Month: May 2021

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.

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/.