Register Now! Annual Fall Tea, November 16, 2024 

Now you can sleep in. New time!  Doors open at 1 pm. Join us at the University Golf Club for a tasty tea and the announcement of the Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year award

We are delighted to announce that our speaker will be Robin Mitchell Cranfield, the creator of the honour book, Wings, Waves & Webs.

You can take part in the famous VCLR silent auction, presentation of the Ron Jobe Scholarship, great conversations, delicious food, and more…

Early bird ticket pricing ends on October 31st! Registration will close on November 12th. 

Renew your membership and sign up for the newsletter to be the first to know about upcoming events, including details about exciting new workshops coming up in the first half of next year, and the fabulous March Tea next spring.

Announcing the 2024 winner of the Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award

Congratulations to Sydney Smith for Do You Remember? winner of the 2024 annual Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award.

You don’t have to guess if you are reading a picture book by Sydney Smith. The first clue is his artistic ability to create lustrous illustrations that play with light in a way that makes you stare at the page for far too long. Secondly there is his simple poetic text, but his choice of words leave a lump in your throat and you wonder how this author manages to evoke so much emotion in his readers. Do You Remember? is no different. A poignant story told in a series of vignettes, with themes of change and loss that will make you think about your own family memories long after the book is closed.

Smith takes us on a visual, sensory journey through the eyes of a young boy, presumably himself, and shares a story that is touching and ambiguous. The reader is left to reach their own conclusion about whether the book is about death or divorce. The mother and son in the story exchange memories, a back-and-forth pillow talk, remembering good times: a family picnic and a new bike. These memories are juxtaposed with ones from a more painful time. An illustration of a father giving his son a teddy as the mother drives away to the city, with the words “We were lost,” signal a change to the reader.The illustration of a small apartment with the teddy and bike at the foot of the bed, are reminders of a previous place and time, but the future looks hopeful.

The story is told in rich illustrations, with smaller images outlining the mother’s and child’s memories. Smith uses close-ups of faces to evoke more emotion and plays with light and dark to strengthen prevailing themes. Fuzzy illustrations represent the concept of memories that are not crystal clear. The use of shading, texture and a muted colour palette create a simple child’s world and Smith highlights the artifacts that are important in a child’s life.

Sydney Smith in Do You Remember? has created a timeless story, that explains the concepts of change and loss, in a nuanced and sensitive manner appropriate for children. Linking the past and the future in this sensitive picture book is aptly handled by Smith’s skill with words and pictures.

We are pleased to announce this year’s honour books, Maybe a Whale, Jeffery Loves Blue and Wings,Waves, Webs.

Maybe a Whale

Words by Kirsten Pendreigh, pictures by Crystal Smith, Groundwood Books, 2023

Maybe a Whale is a heartwarming tale about love, loss, and the healing power of nature to process grief. A young girl sets off on a kayaking trip with her mother to find her late grandfather’s beloved whales, learning that some things remain with us even when unseen.

While Kirsten Pendreigh’s poetic text reveals the little girl’s evolving thoughts and emotions as the adventure progresses, Crystal Smith’s layered illustrations visually expand the depth and contrasting nature of these emotions. Smith’s digital artwork adds layers of detail that subtly enrich the story, reminding us of the power of words and images to work together to convey meaning and move the narrative forward.

As the mother and daughter bond with each other and their natural surroundings, sadness and frustration slowly give way to laughter and sparks of joy. Smith’s illustrations also gain in texture and colour, changing from black and dark grays, to dep purples, blues and hues of green, to the warmth of a fire and a rising sun. Smith’s illustrations transition from dark hues to vibrant colors, mirroring their emotional journey. The realistic Pacific Northwest setting beautifully showcases its marine wildlife and campers’ lifestyle, but Smith cleverly manages to create a parallel visual narrative–above, below, inside–that also reveals what lies hidden in the girl’s heart and mind.

This thought-provoking picturebook addresses complex themes with honesty and a tender, matter-of-fact simplicity. Its short texts, unique onomatopoeias, and colorful illustrations make it perfect for reading aloud or sharing together.

Jeffrey Loves Blue

Written by Loretta Garbutt; Illustrated by Lily Snowden-Fine; Published by Owlkids

Jeffrey Loves Blue is an endearing story that explores the themes of empathy and the courage to change. With a witty combination of words and illustrations, the book follows a boy’s inner journey as he steps out of his comfort zone to paint in red instead of his favorite colour, blue.

Garbutt’s skillful use of the conversation between Jeffrey and his caregiver authentically depicts Jeffrey’s love for the colour blue and his struggles with using another colour in his painting class. Painting in a different colour may seem simple to many people, but not for Jeffrey, as blue is the perfect colour for him. Under the encouragement of his patient caregiver, Jeffrey changes his mind from saying “Blue is MY colour” to “Just for today”, finally compromising as he cares about his friend, Keiko, who is upset about not being able to use blue paint for her artwork. The dialogue presented in black and blue fonts perfectly captures the interaction between the caregiver and Jeffrey, highlighting the gentle persuasion and understanding needed to help Jeffrey adapt to change while respecting his preferences and emotions.

Snowden-Fine’s simple yet captivating gouache-styled illustrations invite readers into the child’s perfect world in blue – blue pajamas, blue socks, blue hat, blue underwear, and blueberries – everything about Jeffrey has to be blue. Despite the limited color palette, Snowden-Fine adeptly uses different shades of blue to demonstrate the richness of Jeffrey’s world, featuring blue flowers, birds, whales, and sky. As the story progresses, the gradual addition of other colours – green, yellow, and finally red – subtly guides readers through Jeffrey’s thought process of embracing another colour for his painting. The childlike illustrations harmonize with the text, granting readers a tender glimpse into the boy’s inner world as he grapples with a challenging decision.

Accepting change may be difficult for people, but Jeffrey Loves Blue enables readers to see the rewarding side of the process. It offers a gentle, accessible exploration for readers to appreciate the virtue of empathy and be brave in facing change.

Wings, Waves & Webs

Written and illustrated by Robin Mitchell Cranfield; Published by Greystone Kids. 2023.

Wings, Waves & Webs is a stunning concept picture book about patterns in nature. Robin Mitchell Cranfield’s drawings are a mixture of simple, yet often sophisticated patterns, which will enthrall children and adults. The patterns that are illustrated in the book are often unexpected: stripes on sunflower seeds, cracks on a mushroom cap and spots on feathers. These unusual observations coupled with almost full-page illustrations of each pattern provide a jumping off point for children to share what they have observed and then to go and explore their own surroundings.

Mitchell Cranfield’s poetic text encourages a contemplation of the beauty of nature. The observations of natural patterns are captured and enhanced by her word choices, “snugly tiled hexagons” and “white foamy crests” to describe honeycomb and wave patterns. These varied, yet often similar patterns, shared between creatures and plants, are right in front of our eyes if we take the time to observe them. This picture book allows for connection building and would be useful in a classroom setting.

The pencil and ink drawings are stunning and drawn in a clean, yet whimsical manner. Mitchell Cranfield’s graphic design background is obvious in the design and visual aesthetic of this picture book. Each page has a pattern that is displayed on a bright, solid-coloured background and is a feast for the eyes. The book also has detailed end papers which display an illustrated grid of natural patterns, which will help to expand learning. These details will encourage pattern-seeking behaviour among the younger crowd.

Mitchell Cranfield’s rich text and stylized illustrations create a perfect union to inspire young minds. This carefully curated picture book about patterns is a joyful celebration on the wonder of nature.

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2024 AT NOON FOR OUR FALL BRUNCH. YES, IT IS LATER IN THE DAY

Save the date: Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Sunday, March 10

When: Sunday March 10, 2024
Where:
University Golf Club, 5085 University Boulevard, Vancouver

The event is free to all VCLR and CWILL members (please make sure your membership is up to date). We will celebrate our award winning BC Writers and Illustrator.  As well we will remember Irene N. Watts who died in late 2023.

Registration is required. Please register online so we will know the attendance for our food and beverage order.

There will be door prizes and a silent auction.

Free parking and a near stops for bus lines 4, 9 and 14.

Announcing the 2023 Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year winning book and four honour books

Congratulations to the Fan Brothers for Lizzy and the Cloud, winner of the 2023 Annual Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award.

Register to attend a celebration of the winning and honour books at our Annual VCLR Breakfast on Saturday, October 28, 2023 at the University Golf Club.

The winning book is: LIZZY AND THE CLOUD by the Fan Brothers, published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

When you step into a world that the Fan Brothers have created, you are always ready for the unexpected. Lizzy and the Cloud does not disappoint. A heartfelt story about change and loss that will enchant children and adults alike. A typical walk in the park is far from ordinary in this whimsical picturebook world. A cloud seller in Lizzy’s local park, holding a string of animal shaped clouds, parrots, elephants and rabbits, is quite a sight to behold. He even has to dodge the constant rain that is dripping down below the cloud strings he is holding! However, Lizzy only has eyes for an ordinary cloud, which she names Milo. With care instructions in hand, she tends Milo until the cloud becomes too big for her room. The sparse text and intricate images complement each other in this picturebook, drawing the reader into the story as we witness the choices Lizzy ultimately makes as Milo grows and grows over the course of a year.

The black and white pencil drawings contain detail and depth, which makes the reader linger on each page. The use of shading, texture and a muted colour palette create a dreamy world, where elements of colour pop on each page. The salient use of the yellow hue highlights Lizzy’s wellington boots on nearly each page. Not unlike a movie scene, the Fan Brothers use differing points of view and play with perspective to follow Lizzy’s cloud journey around her neighbourhood. Whether standing on top of a building or from a bird’s eye view, the reader is able to enjoy close-ups or wide-angle shots of Lizzy’s neighbourhood.

If you love something, you must set it free, is ultimately Lizzy’s own realization. No adult explanation is needed. Lizzy is worldly beyond her years, and with her newfound understanding and agency, she amends the original rules for caring for a cloud and adds rule #7 “Let your cloud float free.”

The Fan Brothers in Lizzy and the Cloud, have created a timeless story for children, that explains loss in a nuanced and sensitive manner.


Four Honorable Mentions

As Glenn as Can Be , written by Sarah Ellis and illustrated by Nancy Vo, published by Groundwood

This wonderful children’s non-fiction book by Sarah Ellis on the amazing, talented, and unique life of Canadian composer and pianist Glenn Gould highlights his individuality from a very young age. 

One of the major themes of the book is that “it is OK to just be ‘you’”.  The text with its question-and-answer technique contrasts Gould’s likes and dislikes as he grows up and captures the ebb and flow of one’s life that children can identify with and celebrate.  It can also inspire children to accept and understand other people regardless of their differences.

Nancy Vo’s absorbing watercolour illustrations capture the intent of the text and adds an extra quality in understanding Gould’s personality as he grows up.

The book ends with an enlightening one-page author’s note that answers the question of “Who was this odd, brilliant musician”.  There is also a list of further reading and listening materials for both kids and adults to pursue.  Included are juicy tidbits on how to find Glenn’s Grade 5 report card and a photo of his dog online and watching him sing to elephants on YouTube.  A delight for all the senses.

Night Lunch. Written by Eric Fan and  illustrated by Dena Seiferling, published by Tundra Books

Celebrated children’s book creator, Eric Fan of the Internationally renowned Fan Brothers, makes his writer-only debut in Night Lunch. Teaming up with award winning illustrator, Dena Seiferling, the two immerse the readers into a dream-like glimpse into an anthropomorphic nocturnal world, and a magical ode to the Victorian lunch cart.

Fan’s sparse rhythmic couplets and Seiferling’s sepia toned, digitally created scratch art set the tone for a soothing and cozy read at bedtime. “Clip clop, a midnight moon. The night lunch cart rolls in”.  A quiet Victorian streetscape is barely illuminated by the distant full moon, glowing nightlamps, and the twinkling lights of an approaching horse-drawn cart. The wide-eyed Owl chef stops to set up shop, luring the growling bellies and sniffing noses of various night animals. Oven humming and pots banging, Owl’s delectable delights of mince pie, sausage and peppers, and puddings satiate his anticipating animal patrons, while a hungry little mouse discreetly sweeps the streets, hoping for a dropped crumb. When “Tick tock, time to stop” and dawn approaches, Owl spots the street sweeper, trembling outside the lunch cart. Has Own found his night lunch? Alas not, with kindness and generosity, “One two, just like that”, Owl prepares a night lunch feast for two.

With its nursery-rhyme cadence coupled with stunningly rich and subtle illustration, Fan and Seiferling deliver an enchanting and mesmerizing night tale. Winner of the 2022 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award, Night Lunch gets top honours for this year’s Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award.

Kumo the Bashful Cloud, written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Nathalie Dion, published by Tundra Books

In this contemplative, uplifting picturebook about overcoming shyness and facing fears, a small cloud called Kumo (Japanese for “cloud”) learns about connecting and being brave in new situations. Kumo likes to remain invisible in the big sky, but when help is needed, she rises to the occasion and assists others. On her travels Kumo meets a boy who enjoys daydreaming as much as her, and she makes beautiful animal shapes for him, which he repays with chalk drawings, or a “love letter.”

Maclear uses Japanese vocabulary and scientific cloud names to add greater depth to a sparse text. The quiet story that unfolds slowly, mirrors the expansive, ephemeral illustrations of Dion. The author and illustrator manage to lay a quiet spell on the reader, enveloping them in the stillness of a sky filled with fluffy, wondrous clouds. The warm pastel tones give Kumo and his cloud friends a lighter than air-quality, and captures the dreamy, delicate colour of sky-blue pink. Dion uses different perspectives in the illustrations, which allow the reader to build a connection with Kumo, as we follow along on her journey of self-discovery.

This sweet story celebrates a cloud’s blossoming confidence in a way that many readers will find relatable. Becoming visible leads to friendships, adventure and confidence for Kumo, which will provide gentle encouragement for younger readers. A reassuring and gentle exposition on overcoming shyness and building confidence.

Still This Love Goes On.  written by Buffy Sainte-Marie and  illustrated by Julie Flett, published by Greystone Kids

Described as a “love letter to family, home, and Indigenous traditions” by Kirkus reviews, Still This Love Goes On by world renown Cree singer-songwriter Buffy Saint-Marie, and illustrated by award-winning Cree-Metis author-illustrator, Julie Flett, is exactly that. Based on her song of the same name, the lyrics/text of this picture book beat to a gentle rhyming rhythm, much like the rhythm of changing seasons in northern Alberta that this book so beautifully depicts. From winter – “Sat beside the beaver damn and watched winter grow” to summer when “Once, I saw the summer flowers turn the fields to sun”. While Saint-Marie describes within the book’s endnote writing the song as “taking pictures with my heart of the things I see on the reserve”, Julie Flett further brings the narrative to life with her stunning illustrations.  Rendered in pencil and pastels and composed digitally, vast landscapes grace double-paged spreads featuring earth tones of buffalo running across fields, deeply shadowed hills against the looming night sky, or the mossy green hills where jingle dancers prance hand in hand.

Still This Loves Goes On in both text and illustration, is an ode to Cree worldview: “In every dream I can smell the sweetgrass burning/ And in my heart always hear the drum”. The refrain “still this love goes on” speaks to the everlasting memory and love of home, those we miss, and those we hold dear to our heart. Read-, sing-, or hum along – this upbeat and uplifting book is timeless, and while culturally specific, will captivate all audiences alike with its universal themes of home, love, and family. The back matter of Still This Love Goes On includes the musical score for the song and notes from Sainte-Marie and Flett.  Named New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book of 2022.

Announcing the 2022 winner of the Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award

Congratulations to Julie Morstad for Time Is a Flower, winner of the 2022 Annual Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award.

Time Is a Flower, by Julie Morstad. Published by Tundra.

Julie Morstad’s Time is a flower is a deep yet playful reflection on our relationship with time through a child’s point of view. With great insight and sensibility, Morstad depicts instants of everyday life that reveal time’s many subtleties, from the eagerness of waiting for a tooth to fall, to the disappointment of a destroyed sandcastle, buried by a fast, unexpected wave.

The sparse poetic text contrasts with the vibrant, lively illustrations that mostly cover the full extension of each double spread. Bright splashes of fluorescent pink, hues of purple and green coexist with large areas of white, establishing a visual rhythm of expansion and contraction that somehow also resembles the nature of time: sometimes slow and frozen, others fast and dynamic. Every double spread is a new metaphor, an invitation to interpret, capture or explain the passage of time, through relatable and thought-provoking situations. As in her many previous books, Morstad proves to be a skillful storyteller, questioning the concept of time while proposing creative answers through the brilliant interplay of words and images. Time is a flower is an exemplary picturebook, both a work of literature and a work of art.

Announcing the 2022 Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award Shortlist!

The Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable is pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2022 Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award:

The winning book will be announced on September 5, 2022. The creators of that book will be speakers at a live or virtual event later this fall.

  • We Dream Medicine Dreams, by Lisa Boivin, Published by Highwater Press.
  • The Big Bad Wolf in My House, by Valérie Fontaine and Nathalie Dion and translated by Shelley Tanaka, Published by Groundwood.
  • Journey around the Sun: The Story of Halley’s Comet, by James Gladstone and illustrated by Yaara Eshet, Published by Owlkids Books.
  • Aquanaut, by Jill Heinertha and illustrated by Jaime Kim, Published by Tundra
  • Time Is a Flower, by Julie Morstad, Published by Tundra.
  • Anonymouse, by Vikki VanSickle with pictures by Anna Pirolli, Published by Tundra.

Brief descriptions of each book:

We Dream Medicine Dreams, by Lisa Boivin. Published by Highwater Press.

We Dream Medicine Dreams is an invitation into the spiritual world of the Dene people. The many degrees of intimacy between child and adult are sweetly illustrated and paralleled through Indigenous stories and portrayals of bears, hawks, wolves, and caribou that are surrounded and cared for by their animal, human, and non-human kin. The child’s voice delivers an elegy that is reflective of the sensory experience of death amidst the ethereal world of dreaming. The bright, textured artwork of flora and fauna superimposes the natural and supernatural upon a clinical hospital environment, casting an overall sentiment of acceptance and growth. Each full page spread provides a visual cue to pause and absorb the book’s richness and consider how one might translate traditional wisdom into the modern world. As the girl cycles back to her Grandpa’s original teachings, readers are comforted in understanding the infinite ways that ancestors live on.

The Big Bad Wolf in My House, by Valérie Fontaine and Nathalie Dion, And translated by Shelley Tanaka. Published by Groundwood.

The difficult subject of domestic abuse is handled delicately but with intention in The Big Bad Wolf in My House. Through a familiar narrative, Valérie Fontaine (and translator, Shelley Tanaka) capture the terror and invasiveness of an unwelcome presence within the home. The body language and diminutive features of the young girl and her mother, coupled with a spacious landscape of muted colours, draw out feelings of isolation and the tangible distance between characters. The eventual escape from this prison comes in a flash, driven by the resolve of a mother and the strength she is finally able to gather. The other house, however, is not without shadows – expertly depicted by Nathalie Dion in the concluding pages. The kitchen “full of people” alludes to the grim statistics of how many victims exist and that there is still darkness ahead to confront but, for now, there is hope.

Journey around the Sun: The Story of Halley’s Comet, by James Gladstone and illustrated by Yaara Eshet. Published by Owlkids Books

In 1758, a comet speeding past our skies was named after Edward Halley, who had predicted its return fifty years earlier based on careful calculations and research. But Halley’s Comet has been with us for millennia, and James Gladstone and Yaara Eshet’s book beautifully illustrates the life and perspective of this mysterious rock as it orbits the sun. A bushy star, a flaming sword slicing through the cosmos—Gladstone’s text pairs both brief, delightful descriptions of the comet’s journey with more detailed historical notes. Eshet’s illustrations give intricate spreads and panels of the comet’s character as it has been understood through the ages. From prehistoric cave sketches to a possible future of watching the comet through the windows of a spacecraft, Gladstone and Eshet’s book gives a touching sense of perspective and scale as it demonstrates humanity’s connection to the broader universe.

Aquanaut, by Jill Heinerth and illustrated by Jaime Kim. Published by Tundra.

With so many possibilities available to share the story of underwater explorer, Jill Heinerth, and her remarkable expeditions, the picture book format was a captivating choice. Readers journey through Heinerth’s dreams and uncertainties into a world that few of us have ever seen up close. Rather than approaching the subject as an explicit autobiography or informational text, The Aquanaut leans into the wonder of the deep sea through sparse yet precise first-person language that lends well to multiple interpretations. The story is paced with full-page landscapes and each turn of the page is a delightful surprise. Jaime Kim’s stunning artwork enhances the narrative through her skillful use of shape, value, and alternating colour palettes of blue and yellow. This book celebrates the realization of childhood desires from a surreal new perspective and also women in specialty STEM fields.

Time Is a Flower, by Julie Morstad. Published by Tundra.

Julie Morstad’s Time is a flower is a deep yet playful reflection on our relationship with time through a child’s point of view. With great insight and sensibility, Morstad depicts instants of everyday life that reveal time’s many subtleties, from the eagerness of waiting for a tooth to fall, to the disappointment of a destroyed sandcastle, buried by a fast, unexpected wave.

The sparse poetic text contrasts with the vibrant, lively illustrations that mostly cover the full extension of each double spread. Bright splashes of fluorescent pink, hues of purple and green coexist with large areas of white, establishing a visual rhythm of expansion and contraction that somehow also resembles the nature of time: sometimes slow and frozen, others fast and dynamic. Every double spread is a new metaphor, an invitation to interpret, capture or explain the passage of time, through relatable and thought-provoking situations. As in her many previous books, Morstad proves to be a skillful storyteller, questioning the concept of time while proposing creative answers through the brilliant interplay of words and images. Time is a flower is an exemplary picturebook, both a work of literature and a work of art.

Anonymouse. by Vikki VanSickle with pictures by Anna Pirolli. Published by Tundra.

 Can a tiny, unknown street artist mouse change a big city? Of course, he can. As he transforms his town’s forgotten nooks–roofs, abandoned buildings, garbage bins, and sewers–into vibrant graffiti masterpieces, the other animals are also inspired to look at their surroundings in a new light, realizing everyone can be an artist. And that art is definitely for everyone.

Author Vikki VanSickle and illustrator Anna Pirolli’s Anonymouse is a brilliantly crafted picturebook that takes advantage of the interplay between words and images to surprise and delight. Fluorescent pink graffiti seems to jump out of each page in Pirolli’s almost monochromatic settings, enhancing the visual effect while filling the many gaps cleverly left by VanSickle in her short yet short, somewhat mysterious text. The resulting narrative is a playful, refreshing and thought-provoking story that highlights the power of street art at its best (thank you, Banksy!) and the joy of discovering the world can be one’s canvas.

Save the Date!

Illustration by Kathie Shoemaker.

Children’s Writers and Illustrators of B.C. (CWILL) & the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable (VCLR)

cordially invite you to our

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

Saturday, March 19, 2022

It’s just for you.

It’s for you being a loyal and supportive member of VCLR & for our CWILL members to celebrate their great work.

Join us on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 2:00 pm

at University Golf Club, 5185 University Blvd. Vancouver.

Free parking. Silent Auction

Please sign up for the event

While there is no cost to attend we need to know how many people are coming for our food and beverage order. 

We look forward to seeing you in person on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 2pm.


LOCATION: University Golf Club, 5185 University Blvd, Vancouver, B.C. 

University Golf Club has free parking. and is on the 4, 9 and 14 bus lines that travel along University Golf Club.