en 1985, vise à reconnaître le talent artistique exceptionnel d’un illustrateur canadien de livres pour enfants publié en anglais ou en français. Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver laisse dans son testament des fonds pour la remise annuelle d’un prix visant à reconnaître les qualités artistiques d’un ouvrage illustré pour la jeunesse au Canada; le destinataire reçoit 1000 $.
– Lina Gordaneer
Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award Chair Traduction: Susane Duchesne back to top
You may have noticed the lack of trumpets last summer when we normally would have announced the winner of the Frances E. Russell Grant. Unfortunately, there was a dearth of eligible candidates, and of the few viable applications, none met the criteria to the standards befitting a winner.
We are hoping for more applications this year so there is a greater chance of finding a worthy recipient of the 2010-2011 grant. If your work fits the criteria or you know someone who might be eligible but you have missed the recent May 1 deadline, please contact Russell Grant Chair Deirdre Baker to discuss possible consideration.
Since May’s death earlier this year at 87, a ripe old age by any standard, I have been ruminating on her impact—not just in my life but in her impressive contribution to Canadian children’s book publishing. Like many, I owe my career to May. Her delight in original work and the creative process has stuck with me over these twenty odd years.
I arrived at Tundra in 1989 just after the death of Dayal Kaur Khalsa, a brilliant writer and artist who made a huge contribution in her many books, all with the young protagonist named May. No wonder Dayal honoured her publisher; May was passionate about art, books, creators, and originality.
How to describe May at work? She was elegant and interesting just to look at with those twinkling blue eyes. Her varied life experiences seemed to permeate all discussions about books, theatre, and film. Culture and May were intertwined.
May was a force of nature—in person, in meetings with authors, and in her dealings with publishing colleagues, especially at the Canada Council. She took on things directly, be they issues or people.
There are so many stories, as expected at a publishing house, but it was the creators who took centre stage. The arrival of an author was an event. Work would stop, we would gather in May’s office and watch the unveiling of a portfolio case and the art within. Gasps of delight and a true sharing of the work before us, which would soon be transformed into a book for others also to enjoy. Whomever the artist, May ensured it was an occasion.
May was a great one for adding spice to the day. So often, the door would open and she’d say, “Hello, everyone, I’ve brought North African donuts!” or some other treat. What a way to guarantee attention.
May said our work was all about the books. I have since realized the truth of her comment. Our work as publishers is only there because of the creativity of others. May impressed the importance of our part in making the book the best it could be. People come and go but the book remains. Her attention to detail to publishing “children’s books as works of art” truly followed that maxim.
Those of us who had the pleasure of working with May will remember her energy and her boundless enthusiasm for something unique. She had a quick tongue at times but she didn’t hold a grudge. She had integrity and let you know exactly where she stood on any issue. Even at the last IBBY Congress in Santiago, I met publishers who asked about her and said they had bought rights to a Kurelek book. Like so many, I share the view that we are the lucky ones to have been somewhere in her circle for a part of life.
Cheers, May—you certainly used your powers for good.
-Catherine Mitchell The Cutler family has established an arts fund to help sponsor various projects, including the creation of an international sculpture garden in Montreal, a dream of May’s. To contribute, please send a cheque to the “May Cutler Arts Fund”, P.O. Box 122 Station Victoria, Westmount, Quebec, H3Z 2V4. back to top
Depuis la mort récente de May Cutler à l’âge vénérable de 87 ans, j’ai réfléchi longuement à son impact non seulement dans ma vie mais aussi à sa contribution incroyable à l’édition du livre pour enfants au Canada. Comme pour plusieurs d’entre nous, je dois ma carrière à May. Son enthousiasme pour les œuvres originales et pour le processus de création sont restés présents avec moi depuis plus de vingt ans.
J’ai commencé à travailler à Livres Toundra en 1989 juste après la mort de Dayal Kaur Khalsa, une écriavine douée et une illustratrice qui a fait une contribution artistique immense grâce à ses nombreux livres dont le personnage principal se nommait May. Il n’est pas étonnant que Dayal ait voulu ainsi honorer son éditrice, May était passionnée par l’art, par les livres, par leurs créateurs et par l’originalité.
Comment décrire May au travail? Elle était élégante et si intéressante à observer avec ses yeux bleus pétillants. Son expérience de vie si variée semblait s’immiscer dans toutes ses discussions sur les livres, sur le théâtre ou sur le cinéma. La vie de May était pétrie de culture.
May était une force de la nature; autant en personne, pendant les réunions avec les auteurs; que dans ses démarches avec ses collègues éditeurs et particulièrement avec le Conseil des Arts du Canada. Elle s’impliquait directement avec les problèmes ou avec les individus.
Il y a tellement d’histoires, c’est évident dans une maison d’édition; cependant c’était toujours les créateurs qui tenaient la vedette. L’arrivée d’un auteur ou illustrateur était un événement. Le travail s’arrêtait, nous nous retrouvions dans le bureau de May et nous observions le dévoilement d’un portfolio refermant des œuvres d’art. Nous avions le souffle coupé et nous partagions réellement le plaisir de voir des œuvres qui bientôt seraient transformées en livres pouvant être admirés par tous. Quelque soit l’artiste présent, May s’assurait d’en faire une fête.
May ajoutait du piquant à la vie de chaque jour. Très souvent, la porte s’ouvrait et elle annonçait: «Bonjour tout le monde, j’ai acheté des beignets d’Afrique du Nord» ou quelque autre gourmandise. Quelle façon d’obtenir notre attention.
May disait que les livres étaient ce qui importait dans notre travail. J’ai depuis compris la vérité de son message. Notre travail d’éditeur existait grâce à la créativité des autres. May insistait pour que le livre publié soit le meilleur possible. Les personnes pouvaient partir mais le livre restait. Son attention aux détails pour publier «des livres d’enfants comme des œuvres d’art» suivait véritablement cette maxime.
Ceux d’entre nous qui avons eu le plaisir de travailler avec May se souviennent de son énergie et de son enthousiasme sans borne pour tout ce qui était original. Elle avait la réplique facile mais ne tenait pas rancune. Elle possédait une grande intégrité et vous informait de son point de vue sur chaque sujet. Lors du congrès IBBY à Santiago, j’ai rencontré des éditeurs qui m’ont demandé de ses nouvelles, ils avaient acheté les droits d’un livre de William Kurelek. Comme plusieurs, je m’estime privilégiée d’avoir fait partie de son cercle pendant une partie de sa vie.
Tous mes souhaits May, tu as utilisé tes talents pour faire du bien.
-Catherine Mitchell Traduction: Josiane Polidori La famille Cutler a établi une fondation pour les arts qui va subventionner des projets divers parmi lesquels un jardin de sculpture à Montréal, un rêve de May. Pour y contribuer, faire parvenir un chèque à: «May Cutler Arts Fund», B. P 122, Station Victoria, Westmount, QC, H3Z 2V4 back to top
In 1982, the Frances E. Russell Award was established by the late Marjorie Russell, in memory of her sister, a long-time supporter of IBBY Canada. Since then, twenty-five scholars, professors, and writers of fiction and non-fiction for young readers have received the award (now called the Frances E. Russell Grant) and published materials “to initiate and encourage research in young people’s literature in all its forms.”
Among the recipients are André Gagnon, Suzanne Pouliot, Sydell Waxman, Dr. Ron A. Jobe, and Professors Judith Saltman (twice) and Gail Edwards. The range of material produced by the Russell Grant creators has included K.V. Johansen’s critical study Beyond Window-Dressing?: Canadian Children’s Fantasy at the Millennium, and Michelle Mulder’s After Peaches, a novel about Mexican migrant workers in British Columbia. Vivian Howard, the most recent Russell Grant winner, utilized her financial support to create a new website, Sea Stacks: Atlantic Canadian Books for Children and Young Adults (1978-2011).
At the 2010 IBBY Canada AGM, member Linda Granfield, a Russell Grant recipient in 1991, introduced an initiative whereby she would collect copies of all the published projects that had resulted from Russell Award/Grant financial aid since 1982. She contacted those authors she could locate (some, sadly, have passed away) and began to receive copies of the books, or photocopies of the original articles that appeared in academic and literary journals. The copies have been signed and donated by the authors and will be given as a gift from the authors and IBBY Canada to the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books at the Lillian H. Smith branch of the Toronto Public Library.
All future recipients of the Frances E. Russell Grant will be asked to donate a copy of their finished “Russell project” to the IBBY Canada/Osborne Collection holdings upon the item’s publication. This initiative provides yet another opportunity for IBBY Canada to exhibit its partnership with other collections and organizations that celebrate the world of Canadian children’s literature.
Please visit the Frances E. Russell Grant page to learn more about the Grant, its past recipients, and the guidelines for application for future projects.
Marion Seary was a bookseller and librarian who spent a lifetime bringing children and good books together. She was a longtime supporter of IBBY Canada. To honour her memory when she died in 2007, Marion’s friends and family prepared a list of “endangered books” to acknowledge significant children’s books that should be kept in print. They also produced a large, colourful poster featuring Marion’s own collage art, created with talent and determination when she had lost most of her sight. The Marion’s Alphabet poster is available at library wholesaler Tinlids showroom in Toronto for $5.00 or from their website for $15.00 (which includes shipping and handling).
We were honoured when Marion’s family and friends directed funds raised in Marion’s memory, to IBBY Canada. Initially, we earmarked these funds to support our applications to sponsor International Children’s Book Day. We submitted strong applications to host ICBD in 2011 and 2012, but have learned that for the foreseeable future, IBBY plans to award ICBD sponsorship to countries which have not yet sponsored this event. (Canada prepared the message and poster in 1990.)
In recent years, we have been working hard to sustain our central activities – our awards and our payment of our international dues to support IBBY’s work with children around the world. We approached Michael Seary to advise him that we felt it best, at this time, to use the funds to support our core programs. Michael generously supported our decision to devote the donated funds to our operating budget. All of our IBBY Canada projects celebrate the power of children’s books in which Marion Seary so passionately believed.
Mark your calendars! The 33rd IBBY Congress will be held August 23-26, 2012 in London, UK. IBBY’s biennial congresses bring together IBBY members and like-minded people involved in children’s books and reading development from all over the world. There are panel discussions, seminars, and workshops on the congress theme, which is Crossing Boundaries: Translations and Migrations. The theme examines how books and stories for children can cross boundaries, countries, and cultures. The issues of globalization, dual-language texts, cultural exchange, and the art of translation will also be explored.
Major international exhibits and presentations will also be featured, including the announcement of the Hans Christian Andersen Awards, the IBBY Honour List, and the IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award.
À vos calendriers! La 33e Congrès de IBBY aura lieu 23 au 26 août 2012 à Londres, Royaume-Uni. Le congrès biennal IBBY réunit les membres d’IBBY et toute autre personne dans le monde qui s’intéresse aux livres pour enfants et au développement de la lecture. Dans le cadre du congrès, vous pourrez assister à des tables rondes, des séminaires et des ateliers sur le thème du congrès, qui est Au-delà des frontières: Traductions et Migrations. Le thème examine la façon dont les livres et les histoires pour enfants peuvent traverser les frontières, les pays et les cultures. Les questions de mondialisation, les textes bilingues, les échanges culturels, et l’art de la traduction seront également explorés.
De grandes expositions internationales et des présentations seront également présentées, y compris l’annonce des Prix Hans Christian Andersen, la Liste d’honneur d’IBBY, et le IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award.
IBBY Canada Executive
President, Patricia Ocampo
Past President, Brenda Halliday
Vice-President, Susane Duchesne
Treasurer, Yvette Ghione
Membership Secretary, Randi Robin
Recording Secretary, Vasso Tassiopoulos
Promotions Officer, Helena Aalto
Liaison CANSCAIP, Debbie Spring
Liaison CCBC, Meghan Howe
Liaison Communication-Jeunesse, Louise Tondreau-Levert
Councillor-West, Margriet Ruurs
Councillor-Quebec, Pascale Grenier
Councillor-Ontario, Kate Newman
Councillor-East, Jane Baskwill
Alberta Chair, Merle Harris
Newsletter Editor, Jessica Fung
Website Chair, Jennifer Dibble
Cuba Twinning Project Chair, Patsy Aldana
Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award Chair, Lina Gordaneer
Frances E. Russell Grant Chair, Deirdre Baker
Hans Christian Andersen Award Chair, Josiane Polidori
IBBY (International) Executive Committee
President, Ahmad Redza Ahmad Khairuddin (Malaysia)
Vice-President, Wally De Doncker (Belgium)
Vice-President, Linda M. Pavonetti (USA)
Executive Director, Liz Page (Switzerland)
Visit www.ibby.org for a full list of the executive
IBBY Canada Newsletter
French Translations by Josiane Polidori and Susane Duchesne
Proofread (English text) by Meghan Howe and Patricia Ocampo
May Newsletter 2011
From the Editor
President’s Report / Rapport du presidente
Regional Report: From the East
Regional Report: Du coté de Québec
Regional Report: From Ontario
Regional Report: From the West
IBBY Canada Annual General Meeting 2011
International Awards:
Help for the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Awards
2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
National Awards:
IBBY Canada Cleaver Picture Book Award to Illustrator Julie Flett / Le prix IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver est décerné à l’illustratice Julie Flett
No 2009-2010 Russell Grant Winner
May Cutler, Force of Nature
May Cutler, une force de la nature
IBBY Canada/Russell Grant Gift For The Osborne Collection
Marion Seary’s Legacy Strengthens IBBY Canada
IBBY Congress: London 2012
Congrès IBBY: Londres 2012
Newsletter Masthead
From the Editor
This spring edition of the newsletter is brimming with news, including a tribute to legendary children’s book publisher May Cutler, international and national awards announcements from the AGM, and our first news tip from a reader (thanks Linda!):
Keep those news tips coming in!
– Jessica Fung
Newsletter Editor
newsletter@ibby-canada.org
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President’s Report
IBBY Canada Makes Plans for 2011
The 2011 IBBY Canada executive is still riding off of the great energy from our annual general meeting. Thanks to those of you who made it to the February event, where we fêted IBBY Past President and Groundwood publisher Patsy Aldana, welcomed two new members to the executive—Jane Baskwill, Councillor-East, and Susane Duchesne, Vice-President—and discussed ongoing projects.
Perhaps most important, we realized the need for a fundraising committee to ensure IBBY Canada remains a viable organization. The committee will meet in May to start planning ways to bring in more resources so we can continue to carry out our mission of promoting quality Canadian children’s literature at home and on the international stage as well as supporting initiatives like the Children in Crisis Fund.
You can keep up with IBBY Canada’s fundraising efforts and other news by bookmarking the news page on our website, liking our Facebook page, or following us on Twitter. And remember that every little bit counts! Consider donating to IBBY Canada for birthday, anniversary, teacher, or holiday gifts. You can even designate how your money should be used—toward IBBY’s general operations, the Children in Crisis Fund, or the Solidarity Fund. Click here to find out more.
Thanks for your continued support of IBBY Canada! We look forward to seeing you at our events across the nation in 2011.
– Patricia Ocampo
President
president@ibby-canada.org
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Rapport du presidente
Le comité exécutif de 2011 d’IBBY Canada demeure inspiré par l’énergie de l’assemblée générale annuelle. Merci à ceux qui ont participé à l’événement de février, où nous avons fêté Patsy Aldana présidente sortante et éditrice de Groundwood Books, souhaité la bienvenue à deux nouveaux membres de l’exécutif-Jane Baskwill, Conseiller-Est, et à Susane Duchesne, Vice-Présidente- et discuté des projets en cours.
La formation d’un comité de collecte de fonds afin d’assurer la viabilité d’IBBY Canada nous est apparue nécessaire. Ce comité se réunira en mai pour commencer sa planification afin de continuer notre mission de promotion de la littérature jeunesse canadienne de qualité à la maison et à l’international autant que les initiatives de soutien tel que le fond Children in Crisis.
Vous pouvez suivre les efforts de collecte de fonds d’IBBY Canada et d’autres nouvelles en ajoutant dans vos signets la page de news page sur notre site Web, en visitant notre page Facebook, ou en nous suivant sur Twitter. Et rappelez-vous que chaque petit geste compte! Envisagez de donner à IBBY Canada pour la fête, l’anniversaire, le professeur, ou les cadeaux des fêtes. Vous pouvez même indiquer comment votre argent devrait être utilisé: vers les opérations générales d’IBBY; le fond Children in Crisis; ou les fonds de solidarité. Cliquez ici pour en savoir davantage.
Merci de votre appui continu à IBBY Canada! Nous attendons avec intérêt de vous rencontrer à nos événements à travers le pays en 2011.
-Patricia Ocampo
Présidente
president@ibby-canada.org
Traduction: Susane Duchesne
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Regional Report: From the East
As I still am quite new to this position, I have been using this initial “breaking-in” period to make and meet with contacts in the Atlantic region.
I have also been making great use of the IBBY bookmarks I was sent, leaving them with school librarians when I visit schools as part of the Nova Scotia Writers in the Schools Program.
I am also planning information sessions in the fall for students at Mount Saint Vincent University, in particular with students in English and Education. I hope these sessions can also be offered to other universities. I am looking into the possibility of using E-luminate or Skype to reach groups outside of Nova Scotia.
-Jane Baskwill
Councillor East
councilloreast@ibby-canada.org
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Regional Report: Du coté de Québec
Après plus de trois ans comme conseillère-Québec, ne pouvant plus m’investir comme avant, j’ai par un petit matin d’hiver décidé qu’il était temps que je cède ma place à quelqu’un d’autre. Pour assurer une continuité, dynamiser, partager, construire, rendre ce pont qui unit les canadiens francophones et anglophones intéressés par les livres et les enfants moins étroit et moins long, mais plus solide et plus haut.
Ce que je retiens d’abord et avant tout de mon implication auprès d’IBBY, ce sont tous les gens rencontrés, qui y croient avec force, s’investissent avec générosité: «Passeurs, ce n’est pas une fonction mais c’est un peu plus qu’un rôle. C’est une manière d’être, une immersion dans la vie.»
(Expression de Daniel Pennac, cité par N. Dounikian, F. Foulquier et D. Macé. 2002. Entre l’intime et le social, l’empreinte des mots et des images, La littérature dès l’alphabet, o.d. par Henriette Zoughebi, Gallimard Jeunesse: 119.)
Merci et au revoir!
-Pascale Grenier
Conseillère-Québec 2008-2011
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Regional Report: From Ontario
Spring can’t seem to start here in Toronto, but I’ve somehow managed to clear the cobwebs, feel refreshed, and find some enthusiasm. In fact, I find spring so refreshing that this is the time of year when I resolve to do things a little differently.
For starters, I’m connecting and reconnecting with people I know and talking up IBBY Canada as often as possible. I’ve been shy to pitch IBBY to people in the past, but I know so many people in the children’s book business that it seems like a no-brainer. So my spring resolution is to tell people about IBBY. I’m going to tell them who we are and what we do and how they can help. We do wonderful things and people will help, but first they need to know that we exist. I have already put this resolution into effect and I was amazed to discover that a few colleagues (who had never heard of IBBY) were only too happy to check out our website and offer up their time for future events! Why haven’t I done this before?!
I’ve also joined our newly minted fundraising committee and I can’t wait to get started. I know that we’ll come up with some great ways to raise money in the name of IBBY.
Finally, I was flattered and a little overwhelmed when our fine President asked if I was willing to design the dossier for our Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nomination this year. Of course I said, YES! As I type this report, the documents are open on my screen and I’m doing my best to make this dossier a winner for our beloved Jean Little.
Here’s to another great year. Happy Spring, IBBY Canada!
-Kate Newman
Councillor-Ontario
councillorontario@ibby-canada.org
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Regional Report: From the West
I just returned from a short but interesting trip to Mexico where I helped raise awareness of IBBY. It wasn’t long ago that I received an email from a lady in Texas who had come across my book, My Librarian is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World. She wrote to me because she was in the final stages of building a small library in a Mayan village in Mexico and invited me to come read books to the children during the opening of this new building.
Originally from Texas, Larka spends part of the year on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, just south of Cancun. During her travels she came across a small jungle village where the children speak Mayan at home but are taught in Mexican. The Mexican government supplies each student with one textbook per year but it is in Mayan, a language they speak but cannot read. The small school had no other teaching resources and is very poor.
Together with a group of American and Canadian snowbirds, she decided to fundraise and build a library for the school. Now, three years later, the group of men and women in their sixties and seventies has not only raised money but cleared rocks, mixed concrete, bought stones, and built a small white building with beautiful bookshelves and furniture made of wood from the nearby jungle.
It was a privilege to be present when they officially opened the building. The kids were so excited—they stormed into the building and couldn’t wait to finally have books at their fingertips. I read some of my books to the children through a translator. I also left IBBY bookmarks and encouraged them to contact IBBY Mexico.
For more information on this library project, check out Books for Mayan Children.
-Margriet Ruurs
Councillor-West
councillorwest@ibby-canada.org
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IBBY Canada Annual General Meeting 2011
Members old and new gathered on February 26, 2011 at the historic Runnymede Branch of the Toronto Public Library. With the help of liberal spoonsful of honey, President Patricia Ocampo nobly battled strep throat to chair her first IBBY Canada AGM.
It was a pleasure to meet Susane Duchesne, our new Vice-President. We also welcomed the opportunity to honour Patsy Aldana, former IBBY President, on her appointment to the Order of Canada. We regret that several of our out-of-province Executive Committee members could not attend the AGM, as we were unable to underwrite their travel expenses this year. (Fortunately, they joined us via Skype the following day for the first meeting of our 2011 Executive Committee.)
Reports shared at the AGM highlighted a year of positive change and ongoing challenges. In the international arena, IBBY Canada’s nominee, the Osu Children’s Library Fund, was co-winner of the 2010 IBBY-Asahi Award, presented at the Congress in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Canadians contributed generously to IBBY’s Children in Crisis Fund to assist bibliotherapy projects, particularly in disaster areas.
To celebrate our 30th anniversary and to attract new members, we launched a colourful new logo, a redesigned website and a reformatted quarterly newsletter. To deal with the past two years in which we needed to draw on our mutual fund for bridge financing, the Executive Committee has taken strong measures to cut costs—and enlists all members’ support in creating fundraising opportunities.
We launched into 2011 with a new look and renewed resolve.
-Brenda Halliday
Past President
pastpresident@ibby-canada.org
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International Awards
Help for the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Awards
IBBY Canada is pleased to announce that children’s author Tim Wynne-Jones and illustrator Stéphane Jorisch are Canada’s nominees for the 2012 international Hans Christian Andersen Awards.
The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are internationally recognized as the highest honour for children’s authors and illustrators. IBBY Canada is the only Canadian nominating body for these prestigious awards. It is crucial that, as Canadians, we promote and celebrate the best of our children’s authors and illustrators by nominating them for the Andersen Awards.
We need your help to finance the nomination process. A portfolio and copies of each nominee’s work are sent to jury members worldwide, underlining the truly international nature of the awards. The distant and varied locations of jury members make mail and courier costs very expensive. In 2009, it cost over $2500 to nominate Brian Doyle and Marie-Louise Gay for the 2010 Andersen Awards.
Please help us pay for the costs associated with the Andersen Award by making a donation. You can donate via the IBBY Canada website by clicking on the “Donate Now” button at the bottom left. Please include a message saying that you would like the money to go to the Andersen Awards. Alternatively, you can send a cheque payable to IBBY Canada, c/o The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, 217 – 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1B9.
2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
IBBY Canada’s nomination package for Jean Little, for the 2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is on its way to Sweden.
Jean Little is one of Canada’s most prolific and beloved writers for young people. Blind since birth, she has inspired hundreds of thousands through her life and through her body of work which will soon reach fifty titles, including memoir, fiction, poetry and picture books, all of it for young readers. Her first book was published half a century ago and remains in print today, and it and dozens of others have been translated into many languages, reaching children around the world. Little has received numerous awards and honours for her outstanding contribution to young people’s literature.
For more information about the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, please click here.
– Merle Harris
Alberta Chair
alberta@ibby-canada.org
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National Awards
IBBY Canada Cleaver Award to illustrator Julie Flett
IBBY Canada is pleased to announce that illustrator Julie Flett is the winner of the 2010 IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award for Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: L’Alfabet di Michif / Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet, published by Simply Read Books. The $1000 award will be presented to Julie Flett at the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable’s Illustrator’s Breakfast on October 15, 2011.
Jury’s comments:
My third year as Chair of the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award has come and gone, and once again I had the privilege of perusing the outstanding, imaginative work of Canadian illustrators. In the past years, it had been relatively easy to narrow down the shortlist and proportionately difficult to choose an ultimate winner. This year turned out to be the opposite. There were so many innovative, superlative submissions we had a hard time narrowing it down to three titles. Once we did manage it however, the jury was unanimous.
The Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award jury was made up of Lina Gordaneer, a Montreal librarian; Brianne Grant, MA in Children’s Literature candidate; and Susane Duchesne, IBBY Canada Vice-President and Responsable du secteur jeunesse, Librairie Monet.
The IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award, established in 1985, honours the name and talent of one of Canada’s pre-eminent book illustrators. Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver left funds in her will to annually recognize outstanding artistic talent in Canadian picture books; the recipient receives $1000.
-Lina Gordaneer
Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award Chair
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Le prix IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver pour le meilleur livre illustré canadien est décerné à l’illustratice Julie Flett
IBBY Canada est heureux d’annoncer que l’illustratrice Julie Flett est la gagnante du prix IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver 2010 pour Lii Yiiboo Nayaapiwak lii Swer: L’Alfabet di Michif / Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet, publié par Simply Read Books. Ce prix d’un montant de 1000 $ sera remis à Julie Flett lors du déjeuner du Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable le 15 octobre, 2011.
Les commentaires du jury composé de Lina Gordaneer, une bibliothécaire jeunesse de Montréal; Brianne Grant étudiante à la maîtrise en littérature pour la jeunesse; et Susane Duchesne, vice-présidente d’IBBY Canada et responsable du secteur jeunesse de la Librairie Monet à Montréal:
Ma troisième année à titre de présidente du prix Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver est déjà terminée, et encore une fois j’ai eu le privilège de parcourir le travail exceptionnel et imaginatif des illustrateurs canadiens. Ces dernières années, il avait été relativement facile de restreindre la liste et proportionnellement difficile de choisir un vainqueur final. Cette année, s’est avérée complètement différente. Il y avait tellement d’originalité novatrice dans les soumissions que nous avons eu du mal réduire la liste à trois titres. Une fois cette étape franchie, le jury a été unanime.
Le prix IBBY Canada Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award, créé en 1985, vise à reconnaître le talent artistique exceptionnel d’un illustrateur canadien de livres pour enfants publié en anglais ou en français. Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver laisse dans son testament des fonds pour la remise annuelle d’un prix visant à reconnaître les qualités artistiques d’un ouvrage illustré pour la jeunesse au Canada; le destinataire reçoit 1000 $.
– Lina Gordaneer
Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award Chair
Traduction: Susane Duchesne
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No 2009-2010 Russell Grant Winner
You may have noticed the lack of trumpets last summer when we normally would have announced the winner of the Frances E. Russell Grant. Unfortunately, there was a dearth of eligible candidates, and of the few viable applications, none met the criteria to the standards befitting a winner.
We are hoping for more applications this year so there is a greater chance of finding a worthy recipient of the 2010-2011 grant. If your work fits the criteria or you know someone who might be eligible but you have missed the recent May 1 deadline, please contact Russell Grant Chair Deirdre Baker to discuss possible consideration.
– Patricia Ocampo
President
president@ibby-canada.org
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May Cutler, Force of Nature
Since May’s death earlier this year at 87, a ripe old age by any standard, I have been ruminating on her impact—not just in my life but in her impressive contribution to Canadian children’s book publishing. Like many, I owe my career to May. Her delight in original work and the creative process has stuck with me over these twenty odd years.
I arrived at Tundra in 1989 just after the death of Dayal Kaur Khalsa, a brilliant writer and artist who made a huge contribution in her many books, all with the young protagonist named May. No wonder Dayal honoured her publisher; May was passionate about art, books, creators, and originality.
How to describe May at work? She was elegant and interesting just to look at with those twinkling blue eyes. Her varied life experiences seemed to permeate all discussions about books, theatre, and film. Culture and May were intertwined.
May was a force of nature—in person, in meetings with authors, and in her dealings with publishing colleagues, especially at the Canada Council. She took on things directly, be they issues or people.
There are so many stories, as expected at a publishing house, but it was the creators who took centre stage. The arrival of an author was an event. Work would stop, we would gather in May’s office and watch the unveiling of a portfolio case and the art within. Gasps of delight and a true sharing of the work before us, which would soon be transformed into a book for others also to enjoy. Whomever the artist, May ensured it was an occasion.
May was a great one for adding spice to the day. So often, the door would open and she’d say, “Hello, everyone, I’ve brought North African donuts!” or some other treat. What a way to guarantee attention.
May said our work was all about the books. I have since realized the truth of her comment. Our work as publishers is only there because of the creativity of others. May impressed the importance of our part in making the book the best it could be. People come and go but the book remains. Her attention to detail to publishing “children’s books as works of art” truly followed that maxim.
Those of us who had the pleasure of working with May will remember her energy and her boundless enthusiasm for something unique. She had a quick tongue at times but she didn’t hold a grudge. She had integrity and let you know exactly where she stood on any issue. Even at the last IBBY Congress in Santiago, I met publishers who asked about her and said they had bought rights to a Kurelek book. Like so many, I share the view that we are the lucky ones to have been somewhere in her circle for a part of life.
Cheers, May—you certainly used your powers for good.
-Catherine Mitchell
The Cutler family has established an arts fund to help sponsor various projects, including the creation of an international sculpture garden in Montreal, a dream of May’s. To contribute, please send a cheque to the “May Cutler Arts Fund”, P.O. Box 122 Station Victoria, Westmount, Quebec, H3Z 2V4.
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May Cutler, une force de la nature
Depuis la mort récente de May Cutler à l’âge vénérable de 87 ans, j’ai réfléchi longuement à son impact non seulement dans ma vie mais aussi à sa contribution incroyable à l’édition du livre pour enfants au Canada. Comme pour plusieurs d’entre nous, je dois ma carrière à May. Son enthousiasme pour les œuvres originales et pour le processus de création sont restés présents avec moi depuis plus de vingt ans.
J’ai commencé à travailler à Livres Toundra en 1989 juste après la mort de Dayal Kaur Khalsa, une écriavine douée et une illustratrice qui a fait une contribution artistique immense grâce à ses nombreux livres dont le personnage principal se nommait May. Il n’est pas étonnant que Dayal ait voulu ainsi honorer son éditrice, May était passionnée par l’art, par les livres, par leurs créateurs et par l’originalité.
Comment décrire May au travail? Elle était élégante et si intéressante à observer avec ses yeux bleus pétillants. Son expérience de vie si variée semblait s’immiscer dans toutes ses discussions sur les livres, sur le théâtre ou sur le cinéma. La vie de May était pétrie de culture.
May était une force de la nature; autant en personne, pendant les réunions avec les auteurs; que dans ses démarches avec ses collègues éditeurs et particulièrement avec le Conseil des Arts du Canada. Elle s’impliquait directement avec les problèmes ou avec les individus.
Il y a tellement d’histoires, c’est évident dans une maison d’édition; cependant c’était toujours les créateurs qui tenaient la vedette. L’arrivée d’un auteur ou illustrateur était un événement. Le travail s’arrêtait, nous nous retrouvions dans le bureau de May et nous observions le dévoilement d’un portfolio refermant des œuvres d’art. Nous avions le souffle coupé et nous partagions réellement le plaisir de voir des œuvres qui bientôt seraient transformées en livres pouvant être admirés par tous. Quelque soit l’artiste présent, May s’assurait d’en faire une fête.
May ajoutait du piquant à la vie de chaque jour. Très souvent, la porte s’ouvrait et elle annonçait: «Bonjour tout le monde, j’ai acheté des beignets d’Afrique du Nord» ou quelque autre gourmandise. Quelle façon d’obtenir notre attention.
May disait que les livres étaient ce qui importait dans notre travail. J’ai depuis compris la vérité de son message. Notre travail d’éditeur existait grâce à la créativité des autres. May insistait pour que le livre publié soit le meilleur possible. Les personnes pouvaient partir mais le livre restait. Son attention aux détails pour publier «des livres d’enfants comme des œuvres d’art» suivait véritablement cette maxime.
Ceux d’entre nous qui avons eu le plaisir de travailler avec May se souviennent de son énergie et de son enthousiasme sans borne pour tout ce qui était original. Elle avait la réplique facile mais ne tenait pas rancune. Elle possédait une grande intégrité et vous informait de son point de vue sur chaque sujet. Lors du congrès IBBY à Santiago, j’ai rencontré des éditeurs qui m’ont demandé de ses nouvelles, ils avaient acheté les droits d’un livre de William Kurelek. Comme plusieurs, je m’estime privilégiée d’avoir fait partie de son cercle pendant une partie de sa vie.
Tous mes souhaits May, tu as utilisé tes talents pour faire du bien.
-Catherine Mitchell
Traduction: Josiane Polidori
La famille Cutler a établi une fondation pour les arts qui va subventionner des projets divers parmi lesquels un jardin de sculpture à Montréal, un rêve de May. Pour y contribuer, faire parvenir un chèque à: «May Cutler Arts Fund», B. P 122, Station Victoria, Westmount, QC, H3Z 2V4
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IBBY Canada/Russell Grant Gift For The Osborne Collection
In 1982, the Frances E. Russell Award was established by the late Marjorie Russell, in memory of her sister, a long-time supporter of IBBY Canada. Since then, twenty-five scholars, professors, and writers of fiction and non-fiction for young readers have received the award (now called the Frances E. Russell Grant) and published materials “to initiate and encourage research in young people’s literature in all its forms.”
Among the recipients are André Gagnon, Suzanne Pouliot, Sydell Waxman, Dr. Ron A. Jobe, and Professors Judith Saltman (twice) and Gail Edwards. The range of material produced by the Russell Grant creators has included K.V. Johansen’s critical study Beyond Window-Dressing?: Canadian Children’s Fantasy at the Millennium, and Michelle Mulder’s After Peaches, a novel about Mexican migrant workers in British Columbia. Vivian Howard, the most recent Russell Grant winner, utilized her financial support to create a new website, Sea Stacks: Atlantic Canadian Books for Children and Young Adults (1978-2011).
At the 2010 IBBY Canada AGM, member Linda Granfield, a Russell Grant recipient in 1991, introduced an initiative whereby she would collect copies of all the published projects that had resulted from Russell Award/Grant financial aid since 1982. She contacted those authors she could locate (some, sadly, have passed away) and began to receive copies of the books, or photocopies of the original articles that appeared in academic and literary journals. The copies have been signed and donated by the authors and will be given as a gift from the authors and IBBY Canada to the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books at the Lillian H. Smith branch of the Toronto Public Library.
All future recipients of the Frances E. Russell Grant will be asked to donate a copy of their finished “Russell project” to the IBBY Canada/Osborne Collection holdings upon the item’s publication. This initiative provides yet another opportunity for IBBY Canada to exhibit its partnership with other collections and organizations that celebrate the world of Canadian children’s literature.
Please visit the Frances E. Russell Grant page to learn more about the Grant, its past recipients, and the guidelines for application for future projects.
-Linda Granfield
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Marion Seary’s Legacy Strengthens IBBY Canada
Marion Seary was a bookseller and librarian who spent a lifetime bringing children and good books together. She was a longtime supporter of IBBY Canada. To honour her memory when she died in 2007, Marion’s friends and family prepared a list of “endangered books” to acknowledge significant children’s books that should be kept in print. They also produced a large, colourful poster featuring Marion’s own collage art, created with talent and determination when she had lost most of her sight. The Marion’s Alphabet poster is available at library wholesaler Tinlids showroom in Toronto for $5.00 or from their website for $15.00 (which includes shipping and handling).
We were honoured when Marion’s family and friends directed funds raised in Marion’s memory, to IBBY Canada. Initially, we earmarked these funds to support our applications to sponsor International Children’s Book Day. We submitted strong applications to host ICBD in 2011 and 2012, but have learned that for the foreseeable future, IBBY plans to award ICBD sponsorship to countries which have not yet sponsored this event. (Canada prepared the message and poster in 1990.)
In recent years, we have been working hard to sustain our central activities – our awards and our payment of our international dues to support IBBY’s work with children around the world. We approached Michael Seary to advise him that we felt it best, at this time, to use the funds to support our core programs. Michael generously supported our decision to devote the donated funds to our operating budget. All of our IBBY Canada projects celebrate the power of children’s books in which Marion Seary so passionately believed.
– Brenda Halliday
Past President
pastpresident@ibby-canada.org
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IBBY Congress: London 2012
Mark your calendars! The 33rd IBBY Congress will be held August 23-26, 2012 in London, UK. IBBY’s biennial congresses bring together IBBY members and like-minded people involved in children’s books and reading development from all over the world. There are panel discussions, seminars, and workshops on the congress theme, which is Crossing Boundaries: Translations and Migrations. The theme examines how books and stories for children can cross boundaries, countries, and cultures. The issues of globalization, dual-language texts, cultural exchange, and the art of translation will also be explored.
Major international exhibits and presentations will also be featured, including the announcement of the Hans Christian Andersen Awards, the IBBY Honour List, and the IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award.
Please visit the IBBY 2012 Congress website for more information.
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Congrès IBBY: Londres 2012
À vos calendriers! La 33e Congrès de IBBY aura lieu 23 au 26 août 2012 à Londres, Royaume-Uni. Le congrès biennal IBBY réunit les membres d’IBBY et toute autre personne dans le monde qui s’intéresse aux livres pour enfants et au développement de la lecture. Dans le cadre du congrès, vous pourrez assister à des tables rondes, des séminaires et des ateliers sur le thème du congrès, qui est Au-delà des frontières: Traductions et Migrations. Le thème examine la façon dont les livres et les histoires pour enfants peuvent traverser les frontières, les pays et les cultures. Les questions de mondialisation, les textes bilingues, les échanges culturels, et l’art de la traduction seront également explorés.
De grandes expositions internationales et des présentations seront également présentées, y compris l’annonce des Prix Hans Christian Andersen, la Liste d’honneur d’IBBY, et le IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award.
Visitez au site web a l’IBBY 2012 Congress pour plus d’informations.
Traduction: Susane Duchesne
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IBBY Canada Executive
President, Patricia Ocampo
Past President, Brenda Halliday
Vice-President, Susane Duchesne
Treasurer, Yvette Ghione
Membership Secretary, Randi Robin
Recording Secretary, Vasso Tassiopoulos
Promotions Officer, Helena Aalto
Liaison CANSCAIP, Debbie Spring
Liaison CCBC, Meghan Howe
Liaison Communication-Jeunesse, Louise Tondreau-Levert
Councillor-West, Margriet Ruurs
Councillor-Quebec, Pascale Grenier
Councillor-Ontario, Kate Newman
Councillor-East, Jane Baskwill
Alberta Chair, Merle Harris
Newsletter Editor, Jessica Fung
Website Chair, Jennifer Dibble
Cuba Twinning Project Chair, Patsy Aldana
Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award Chair, Lina Gordaneer
Frances E. Russell Grant Chair, Deirdre Baker
Hans Christian Andersen Award Chair, Josiane Polidori
IBBY (International) Executive Committee
President, Ahmad Redza Ahmad Khairuddin (Malaysia)
Vice-President, Wally De Doncker (Belgium)
Vice-President, Linda M. Pavonetti (USA)
Executive Director, Liz Page (Switzerland)
Visit www.ibby.org for a full list of the executive
IBBY Canada Newsletter
French Translations by Josiane Polidori and Susane Duchesne
Proofread (English text) by Meghan Howe and Patricia Ocampo