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Skipping Stones Youth Honor Award Winners Announced

Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre 2010 Exhibits~ Australia

Beijing International Book Fair~ ongoing until Sep 3, Beijing, China

Taranaki Children’s Book Festival~ ongoing until  Sep 4, Taranaki, New Zealand

Western Australia Spring Poetry Festival and National Poetry Week~ ongoing until  Sep 5, Australia

Melbourne Writers Festival: Stories From Every Angle~ ongoing until Sep 5, Melbourne, Australia

Singapore International Storytelling Festival~ ongoing until Sep 8, Singapore

Childrens Books Ireland and SCBWI Ireland Present: Between The Lines, an information seminar on writing and illustrating for children ~ Sep 11, Dublin, Ireland

Dromkeen Exhibitions: Mbobo Tree, The Race for the Chinese Zodiac, and Stranded~ ongoing until Sep 17, Dromkeen, Australia

2010 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition of Children’s Books~ ongoing until  Sep 26, Nishinomiya, Japan

An Exquisite Vision: The Art of Lisbeth Zwerger~ongoing until Sep 26, Amherst, MA, USA

Lee and Low’s Books New Voices Award Entry Submissions~ ongoing until Sep 30, USA

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Exhibit: Golden Kite, Golden Dreams: the SCBWI Awards~ ongoing until Oct 1, Abilene, TX, USA

International Youth Library Exhibition: The Treasury of Binette Schroeder~ ongoing until Oct  1, Munich, Germany

Words+Pictures=Book, Contemporary Malaysian Picture Book Illustration~ ongoing until Oct 3, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Mirror, an Exhibition by Children’s Author and Artist Jeannie Baker~ ongoing until Oct 10, Australia

Dromkeen National Centre for Picture Book Art Exhibit: From the Collection~ ongoing until Oct 24, Riddells Creek, Australia

International Youth Library Exhibit: Shaun Tan, Pictures and Books~ ongoing until Oct 31, Munich, Germany

Everyday Adventures Growing Up: Art from Picture Books ~ ongoing until Nov 28, Chicago, IL, USA

Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2011~ entries accepted until Dec 31, Singapore

Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Annual Conference~ Sep 1 – 3, Brisbane, Australia

Brisbane Writers Festival~ Sep 1 – 5, Brisbane, Australia

Moscow International Book Fair~ Sep 1 – 6, Moscow, Russia

Writers’ and Literary Translators’ International Congress ~ Sep 2 – 5, Istanbul, Turkey

Bendigo Children’s Literature Conference: Texts Mark the Spot – Getting Real: Debating the what, why and how of realism in children’s and YA texts~ Sep 3 – 4, Bendigo, Australia

Asian Digital Storytelling Congress: Beyond Words ~ Sep 4, Singapore

CYA Later, Alligator – Children’s and Young Adult Writers And Illustrators Conference~ Sep 4, Brisbane, Australia

KATHA’s I Love Reading! Week~ Sep 4 – 10, Delhi, India

International Literacy Day~ Sep 8

UNESCO Literary Prize Awards Presentation~ Sep 8, Paris, France

IBBY’s Biennial Congress: The Strength of Minorities~ Sep 8 – 12, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Nu Wa International Storytelling Tour of China~ Sep 10 – 26, China

The Kennedy Center’s 15th Annual Multicultural Children’s Book Festival~ Sep 11, Washington, D.C., USA

African Library Project’s 5th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser~ Sep 11, Menlo Park, CA, USA

SCBWI Ireland Conference~ Sep 11, Dublin, Ireland

First International Conference on Language, Literature and Cultural Studies~ Sep 11 – 13, Skele, Albania

Book Blogger Appreciation Week~ Sep 13 – 17

The Manila International Book Fair: Words Without Borders~ Sep 15 – 19, Manila, Philippines

International Children’s and Youth Literature Festival~ Sep 15 – 25, Berlin, Germany

Hispanic Heritage Month~ Sep 15 – Oct 15, USA

Chapter & Verse, a Book Club for Adults Discussing Children’s Lit~ Sep 16, USA

Children’s Author Virginia Pilegard to Speak at Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature~ Sep 17, Fresno, CA, USA

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival~ Sep 17 – 19, Eden Mills, ON, Canada

3rd International Biennial SCBWI Australia and New Zealand Conference~ Sep 17 – 19, Sydney, Australia

SCBWI Children’s Book Seminar~ Sep 18, Iloilo City, Philippines

Adarna House’s 30th Anniversary Celebration and Storybook Launch~ Sep 18, Pasay City, Philippines

PINKS Festival – Penang International Kids Storytelling Festival~ Sep 18, George Town, Malaysia

57th St. Children’s Book Fair~ Sep 19, Chicago, IL, USA

Telling Tales: A Family Festival of Stories~ Sep 19, Rockton, ON, Canada

Thin Air – Winnipeg International Writers Festival~ Sep 19 – 26, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

International Day of Peace~ Sep 21

What Children’s Literature Tells Us~ Sep 21, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Eric Carle: A Feast for the Eyes~ Sep 21 – Mar 20, Amherst, MA, USA

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Biennial Institute~ Sep 23 – 25, Atlanta, GA, USA

Göteborg Book Fair~ Sep 23 – 26, Göteborg, Sweden

Wigtown Book Festival~ Sep 24 – Oct 3, Wigtown, United Kingdom

Bath Festival of Children’s Literature~ Sep 24 – Oct 3, Bath, United Kingdom

Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales and Childhood~ Sep 25, Amherst, MA, USA

National Book Festival~ Sep 25, Washington, D.C., USA

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read~ Sep 25 – Oct 2, USA

The Word on the Street National Book and Magazine Festival: Celebrating Reading. Advocating Literacy. ~ Sep 26, Canada

School Library Association of Queensland / International Association of School Librarianship Joint Conference~ Sep 27 – Oct 2, Brisbane, Australia

Canwest Raise-a-Reader Day~ Sep 29, Canada

The Carle Honors 2010~ Sep 30, Amherst, MA, USA

Northwoods Children’s Book Conference~ Sep 30 – Oct 1, Cable, WI, USA

Reading Association of Ireland Annual Conference~ Sep 30 – Oct 2, Dublin, Ireland

The Children’s Bookshow: Stories From Around The World~ Sep 22 – Nov 17, United Kingdom

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World Book Fair~ ongoing until Jun 7, Singapore

SCBWI Hawaii Illustrators’ Exhibit: The Art of Picture Books~ ongoing until Jun 16, Honolulu, HI, USA

Skipping Stones Magazine’s Youth Honor Award Program – Multicultural Awareness and Nature Appreciation~ entries accepted until Jun 25

Dromkeen National Centre for Picture Book Art Exhibit: Seven Little Australians~ ongoing until Jun 25, Riddells Creek, Australia

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Exhibit: Why Grow Up? Etienne Delessert~ ongoing until Jun 26, Abilene, TX, USA

Monash Woodfest~ ongoing until Jul 31, Monash, Australia

International Youth Library Exhibit: Darkness Had fallen, The Night-time World in International Children’s Literature~ ongoing until Jul 31, Munich, Germany

Monsters and Miracles: A Journey Through Jewish Picture Books~ ongoing until  Aug 1, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Dromkeen National Centre for Picture Book Art Exhibit: From the Collection~ ongoing until Oct 24, Riddells Creek, Australia

Expo 2010~ ongoing until  Oct 31, Shanghai, China

Everyday Adventures Growing Up: Art from Picture Books~ ongoing until Nov 28, Chicago, IL, USA

Hedwig Anuar Children’s Book Award 2011~ entries accepted until Dec 31, Singapore

Canadian Library Association National Conference and Trade Show~ Jun 2 – 5, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Tracing the History of Translated Children’s Fiction in New Zealand: Problems and Insights~ Jun 3, Wellington, New Zealand

The 2010 Young Authors’ Fiction Festival Celebration~ Jun 4, Paris, France

Once Upon an Island: The Waiheke Festival of Story~ Jun 4 – 7, Auckland, New Zealand

Nairn Book and Arts Festival~ Jun 5 – 13, Nairn, United Kingdom

Librarian’s Day~ Jun 7, Cuba

The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award Winners Announced~ Jun 8, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Children’s Literature Association’s 2010 Conference: Children’s Literature and Media~ Jun 10 – 12, Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor, MI, USA

International Youth Library Exhibit: Shaun Tan, Pictures and Books~ Jun 10 – Oct 31, Munich, Germany

SCBWI Tokyo Translation Day 2010:  Bringing Japanese Children’s Books to the World~ Jun 12, Yokohama, Japan

3rd Annual Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival~ Jun 12 – 13, Los Angeles, CA, USA

SCBWI Philippines Children’s Lit Booktalk~ Jun 14, Makati City, Philippines

International Day of the African Child~ Jun 16

The Torquay Froth and Bubble Literary Festival~ Jun 16 – 20, Torquay, Australia

Biennial Conference on Literature and Hawaii’s Children~ Jun 17 – 19, Honolulu, HI, USA

Borders Book Festival~ Jun 17 – 20, Melrose, United Kingdom

Children’s and Young Adult Literature in New Zealand Symposium~ Jun 18 – 20, Wellington, New Zealand

World Refugee Day~ Jun 20

CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children’s Book Awards Winners Announced~ Jun 24, London, United Kingdom

American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference~ Jun 24 – 29, Washington, D.C., USA

ALSC Activities During the ALA Annual Conference~ Jun 24 – 30, Washington, D.C., USA

YALSA Activities During the ALA Annual Conference~ Jun 24 – 30, Washington, D.C., USA

ALA Kidlit Drink Night hosted by SCBWI Mid-Atlantic~ Jun 25, Washington, D.C., USA

“Libraries to the World” National and International Library Collections of Materials for Young People ~ Jun 26, Washington, D.C., USA

Sunthorn Phu Day (celebrated poet)~ Jun 26, Thailand

Canadian Multiculturalism Day~ Jun 27, Canada

Third Annual Children’s Literature Conference~ Jun 28, Los Angeles, CA, USA

PROtrack Program Children’s Publishing in the Digital Age~ Jun 30, Fairfax, VA, USA

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Guadalajara Book Fair~ ongoing until Dec 7, Guadalajara, Mexico

Jewish Book Month~ ongoing until Dec 22, Canada and USA

Artifacts of Childhood: 700 Years of Children’s Books Exhibition~ ongoing until Jan 17, Chicago, IL, USA

Summer Reading Club 2009~ ongoing until Feb 15, Australia

Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes: The Art of Children’s Books Exhibition~ ongoing until Mar 8, Amherst, MA, USA

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI Tokyo) Illustrators Exhibition~ Dec 1 – 14, Tokyo, Japan

Australian Poetry Slam 2008 – National Finals~ Dec 4, Sydney, Australia

Dromkeen Annual Literary Luncheon and Presentation of the Dromkeen’s Librarian Award~ Dec 5, Riddells Creek, Australia

University of the Philippine’s Writer’s Day~ Dec 5, Manila, Philippines

Barefoot Books Young Storyteller Competition Winners Announced~ Dec 6, Bath, United Kingdom

5th Annual Frostburg Storybook Holiday: A Community Celebration Through Children’s Literature~ Dec 6, Frostburg, MD, USA

Meet Four Children’s Authors From Pemmican Publications, Canada’s Only Dedicated Métis Press~ Dec 6, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Nordic Festival at Seven Stories, The Centre for Children’s Books~ Dec 6 – 7, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

PJ Lynch “The Champion of Picture Book Illustration in Ireland”~ Dec 8, Dublin, Ireland

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Meet the Author Event~ Dec 10, Paris, France

2008 Governor General’s Literary Awards Presentation~ Dec 10, Ottawa, ON, Canada

1st International Conference on Popular Culture and Education in Asia~ Dec 11 – 13, Hong Kong

American Identity in Children’s Literature Symposium~ Dec 13, Chicago, IL, USA

The Best of the Best in 2008: Distinguished American Picture Books for Children~ Dec 13, Amherst, MA, USA

Artist Reception for Illustrator Felipe Dávalos and his Exhibit “Tiempo de Niños/ Time for Children”~ Dec 13, Sacramento, CA, USA

Mantles of Myth – The Narrative in Indian Textiles~ Dec 13 – 15, Jaipur, India

6th Annual Houston Latino Book & Family Festival~ Dec 13 – 14, Houston, TX, USA

Exhibit: The Magical Toy Shop -Trade and Enterprise in Children’s Books~ Dec 13 – Mar 6, Toronto, ON, Canada

4th Karachi International Book Fair~ Dec 26 – 30, Karachi, Pakistan

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19th Annual Children’s Books Illustrated Exhibit~ ongoing until Apr 25, Hayward, CA, USA

Bologna Children’s Book Fair~ Mar 31 – Apr 3, Bologna, Italy

Awards and Artistry Exhibit: Celebrating the Children’s Book Council of Australia ‘Books of the Year’~ ongoing until June, Dromkeen Museum, Australia

Kiriyama Prize Winners Announced~ Apr 1, USA

International Children’s Book Day~ Apr 2

Seattle Rainbow Bookfest~ Apr 5, Seattle, WA, USA

The Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth ~ Apr 10 – 11, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA

14th Celebration of Children’s Literature~ Apr 12, Berkeley, CA, USA

ALA National Library Week~ Apr 13 – 19, USA

14th Annual Border Book Festival~ Apr 18 – 20, Mesilla, NM, USA

Brighton Children’s Book Festival ‘Leaping From the Page’~ Apr 19 – 20, University of Brighton, UK

World Book and Copyright Day: Sponsored by UNESCO ~ Apr 23

Camara Chilena del Libro Book Fair~ Apr 23 – 30, Santiago, Chile

Buenos Aires Book Fair~ Apr 24 – May 10, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Américas Award Winners Announced~ Apr 25

13th Annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books~ Apr 26 – 27, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Winners Announced~ Apr 28, New York, NY, USA

2nd Marathon In Storytelling~ Apr 28 – 29, Quito, Ecuador

El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day)~Apr 30, USA

Adding to our recent website update on illustrators…

Last autumn at Dromkeen, the children’s literature museum in Australia, I saw an exhibit of startlingly accomplished children’s drawings of Antarctica: an artistic collaboration between Australian writer-illustrator Alison Lester and schoolchildren worldwide. During Alison’s Antarctic Arts Fellowship trip to Antarctica in 2005, her Kids Antarctic Art Project began with a diary emailed to the children, who drew pictures of what they imagined from her reports. In a fascinating Australian Antarctic Magazine article, Alison demonstrates the process of adding her own design and color sense to the kids’ drawings, with examples.

Thanks to the internet, this much-loved writer-illustrator is available internationally, 24/7: take a look at these charming and informative excerpts from master classes with kids and from an interview about her creative process.

Purr, Moo, and Roar are Alison’s new series for very young children. Her best-selling book internationally, Imagine, has been translated into 10 languages. An exhibition of original illustrations for her recent and wildly popular Are We There Yet? picture book (about traveling around Australia) is being curated by Books Illustrated. (More on Books Illustrated here.)

Alison’s Antarctica trip has inspired two books so far. Snoopy Sparks Goes South is the journal of a young detective who travels south with her aunt, a bryologist (a moss biologist). She and Coral Tulloch, another former Arts Fellow, are sharing the writing and illustration of One Small Island, The Destruction and Regeneration of Macquarie Island. They plan to finish the book by 2009.

 

A visit to Dromkeen is a magical immersion in the world of Australian children’s literature. On beautiful grounds with long vistas of the surrounding countryside, Dromkeen is the former country home of children’s book sellers and supporters Court and Joyce Oldmeadow. Now owned and administered by Scholastic Australia, the property houses the Oldmeadows’ collection of early Australian children’s books, a reference library, and a children’s library, as well as their lovingly assembled Dromkeen Collection of valuable original materials–manuscripts, drafts, sketches, book dummies, story boards and other evidence of the process of book production, over 6,000 pieces in all.

These resources are put to regular use by 7500 visitors annually. Schoolchildren come on day trips and for 3-day bookmaking workshops with illustrators and writers. (They stay at a nearby camp.) Teachers come for professional development seminars. Uni students and graduate scholars come to peruse the primary source materials. Changing displays of illustrators’ work occupy the four large public gallery rooms of the house. There’s an adjoining building where other art is exhibited and visitors can picnic or have tea on the grounds while they watch and listen to the peacocks–and the screeching cockatoos!

In warm weather, a writer arrives monthly on Sunday afternoons to read a story to visitors young and old. There’s a magic cape, decorated by Australia’s most beloved illustrators, and a throne-like storytelling chair. An outdoor sculpture garden features bronzes of characters from Aussie classics like the gumbaby from Meg Gibbs‘ 1918 Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. For a list of outstanding children’s books about the Australian natural environment, including Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, click here. (And here for Tim Young’s new book, Drawn to Enchant, documenting American children’s book illustration from the Yale Beinecke Library.)

Dromkeen also has a dvd library of writers and artists talking about their work and has recently published two Sketchbook dvds as teaching resources, “Illustrators at Work” and “Producing a Picture Book.” In each, noted illustrators, some also authors, demonstrate their process.The prestigious Dromkeen Medal has been awarded annually since 1982 for “significant contribution to the appreciation and development of children’s literature in Australia,” and a Librarian’s Award is also conferred yearly.

Dromkeen is only about an hour’s drive out of Melbourne, north of the airport. It’s a treasure that’s certainly worth the trip. Many thanks to Judith Macdonald for making my visit possible!

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Karachi International Book Fair~ Nov 30 – Dec 3, Pakistan

Carter G. Woodson Book Awards Presentation~ Dec 1, San Diego, CA, USA

Robert’s Snow: for Cancer’s Cure Final Auction~ Dec 3 – 7, USA

Australian Poetry Slam Grand Final~ Dec 7, Australia

Dromkeen Literary Luncheon and Presentation of the Dromkeen Librarian’s Award~ Dec 7, Australia

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Booktalk and Group Critique~ Dec 10, Philippines

2007 Governor General’s Literary Awards – Public reading by all award winners~ Dec 12, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Nestle Children’s Book Prize Winners Announced~ Dec 12, England

2007 Governor General’s Literary Awards Presentation~ Dec 13, Ottawa, ON, Canada