The winners for the 2008 Governor General’s Literary Awards were announced last week by the Canada Council for the Arts. Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will present the winners with their awards in Ottawa on December 10. This year marks the 72^nd presentation of the Governor General’s Literary Awards, Canada’s oldest and most prestigious awards for English and French-language Canadian literature. PaperTigers congratulates the following winners in the categories of Children’s Literature – Text and Children’s Literature – Illustration:

Children’s Literature – Text

The Landing written by John Ibbitson, Washington (D.C.), formerly of Ottawa and Toronto
“A superbly crafted story, The Landing takes us to the Ontario Muskoka region of the 1930s. As an interpretation of a place and time and a young man’s coming-of-age, it never falters. It is a novel as timeless as the music and the adolescent imagination that lie at its centre.”

Les trois lieues written by Sylvie Desrosiers, Longueuil, Quebec

“Sylvie Desrosiers has written a profoundly moving story about the difficult relationship between a father and son. The book takes us on an extraordinary adventure in the far North, a place where magic is closely connected to reality. A gentle reflection on courage, forgiveness, life, love and death.”

Children’s Literature – Illustration

Stéphane Jorisch, Montreal, The Owl and the Pussycat, text by Edward Lear.

“Light, poetic, playful, imaginative, bizarre and ingenious illustrations match the text superbly. Stéphane Jorisch’s art brings new colour and depth to this well-known poem. Sit down in an armchair with this book and let it transport you into its magical world.” Nominated in two categories in 2008, this is Jorisch’s fourth award as the winner in this category.

Janice Nadeau, Montreal, Ma meilleure amie, text by Gilles Tibo.

“Janice Nadeau uses a quiet, sober approach to illustrate the delicate subject of death. Her brushstroke evokes ashes and dust, and the restrained use of colour imbues Ma meilleure amie with an emotional charge that goes straight to the heart.”

(Click on event name for more information)

Children’s Book Holiday~ Mongolia

Grimm Stuff: Folktales and Fairy Stories Exhibition~ ongoing until Nov 8, Wellington, New Zealand

Book Week~ ongoing until Nov 9, Japan

28th Santiago International Book Fair~ ongoing until Nov 16, Santiago, Chile

The Heart of Innocence: Exhibition of Works for Children by Czech Illustrators~ ongoing until Nov 23, Macau

Children’s Literature Festival~ Nov 1, Keene, NH, USA

The Kennedy Center’s 13th Annual Multicultural Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 1, Washington, D.C., USA

The Once Upon a World Children’s Book Award Festival~ Nov 2, Los Angeles, CA, USA

TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award Winners Announced~ Nov 6, Toronto, ON, Canada

Kaleidoscope Children’s Literature Conference: Bridging Worlds ~ Nov 6 – 8, Calgary, AB, Canada

YALSA’s Young Adult Literature Symposium: How We Read Now~ Nov 7 – 9, Nashville, TN, USA

12th Annual Rochester Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 8, Rochester, NY, USA

17th Annual Connecticut Children’s Book Fair~ Nov 8 – 9, Storrs, CT, USA

National Young Reader’s Day~ Nov 10 – 14, USA

Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes: The Art of Children’s Books Exhibition~ Nov 11 – Mar 8/09, Amherst, MA, USA

28th Indonesia Book Fair~ Nov 12 – 16, Jakarta, Indonesia

National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) 18th International Conference~ Nov 12 – 16, New Orleans, LA, USA

National Book Week~ Nov 14 – 20, India

IBBY/NCRCL Conference: Ecology, Environment and Children’s Literature~ Nov 15, London, United Kingdom

7th Annual National Pacific Islander Educator Network (NPIEN) Conference~ Nov 15, Paramount, CA, USA

Children’s Book Week: Classic Canadian Reading~ Nov 15 – 22, Canada

National Library Board’s 9th Asian Children’s Festival~ Nov 15 – 23, Singapore

Govenor General’s Literary Award Winners Announced~ Nov 18, Montreal, QC, Canada

26th Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference~ Nov 19 – 23, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Children’s Literature Assembly Events at the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention~ Nov 20 – 23, San Antonio, TX, USA

7th Annual International Children’s and Young Adult Literature Celebration~ Nov 22, Madison, WI, USA

Bookaroo: India’s First Ever Festival of Children’s Literature~ Nov 22 – 23, New Delhi, India

Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) Workshop: Negotiations & Love Songs:The Literature of Young Adults~ Nov 24 – 25, San Antonio, TX, USA

Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse: Children’s Books & Magazines~ Nov 26 – Dec 1, France

Guadalajara Book Fair~ Nov 29 – Dec 7, Guadalajara, Mexico

The Canada Council for the Arts has announced the finalists for this year’s Governor General’s Literary Awards. The prizes are awarded to the finest in Canadian fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 10 am. EST at the McCord Museum of Canadian History in Montreal.

Below are the finalists in the children’s book category. For a complete list, please visit the award’s website.

Children’s Literature (Text):

Libertad by Alma Fullerton (Fitzhenry & White)
The Landing by John Ibbitson (Kids Can Press)
Shimmerdogs by Dianne Linden (Thistledown Press)
Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji (Second Story Press)
Skim by Mariko Tamaki (Groundwood)

Children’s Literature (Illustration):

My Letter to the World and Other Poems illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, text by Emily Dickinson (Kids Can Press)
The Emperor’s Second Hand Clothes illustrated by Josee Bisaillon, text by Anne Millyard (Smith, Bonappetit & Son)
Yellow Moon, Apple Moon illustrated by Matt James, text by Pamela Porter (Groundwood)
The Owl and the Pussycat illustrated by Stephane Jorisch, text by Edward Lear (Kids Can Press)
Shin-chi’s Canoe illustrated by Kim LaFave, text by Nicola I. Campbell (Groundwood)