Announcing the 2021 Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award Shortlist!

The Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable is pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2021 Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award:

The Barnabus Project
Nice Try, Charlie
I’ll See You Again
When Emily Was Small
The Story Boat

The winning book will be announced on September 7, 2021. The creators of that book will be speakers at a live or virtual event later this fall.

THE BOOKS:

I Will See You Again, by  Lisa Boivin. Published by Highwater Press.

In this illustrated grief memoir author-illustrator Lisa Boivin expands the potential of the picture book genre.  Told in the form of a letter, it narrates the story of a young indigenous woman travelling to England to collect the remains of her older brother and bring them home to Canada. The sister deals with all the business that a death entails while honouring her brother’s memory and confronting her own anger and sorrow. The text is rhythmical, lean and plain.  “It felt so strange to hold your body in a small, heavy box.  A box that was once a man.  A box that was once my brother.”  What is left unsaid is eloquent. The pictures, in eye-popping colours against black backgrounds, are a combination of graphically-arresting modernistic shapes, swaths of flowers and human figures portrayed in a style that references Boivin’s Deninu Kue first nation heritage.  Together words and images add up to a portrait that is both heart -breaking and consoling.  This is an offering that challenges our preconceptions of a picture book’s subject and potential audience.

The Barnabus Project, by Terry, Eric and Devin Fan. Published by Tundra Books.

Welcome to the dystopian (if rather cozy) world of genetically-engineered pets.  Such pets as the Turtle Puff and Moop are deemed a success and are marketed through the outlet “Perfect Pets.” But what of the failed experiments? Such is Barnabus, half elephant half mouse, a doughty hero who leads a group of other “failures” to a rebellion, escaping imprisonment in the bell jars of a lab to a life of autonomy, freedom and the joys of the natural world.  For the youngest reader/listener this is an adventure of suspense and the triumph of the little guy.  Older readers will pick up on the subversive social satire, a world where “cuteness” is valued above all.  Young adults will resonate to the critique of genetic engineering. Everyone will enjoy the goofy inventive language (who could resist creatures called Lite-Up Lois and Wally the Ripple?) and the generous large-format detailed illustrations that invite visiting and revisiting, finding the embedded jokes, solving the mysteries, perusing the endpapers, dustjacket and cover for more information.

Nice Try, Charlie! by Matt James. Published by Groundwood.

Readers meet the amiable Charlie and his companions in this well-paced and revelatory stroll through their neighbourhood. In Nice Try, Charlie! the dialogue and interactions feel real – from Charlie trying to throw a ball, but missing, to him finding a car tire and making the perfect birdbath for thirsty avian friends. His proclamation that the birds are “tired” is a clever and subtle pun. The combination of cut-out art and background photographs adds richness to the story. “Does this place and do these people really exist?” However, it is his underlying sense of humanity in his search for belonging that endears readers to Charlie. Matt James follows up his debut (The Funeral) as both writer and illustrator with an equally strong story about someone who tries, even when “he finds it harder than he’d like to admit.” Without overt plot spoiling, the cover reveal is the answer to Aunt Myrtle’s question.

Story Boat, by Kyo Maclear. Pictures  by Rashim Kheiriyeh. Published by Tundra.

Where is home for a refugee child? In Story Boat, home is ‘here’ and ‘now’, shaped by imagination from objects of comfortThis elegant picture book is both a story in lyrical prose about the refugee crisis from a child’s perspective and a visual narrative describing the harsh ‘lived’ experience of the adults. Comfort to a child is found in things that are ‘here’: a cup, a blanket, a flower, a lamp.  These represent home, family, dreams, and hope. Along the journey, objects are reimagined into the uncertain future, becoming a sail boat, a ladder, a lighthouse, and a story. In contrast, the adult perspective, revealed in vivid illustrations, is a story of hardship.  A continuous line of people burdened with their belongings trudges along, resting in tents, boarding a boat, sailing a rough sea. Their faces are sad, fearful and anxious, yet hopeful and joyful in story and song.

Kheiriyeh uses a limited colour palette to create a multi-layered landscape of lines: a line of refugees, of birds, of trees, of waves on the sea, beams from the lighthouse, a constellation of stars. The colours are symbolic, stories in colour. Blue merges land and sea, orange is warmth, light and hope.

In beautifully crafted language and multi layered visual narrative about the refugee crisis, Story Boat is a powerful example of the picture book as an art form.

When Emily Was Small, by Lauren Soloy. Published by Tundra.

When Emily Was Small is a poetic burst of joy, a celebration of creative inspiration found in nature. The book imagines a day in the life of a young Emily Carr, when she wanders beyond the currant bushes. Emily feels small when her mother reprimands her. But when she dances through the garden into the wild place, she becomes Small, a creature wild and curious.  A wolf appears, Wild, perhaps an imagined part of herself. Look closely, it urges, at the ‘thousand shades of green, the sunlight in every shadow, the sun dazzled wings and clouds of flowers’.  Emily flies above it all and is inspired.

When Emily hears her mother’s voice, Wild vanishes and she is lying at her mother’s feet, small again, reprimanded for getting dirty. But Emily is changed, ‘the butterfly wings dancing to the rhythm of her own small heart.’

Soloy’s poetic text sparkles and pops: lippety, lippety, thumpety, bumpety, glitter and glimmer, fizz. It begs to be read aloud. The illustrations, primarily watercolours with bold outlines, capture the look of Emily and are reminiscent of Emily Carr’s art.

When Emily Was Small invites the reader to hurry into the wild places. Then it urges them to pause at paintings overfilling the pages, lush landscapes in many shades of green. 

And the Winners Are . . .

Announcing the HILARIOUS WINNERS of the third biennial Joan Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s Book Award!

Oy Vey!  The Joan Betty Stuchner — Oy Vey! — Funniest Children’s Book Award committee has finally stopped laughing long enough to release this wonderful news. We have winners! Two books kept our jury “buckled over with guffaws, incapacitated with giggles, and/or rib-ticklingly, side-splittingly, thigh-slappingly entertained.”

The winner in the picture or board book category is:

Aaalligator! – written by Judith Henderson, illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier, published by Kids Can Press.

The winner in the chapter book category is:

Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life – written by Beverley Brenna, illustrated by Tara Anderson, published by Pajama Press.

Congratulations Judith and Andrea, Beverley and Tara and to their publishers!

Congrats as well to the authors and illustrators of the honour books:

Farm Crimes: Cracking the Case of the Missing Egg – written and illustrated by Sandra Dumais (Owlkids Books), How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps – written by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by John Martz (Penguin Random House), Not Me – written and illustrated by Elise Gravel (Scholastic Books), Princess Puffybottom and Darryl – written by Susin Nielsen, illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller (Penguin Random House), Kiddo – written and illustrated by Cynthia Nugent (Tradewind Books), Mya’s Strategy to Save the World – written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Penguin Random House), Sophie Trophy – written by Eileen Holland, illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan (Crwth Press), The Unteachables – written by Gordon Korman (Scholastic Books).

Thanks to you all for writing stories that make people laugh.

Announcing the 2021 Information Book Award Shortlist

The Information Book Award jury is pleased to announce the shortlist for the Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada’s 2021 Information Book Award. This award is given annually to a book that arouses interest, stimulates curiosity, captures the imagination, and fosters concern for the world around us. The award’s aim is to recognize excellence in Canadian publishing of children’s nonfiction.

Congratulations to the following titles, authors, illustrators, and publishers on the 2021 Information Book Award shortlist (all titles published in 2020 and listed alphabetically):

Bird’s Eye View: Keeping Wild Birds in Flight. By Ann Eriksson. Published by Orca Book Publishers.

Bringing Back the Wolves. By Jude Isabella. Illustrated by Kim Smith. Published by Kids Can Press.

The Boreal Forest. By L. E. Carmichael. Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon. Published by Kids Can Press

The Eagle Mother. By Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson). Illustrated by Natasha Donovan. Published by Highwater Press.

In the Dark. By Lisa Deresti Betik. Illustrated by Josh Holinaty. Published by Kids Can Press.

Ocean Speaks: How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean’s Biggest Secret. By Jess Keating. Illustrated by Katie Hickey. Published by Tundra Books.

Powwow: A Celebration through Song and Dance. By Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane. Published by Orca Book Publishers.

Terry Fox and Me. By Mary Beth Leatherdale. Illustrated by Milan Pavlovic. Published by Tundra Books.

(Information Book Award Jury: Sarah Fast, Brooklyn Cribdon, Sarah Bagshaw. Chair: Lauren Hathaway)

The winning and honour titles will be selected from the shortlist by the Information Book Award jury and announced in late fall at the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable’s Annual Illustrator’s Breakfast.

Thank you to all publishers who nominated titles for this year’s award. Although 2020 was full of challenges for the publishing industry (and the world) due to the pandemic, the jury still received an impressive number of submissions and were excited to see so many themes and topics explored in imaginative and engaging ways. The future is bright for the publishing of nonfiction children’s books in Canada!

For more information on the Information Book Award, including criteria and previous winners, visit https://www.vclr.ca/information-book-award-2/.

Announcing the 2021 JBS-OyVey! Award Short List!

April 1, 2021 (This is not a joke!)

The Joan Betty Stuchner — Oy Vey! — Funniest Children’s Book Award committee has a very serious announcement to make: our jury has finally stopped laughing long enough to tell us which books they have chosen for our shortlist!  Many funny books were entered for consideration, but these are the ones that had our jury the most buckled over with guffaws, incapacitated with giggles, and/or rib-ticklingly, side-splittingly, thigh-slappingly entertained.

The shortlisted books in the picture or board book category are:

Farm Crimes: Cracking the Case of the Missing Egg – written and illustrated by Sandra Dumais (Owlkids)

How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps – written by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by John Martz (Penguin Random House)

Aaalligator! – written by Judith Henderson, illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier (Kids Can Press)

Princess Puffybottom and Darryl – written by Susin Nielsen, illustrated by Olivia Mueller Chin (Penguin Random House)

Not Me – written and illustrated by Elise Gravel (Scholastic)

The shortlisted books in the chapter book category are:

The Unteachables – written by Gordon Korman (Scholastic)

Kiddo – written and illustrated by Cynthia Nugent (Tradewind Books)

Sophie Trophy – written by Eileen Holland, illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan (Crwth Press)

Mya’s Strategy to Save the World – written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Penguin Random House)

Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life – written by Beverley Brenna, illustrated by Tara Anderson (Pajama Press)

Congratulations to all who are short-listed and thanks to our wonderful judges for doing the difficult work of deciding between so many funny books:

Sharon Freeman

Alan Woo

Ellen Schwartz

Winners will be announced at our Zoom extravaganza on Chocolate Chip Cookie Day (May 15, 2021) at 11am PST. If you would like to join us, please email cindyheinrichs@yahoo.com to reserve your spot.

Announcing The Second Annual Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award

Administered by the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable, the Sheila Barry Best Picturebook of the Year Award will be announced each year at what has previously been known as the Fall  VCLR Annual Illustrator’s Breakfast  but will now be the Annual VCLR Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award Breakfast.

The $2500 cash award is specifically for books in the acknowledged picturebook format famously defined by Barbara Bader in 1976 as “an art form [that] hinges on the interdependence of pictures and words, on the simultaneous display of two facing pages, and on the drama of the turning of the page”

Submissions are due March 31, 2021. The submission fee is $30 per title. For each submission please include three copies of the book. If the book is shortlisted we will request brief bios of each author/and/or illustrator, their photos, and contact information.

You can find out more about the submission criteria and download the submission form here.

Announcing the 2020 Information Book Award Winner

We are very pleased to recognize It Began with a Page: How Gyo Fujikawa Drew the Way, written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Julie Morstad, as the winner of the 2020 Information Book Award. This picturebook biography explores the life of Gyo Fujikawa, a Japanese American illustrator and activist, and her determination to represent children of all backgrounds in her books. We look forward to formally honoring this title and its creators at the (virtual) Celebration of BC’s Award-Winning Children’s Writers and Illustrators on Saturday, January 16, 2021, 9:00 – 10:30 am. 

We would like to thank all publishers who nominated books for this year’s award, as well as the authors and illustrators of the nominated titles, for their dedication to providing young readers with books that engage and inspire them to always keep reading, learning, and paying attention to the world around them. A special mention to our three honour titles:

Beastly Puzzles written by Rachel Poliquin, illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
I Am a Feminist: Claiming the F-Word in Turbulent Times by Monique Polak
Moon Mission by Sigmund Brouwer

The Information Book Award is awarded annually to a book that arouses interest, stimulates curiosity, captures imagination, and fosters concern for the world around us. The purpose of the award is to recognize excellence both in the writing and publishing of nonfiction for children and young people ages 5-to-14. The submission deadline for the 2021 Information Book Award will be announced in the Fall.

Events for the 2020-21 Membership Year

You are invited to the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable’s Annual Illustrator’s Breakfast.

Small in the City, by Sydney Smith. Winner of the first annual Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year award.

This year it is a virtual breakfast with a live virtual presentation by Sydney Smith, winner of the first Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award, for Small in the City.

Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 9 am – 10:30 am.

All registered guests will be sent a zoom invitation to the live virtual event.

You have the choice of registering for the event only or of attending the event and receiving a signed copy of Small in the City, a handmade centrepiece, and some other treats so be sure to provide your snail mail address.

The event will also feature the presentation of the Ron Jobe Scholarship and the announcement of the 2020 Information Book Award winner.


Celebration of BC’s Award-Winning Children’s Writers and Illustrators

A celebration of BC award winning children’s authors and illustrators of 2020. The guest speaker will be the winner of the 2020 Information Book Award (the winner will be announced November 14 at the annual VCLR Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award breakfast). 

Saturday, January 16, 2021, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Note: This event is free to members–please make sure your membership is up-to-date. The first 50 people that register will receive a book by mail. Be sure to provide your snail mail address when you sign up.

And We Have Winners!

Announcing the HILARIOUS WINNERS of the second biannual Joan Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Funniest Children’s Book Award!

Oy Vey!  The Joan Betty Stuchner — Oy Vey! — Funniest Children’s Book Award committee has finally stopped laughing long enough to release this wonderful news. We have winners! Two books kept our jury “buckled over with guffaws, incapacitated with giggles, and/or rib-ticklingly, side-splittingly, thigh-slappingly entertained.”

The winner in the picture or board book category is:

Sterling, Best Dog Ever, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux)

The winner in the chapter book category is:

Mort Ziff Is Not Dead by Cary Fagan (Puffin)

Congratulations Aidan and Cassie! Their cheques for $752.81 were presented at a special, chuckle-filled celebration in Vancouver on 19 June. (Photos below!)

Congratulations also to our giggle-inducing honour book authors and illustrators: Helaine Becker and Mark Hoffmann (You Can Read, Orca); Anne Renaud Felicita Sala (Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament, Kids Can); Rachelle Delaney (Clara Voyant, Puffin); and Dan Bar-el and Vicky Nerino (Dog Night at the Story Zoo, Tundra).

Announcing the 2019 Hilarious Shortlist

1 April, 2019.  (No, it’s not a joke.  Really!)

Oy Vey!  The Joan Betty Stuchner — Oy Vey! — Funniest Children’s Book Award committee has finally stopped laughing long enough to release this hilarious news.  We have a shortlist!  We received 60 very funny books, but these kept our jury the most “buckled over with guffaws, incapacitated with giggles, and/or rib-ticklingly, side-splittingly, thigh-slappingly entertained.”

The shortlisted books in the picture or board book category are:

You Can Read, written by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Mark Hoffmann (Orca)

Sterling, Best Dog Ever, written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux)

Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament, written by Anne Renaud, illustrated by Felicita Sala (Kids Can)

The shortlisted books in the chapter book category are:

Clara Voyant by Rachelle Delaney (Puffin)

Mort Ziff Is Not Dead by Cary Fagan (Puffin)

Dog Night at the Story Zoo by Dan Bar-El, illustrated by Vicky Nerino (Tundra)

Congratulations! The $752.81 x 2 award will be announced 19 June, 2019, at a special, giggle-filled celebration at Slickety Jim’s Chat ‘n’ Chew in Vancouver, 7-9 pm, 3475 Main Street.

BONUS TEACHER LIBRARIAN BOOK DRAWS: Attend for a chance to win a collection of 1) all the Oy Vey submissions, and 2) a $500 collection of books by BC authors and illustrators, which is part of the BC Book Prizes “Adopt a Library” program. 

About Joan Betty Stuchner:

Joan Betty Stuchner, beloved children’s author and teacher, passed away unexpectedly in 2014.  Joan was many things — brave, gracious, warm, generous, kind and absolutely hilarious to boot.  (“Oy vey!” she’s probably saying now…) With this award we honour Joan’s life-affirming humour and encourage other children’s writers to laugh it up on the page the way she did.