Administered by the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable, the Sheila Barry Best Canadian Picturebook of the Year Award has been granted since 2021 to a picturebook author/illustrator in honor of the late Sheila Barry, a highly regarded publisher at Groundwood Books and beloved editor.
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.”
Criteria
- The book must exhibit a seamless integration of the verbal and visual modes. In the case of a wordless book then it must be a seamless integration of the unwritten narrative that can be inferred from the well sequenced series of images.
- The book must be written in English by a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant and must be published by a Canadian publisher during 2024.
- Revisions and reprints of previously published works are not eligible for the award.
- In the case of self-published books, proof of professional editing must be submitted along with a confirmation that there is a current print run of at least 350 copies.
- A three-person jury will select the winning book and honour books.
- The cash prize will go to the author/illustrator. In the case of a separate author and illustrator, the prize will be split 50/50.
Results
The shortlist will be announced on Canada Day.
The winning title and honour books will be announced on Labour Day.
Submissions
Please complete the submission form and mail 3 copies of each book plus a fee of $30 per title to the address below. You can submit your books along with a cheque made out to the Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable.
If the book is shortlisted, we will request brief bios for each author and/or illustrator, their photos, and contact information.
Deadline for submissions: April 15, 2025
Send books to:
Sheila Barry Picture Book Award
Attn: Award Chair
311 – 3787 West 4th Avenue,
Vancouver, BC V6R 1P4
About Sheila Barry and why we named this award after her.
2020 Award Winner Announcement: Small in the City by Sydney Smith
2021 Award Winner Announcement: Story Boat by Kyo Mclear, illustrated by Rashim Kheiriyeh
2022 Award Winner Announcement: Time is a Flower by Julie Morstad
2023 Award Winner Announcement: Lizzy and the Cloud by the Fan Brothers
2024 Award Winner Announcement: Do you Remember? by Sydney Smith