Abigail Sawyer regularly reviews books for us here at PaperTigers, and she’s also, in her own words, “a lifelong library lover and an advocate for access to books for all”, so who better to write an article for us about “unconventional libraries” and the children’s books they have inspired. Abigail lives in San Francisco, California, USA, where her two children attend a language-immersion elementary school and are becoming bilingual in English and Mandarin: an experience that has informed her work on the blog for the film Speaking in Tongues. I know you’ll enjoy reading this as much as I have.

On Traveling Libraries and Heroic ‘Book People’: Inspiring children’s books about getting books to people in remote places and difficult circumstances

My sons and I paid our first-ever visit to a bookmobile over the summer.  For us it was a novelty.  We have shelves of books at home and live just 3 blocks from our local branch library, but the brightly colored bus had pulled up right near the playground we were visiting in another San Francisco neighborhood (whose branch library was under renovation), and it was simply too irresistible.  Inside, this library on wheels was cozy, comfortable, and loaded with more books than I would have thought possible.  I urged my boys to practice restraint and choose only one book each rather than compete to reach the limit of how many books one can take out of the San Francisco Public Library system (the answer is 50; we’ve done it at least once).

The bookmobiles provide a great service even in our densely populated city where branch libraries abound.  There are other mobile libraries, however, that take books to children who may live miles from even the nearest modern road; to children who live on remote islands, in the sparsely populated and frigid north, in temporary settlements in vast deserts, and in refugee camps.  The heroic individuals who manage these libraries on boats, burros, vans, and camels provide children and the others they serve with a window on the world and a path into their own imaginations that would otherwise be impossible.

Shortly after my own bookmobile experience, Jeanette Winter‘s Biblioburro (Beach Lane Books, 2010), a tribute to Colombian schoolteacher Luis Soriano, who delivers books to remote hillside villages across rural Colombia, arrived in my mailbox to be reviewed for Paper Tigers.  I loved this book, as I do most of Winter’s work, for its bright pictures and simple, straightforward storytelling. Another picture book, Waiting for the Bibiloburro by Monica Brown (Tricycle Press, 2011), tells the story of Soriano’s famous project from the perspective of one of the children it serves, whose life expands beyond farm chores and housework thanks to Soriano and his burros.

I was moved, of course, by Soriano’s story, which got me thinking about another favorite picture book my children found at our branch library a few years ago: That Book Woman by Heather Henson (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2008) is a fictionalized account of one family’s experience with the Pack Horse Library Project, a little-known United States Works Progress Administration program that ran from 1935-1943.  The Pack Horse librarians delivered books regularly to families living deep in Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains.  In this inspiring story (more…)

We are delighted to welcome author Dashdondog Jamba to PaperTigers. A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the amazing Mobile Library he founded in Mongolia some twenty years ago and we also featured a reprint of an article he wrote for IBBY’s journal Bookbird. Dashdondog has published more than seventy books, some of which can be read in English on the ICDL; he also has a blog, which includes translations of some of his poems, as featured in a recent Poetry Friday post. I’m grateful to Ramendra Kumar for putting me in contact with Dashdondog initially, and to Dashdondog himself for taking my inability to communicate in Mongolian in his stride – as well as for sending some great photos.

You have devoted your life to making it possible for children to have access to books. Can you give us some background to what Mongolia was like when you started out as a writer in the 1960s?

In 1958 the agricultural collectivization policy, which entailed handing livestock over to cooperatives, was almost completed in Mongolia. And even though my family didn’t like it, we delivered our livestock to the agricultural cooperative. It was a difficult time for rural herders to part from their beloved livestock. I clearly remember the moment when my grandma was crying about the “pitiable livestock”, and breeding lambs and kids were bleating and trying to run back to their shelters. Yet writers had written that herders had given their livestock to the agricultural cooperatives voluntarily. At that time my first book was published by the State Publishing House. I was 17 years old and in secondary school. From my first book you can only feel the heart of a boy who loves his lambs and calves. So I am always glad that I chose children’s literature as a career far from politics.

What changes have you witnessed, and indeed been instrumental in over the years?

For me who has been witness of two different societies there is opportunity to compare their weaknesses and advantages. I thankfully welcomed democracy, which brought us the freedom to think and have our own opinions. The freedom declared by socialism was limited, like wearing tight clothes. I can bear witness to it because I was considered as anti-communist and punished by losing the right to publish books.

What prompted you to start your now famous travelling library?

In 1990 Mongolia renounced communism and chose democracy with a free-market economy. During the privatization of property former children’s organizations were not taken over by anybody because they were considered as profitless and uneconomic. The formerly state-run children’s book publishing house became a private school, the children’s library became a private bank and the children’s cinema became the stock exchange.

Even though I had fought against it, my efforts didn’t work. Then I asked myself what we should be writing for children in this new society to read. It was unthinkable to present them with books written along the lines of the only way we had open to us under the socialist regime.

I felt the only place that could answer my question was the International Youth Library in Munich: so I went there. They gave me their list of the best children’s books. And I started to translate those books and published 108 books with my own money. Then I founded the mobile library and provided the rural children with those books. That is the most suitable activity for the nomadic life.

The mobile library was awarded the IBBY-Asahi reading Promotion Award in 2006. In your acceptance speech you shared something that you tell the children who come to the library: “After eating candies there remains nothing. But after reading a book you will have it in your head.” You said that, in the same way that children like to eat sweets from around the world, you would use the award to make it possible for Mongolian children to enjoy books written and published in different countries. Has that indeed been possible? (more…)

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An Exquisite Vision: The Art of Lisbeth Zwerger~ ongoing until Jan 9, Hannover, Germany

Doll Eyes- Art Exhibit and Book Launch~ ongoing until Jan 14, Manila, Philippines

Magical Moominvalley: The World of the Moomins, Created by Finnish artist Tove Jansson~ ongoing until Jan 15, Lancashire, United Kingdom

Golden Kite, Golden Dreams: The SCBWI Awards Exhibit~ ongoing until Jan 16, Omaha, NE, USA

Summertime Reading Club~ ongoing until Jan 21, New Zealand

Monsters and Miracles: A Journey through Jewish Picture Books~ ongoing until Jan 23, Amherst, MA, USA

Drawn in Brooklyn Exhibit of Original Picture Book Art by Brooklyn Illustrators~ ongoing until Jan 23, Brooklyn, NY, USA

National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Presents From Houdini to Hugo: The Art of Brian Selznick~ ongoing until Jan 29, Abilene, TX, USA

Fins and Feathers: Original Children’s Book Illustrations from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art~ ongoing until Jan 30, Raleigh, NC, USA

Summer Reading Club: Scare Up a Good Story~ ongoing until Jan 31, Australia

The Golden Age of the Picture Book: 1920s & 1930s – History’s Message to Children~ ongoing until Feb 6, Tokyo, Japan

Tales in the Garden Festival~ ongoing until Feb 12, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand

Mirror, an Exhibition by Children’s Author and Artist Jeannie Baker~ ongoing until Feb 13, Australia

2011 Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award~ submissions accepted until Feb 25, United Kingdom

International Youth Library Exhibit: The Fabulous World of John Kilaka, Pictures and Drawings by a Tanzanian Artist~ ongoing until Feb 28, Munich, Germany

Mr Gumpy and Other Outings; Celebrating 50 years of John Burningham’s at Seven Stories~ ongoing until Mar, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books Exhibit: Winter Fun!~ ongoing until Mar 5, Toronto, ON, Canada

2011 PBBY-Alcala Prize~ submissions accepted until Mar 30, Philippines

International Youth Library Presents Walls: A Book and an Exhibition~ ongoing until Apr 5, Munich, Germany

Making Books Sing Presents a One-Woman Play Based on The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos by Lucía Gonzalez~ ongoing until spring, New York, NY, USA

Partners in Wonder: Selections from the Collection of Jane Yolen~ ongoing until May 1, Amherst, MA, USA

Look! The Art of Australian Picture Books Today~ ongoing until May 29, Melbourne, Australia

The Art Institute of Chicago Exhibit: Real and Imaginary: Three Latin American Artists – Raúl Colón, David Diaz and Yuyi Morales~ ongoing until May 29, Chicago, IL, USA

Witness: The Art of Jerry Pinkney~ ongoing until May 30, Stockbridge, MA, USA

Animal Fair: Birds, Beasts, and Bugs in Children’s Book Illustrations~ ongoing until Jun 5, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

Seven Stories Exhibit: There’s Nuffin Like a Puffin!~ ongoing until Jun 27, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom

International Youth Library Exhibit: The World in Miniature. The Family in Historic Picture Books and Children’s Literature~ ongoing until Aug 31, Munich, Germany

Launch of the 2011 Romeo Forbes Children’s Story Writing Competition~ Philippines

The Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation Winner Announced~ United Kingdom

2010 Cybils (the Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards) Finalists Announced~ Jan 1

Chennai Book Fair~ Jan 4 – 17, Chennai, India

Culture in Translation: Reception of Chinese Literature in the World~ Jan 6 – 8, Hong Kong

USBBY Events at the ALA Midwinter Meeting (2011 Outstanding International Books Announced and Presentation by Author Mitali Perkins)~ Jan 7, San Diego, CA, USA

American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting~ Jan 7 – 11, San Diego, CA, USA

ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Events at the ALA Midwinter Meeting~ Jan 7 – 11, San Diego, CA, USA

9th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities~ Jan 9 – 12, Honolulu, HI, USA

2011 American Library Association (ALA) Youth Media Awards Announced~ Jan 10, San Diego, CA, USA

Center for the Book Presents Author Kate Masur Discussing Her New Book An Example for All the Land: Emancipation and the Struggle Over Equality in Washington, D.C.~ Jan 12, Washington, D.C., USA

Golden Kite, Golden Dream Exhibit Event with David Diaz~ Jan 16, Omaha, NE, USA

Chapter & Verse’s (A Book Club for Adults Discussing Children’s Lit) January Meeting~ Jan 20, USA

Once Upon a Time… Lessons in Children’s Literature~ Jan 20, Springdale, AR, USA

The Influence of Children’s Literature on Adult Literature~ Jan 20, Reading, United Kingdom

Multicultural Literature in the Classroom – What, How & Why~ Jan 20, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Adaptation of Canonical Texts in Children’s Literature Symposium~ Jan 20 – 21, Ghent, Belgium

TD National Reading Summit II: Toward a Nation of Readers~ Jan 20 – 21, Montreal, QC, Canada

Jaipur Literature Festival~ Jan 21 – 25, Jaipur, India

What’s Happening with Children’s Books in the World?~ Jan 22, Tokyo, Japan

22nd Annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities~ Jan 22 – 30, Eatonville, Fl, USA

No Name-Calling Week~ Jan 24 – 28, USA and Canada

Invisible Storytellers: The Role of Translators in Children’s Literature~ Jan 25, London, United Kingdom

Yabun 2011: Celebrating Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Cultures~ Jan 26, Sydney, Australia

Galle Literary Festival~ Jan 26 – 30, Galle, Sri Lanka

Kolkata Book Fair~ Jan 26 – Feb 6, Kolkata, India

Family Literacy Day~ Jan 27, Canada

Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias~ Jan 27 – 30, Cartagena, Columbia

SCBWI Japan Presents Author/Illustrator Frané Lessac: Creating Global Children’s Books~ Jan 28, Tokyo, Japan

Buechner Lectureship Activities Fundraiser with National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (USA) Katherine Paterson~ Jan 28 – 29, Bristol, TN, USA

12th Annual SCBWI International Winter Conference~ Jan 28 – 30, New York, NY, USA

Children’s & Young Adults’ Book Fair~ Jan 28 – 31, Marousi, Greece

Children’s Literature in Wales~ Jan 29, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Asian Children’s Festival~ Jan 29 – 30, Singapore

Australian author Susanne Gervay (visit her website and blog) has had a very busy year this year and social justice has been high on her agenda. She is one of the contributors to Fear Factor: Terror Incognito, an anthology of short stories featuring ten Australian and ten Indian writers, edited by Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle (Macmillan Australia/ Picador India, 2010). She has been writing about her travels to India and Kiribati, a “Pacific atoll nation drowning under climate change”. She has just launched Always Jack, the third book about Jack, following on from her wonderful I Am Jack and Super Jack. Most recently, Susanne was in South Korea for the Nambook-010 Fesival, the 5th Nami Island International Children’s Book Festival. She was there because she was taking part in Peace Story, a very special project. We are very grateful to Susanne for telling us all about it here. For those of us who couldn’t be there in person, Susanne’s description and photographs are definitely the next best thing!

In these troubled times with North Korea’s military attack on South Korea, the international publication of Peace Story is poignant and important. Twenty-two children’s authors and twenty-two illustrators from twenty-two countries engaged in an international cooperative to create a unique anthology, Peace Story, for young people. Respected academic author on Irish children’s literature Valerie Coghlan and Irish Laureate for children’s literature Siobhán Parkinson were the co-editors of Peace Story.

‘Peace Story’ was part of the Nami Island International Children’s Book Festival, South Korea which was first held in 2005 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen. It is a six-week bi-annual festival of children’s books, the environment and peace, featuring outstanding exhibitions of children’s books and illustrations from all over the world. Much loved Korean illustrator Kang Woo-hyon, President of the Nambook-010 International Committee headed the ‘Peace Story’ project with the support of the Nami Island Minn family who published and translated some of the stories, and hosted the authors and illustrators on Nami Island. It was supported by National YMCA Korea, UNICEF and UNESCO Korea, the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, and Nami Island the official sponsor of the IBBY Hans Christian Anderson Awards.

My Australian story ‘To East Timor with Love Australia’, illustrated by the award-winning Frané Lessac, opens the anthology Peace Story. Frané Lessac’s vibrant colours of bright pink bougainvillea and yellow-centred frangipanis create a visual representation of loss of homeland through war, but also hope for the future. (more…)

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2011 PBBY-Salanga Prize Winner Announced~ Philippines

Dromkeen National Centre for Picture Book Art Exhibits~ Riddells Creek, Australia

December Kids Book Events~ Cairo, Egypt

Making Books Sing Presents a One-Woman Play Based on The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos by Lucía Gonzalez~ New York, NY, USA

Doha International Children’s Book Festival~ ongoing until Dec 2, Doha, Qatar

2010 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition~ ongoing until Dec 5, Nanao, Japan

Off the Page: Original Illustrations from NZ Picture Books~ ongoing until Dec 5, Ashburton, New Zealand

Guadalajara Book Fair~ ongoing until Dec 5, Guadalajara, Mexico

2011 Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards~ submissions accepted until Dec 17, Canada

Scholastic Asian Book Award~ submissions accepted until Dec 31, Singapore

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

An Exquisite Vision: The Art of Lisbeth Zwerger~ ongoing until Jan 9, Hannover, Germany

Monsters and Miracles: A Journey through Jewish Picture Books~ ongoing until Jan 23, Amherst, MA, USA

Drawn in Brooklyn Exhibit of Original Picture Book Art by Brooklyn Illustrators~ ongoing until Jan 23, Brooklyn, NY, USA

National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Presents From Houdini to Hugo: The Art of Brian Selznick~ ongoing until Jan 29, Abilene, TX, USA

Fins and Feathers: Original Children’s Book Illustrations from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art~ ongoing until Jan 30, Raleigh, NC, USA

Summer Reading Club: Scare Up a Good Story~ ongoing until Jan 31, Australia

2011 Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award~ submissions accepted until Feb 25, United Kingdom

International Youth Library Exhibit: The Fabulous World of John Kilaka, Pictures and Drawings by a Tanzanian Artist~ ongoing until Feb 28, Munich, Germany

Mr Gumpy and Other Outings; Celebrating 50 years of John Burningham’s at Seven Stories~ ongoing until Mar, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Witness: The Art of Jerry Pinkney~ ongoing until May 30, Stockbridge, MA, USA

International Youth Library Exhibit: The World in Miniature. The Family in Historic Picture Books and Children’s Literature~ ongoing until Aug 31, Munich, Germany

Salon du livre et de la presse jeunesse~ Dec 1 – 6, Montreuil, France

IBBY France Conference: 2nd European Encounter on Children’s Literature~ Dec 3, Paris, France

SCBWI France International Conference for Writers and Illustrators~ Dec 3 – 4, Paris, France

Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature~ Dec 3 – Jan 2, Concord, MA, USA

Look! The Art of Australian Picture Books Today~ Dec 3 – May 29, Melbourne, Australia

The Children’s Literature Centre at Frostburg State University Presents Storybook Holiday~ Dec 4, Frostburg, MD, USA

Read Out Loud! Family Literacy & Book Festival~ Dec 4, New York, NY, USA

SCBWI Tokyo Illustrators Exhibition: Every Picture Tells a Story~ Dec 7 – 12, Tokyo, Japan

Exhibition of Finalists of the 3rd CJ Picture Book Award~ Dec 8 – 28, Seoul, Korea

Carle Museum Professional Development Workshop: Picturing Stories~ Dec 10, Amherst, MA, USA

BookFest@Singapore~ Dec 10 – 19, Singapore

The Best of the Best in 2010 with Susan Bloom~ Dec 11, Amherst, MA, USA

Chapter & Verse’s (A Book Club for Adults Discussing Children’s Lit) Mock Newbery and Caldecott Discussions~ Dec 11, USA

The Art Institute of Chicago Exhibit: Real and Imaginary: Three Latin American Artists – Raúl Colón, David Diaz and Yuyi Morales~ Dec 11 – May 29, Chicago, IL, USA

Talking About Words and Pictures with Tony DiTerlizzi~ Dec 12, Amherst, MA, USA

Partners in Wonder: Selections from the Collection of Jane Yolen~ Dec 14 – May 1, Amherst, MA, USA

Coming of Age Around the World Book Discussion Group: Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins~ Dec 16, Watertown, MA, USA

Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books Exhibit: Winter Fun!~ Dec 18 – Mar 5, Toronto, ON, Canada

Kuala Lumpur Children’s Book Fair~ Dec 22 – 26, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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American Indian Heritage Month~ USA

November Events for Kids at Dar el Shorouk Stores~ Cairo, Egypt

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

SCBWI Write-ins to Celebrate National Novel Writing Month~ France

Sharjah International Book Fair and Announcement of the Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature Winner~ ongoing until Nov 6, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Antwerp Book Fair~ ongoing until Nov 11, Antwerp, Belgium

30th Santiago International Book Fair~ ongoing until Nov 14, Santiago, Chile

Nambook-010: The 5th Nami Island International Children’s Book Festival~ ongoing until  Nov 14, Nami, Korea

Entries Accepted for the 2011 PBBY-Salanga Prize~ ongoing until Nov 15, Philippines

The Children’s Bookshow: Stories From Around The World~ ongoing until Nov 17, United Kingdom

2010 Original Art: Celebrating the Fine Art of Children’s Book Illustration~ ongoing until Nov 24, New York, NY, USA

Scholastic Asian Book Award~ submissions accepted until Dec 31, Singapore

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

An Exquisite Vision: The Art of Lisbeth Zwerger~ ongoing until Jan 9, Hannover, Germany

Monsters and Miracles: A Journey through Jewish Picture Books~ ongoing until Jan 23, Amherst, MA, USA

Drawn in Brooklyn Exhibit of Original Picture Book Art by Brooklyn Illustrators~ ongoing until Jan 23, Brooklyn, NY, USA

National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Presents From Houdini to Hugo: The Art of Brian Selznick~ ongoing until Jan 29, Abilene, TX, USA

International Youth Library Exhibit: The World in Miniature. The Family in Historic Picture Books and Children’s Literature~ ongoing until Aug 31, Munich, Germany

EXEtreme Imagination: A Festival of Literature for Children and Young People~ Nov 1 – 7, Devon and Exeter, United Kingdom

Exclusive Screening: Library of the Early Mind~ Nov 2, New York, NY, USA

Asian Literacy Conference~Nov 3 – 5, Manila, Philippines

NAME’s (National Association for Multicultural Education) 20th Annual Conference ~ Nov 3 – 6, Las Vegas, NV, USA

An Evening with SCBWI Published Authors~ Nov 4, London, United Kingdom

Children’s Book Council of Australia – Zart Art Seminar~ Nov 4, Melbourne, Australia

YALSA’s Young Adult Literature Symposium: Diversity, Literature and Teens, Beyond Good Intentions~ Nov 5 – 7, Albuquerque, NM, USA

2010 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition~ Nov 5 – Dec 5, Nanao, Japan

Children’s Literature Council Fall Gala~ Nov 6, Los Angeles, CA, USA

14th Annual Rochester Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 6, Rochester, NY, USA

OKI (Ohio Kentucky Indiana) Children’s Literature Conference~ Nov 6, Crestview Hills, KY, USA

Adeline Foo’s Book Launch for Famous Amos’ 3rd Diary~ Nov 6, Singapore

8th International Conference on the Book~ Nov 6 – 8, St. Gallen, Switzerland

Once Upon A World Children’s Book Award Program~ Nov 7, Los Angeles, CA, USA

21st Annual Children’s Illustration Show~ Nov 7 – Jan 1, Northampton, MA, USA

Fins and Feathers: Original Children’s Book Illustrations from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art~ Nov 7 – Jan 30, Raleigh, NC, USA

SCBWI Children’s Lit Booktalk: Meet Author Luis Gatmaitan~ Nov 8, Manila, Philippines

1st Annual Children’s Poetry Festival~ Nov 8 – 10, San Salvador, El Salvador

National Young Readers Week~ Nov 8 – 12, USA

Northern Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 8 – 20, United Kingdom

International Youth Library Exhibit: The Fabulous World of John Kilaka, Pictures and Drawings by a Tanzanian Artist~ Nov 8 – Feb 28, Munich, Germany

Author Deb Ellis at Kidsbooks~ Nov 8 – 9, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Canadian Children’s Book Centre Awards Winners Announced~ Nov 9, Toronto, ON, USA

Storylines Betty Gilderdale Award Presentation~ Nov 10, Auckland, New Zealand

The Mazza Museum: International Art from Picture Books Weekend Conference~ Nov 12 – 13, Findlay, OH, USA

NBDCS Presents Literacy Instruction for Delayed Readers~ Nov 13, Singapore

Savannah Children’s Book Festival~ Nov 13, Savannah, GA, USA

The Foundation for Children’s Books Presents: What’s New in Children’s Books~ Nov 13, Boston, MA, USA

The 17th Annual British IBBY/NCRCL MA Children’s Literature Conference: Conflicts and Controversies~ Nov 13, London, United Kingdom

Connecticut Children’s Book Fair~ Nov 13 – 14, Storrs, CT, USA

The 108th Annual Conference of the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association~ Nov 13 – 14, Honolulu, HI, USA

SCBWI British Isle’s Third Conference For Writers & Illustrators~ Nov 13 – 14, Winchester, United Kingdom

National Book Week~ Nov 14 – 20, India

Bookaroo in the City! A Celebration of Books in Schools Across Delhi~ Nov 14 – 25, New Delhi, India

South Korean Adventure – Peace Story, Nambook-010~ Nov 15, Auckland, New Zealand

Author/Illustrator Seta Toroyan Presents: The Page Turn in the Picture Book- What it Does and How Children’s Writers and Illustrators Make Use of It~ Nov 16, Brooklyn, NY, USA

13th Literary Youth Festival at the Institut Français~ Nov 17 – 20, London, United Kingdom

28th Annual National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference “In the Tradition”~ Nov 17 – 21, Little Rock, AR, USA

2010 Fall Book Launch for Orca Books Authors~ Nov 18, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Manila International Literary Festival~ Nov 18 – 20, Manila, Philippines

Children’s Literature Assembly Events at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention~ Nov 18 – 22, Orlando, FL, USA

International Illustrators Forum~ Nov 19 – 20, Munich, Germany

International Children’s and Young Adult Literature Celebration: Open a Door… Open a Book…Open your Mind to the World~ Nov 20, Madison, WI, USA

USBBY Co-sponsored Session at the NCTE Annual Convention: Celebramos con Pura Belpré, Highlighting Hispanic Voices in Literature for Children and Teens~ Nov 21, Orlando, FL, USA

Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN) Sessions at the NCTE Annual Convention~ Nov 22 – 23, Orlando, FL, USA

Inky Awards Ceremony~ Nov 25, Melbourne, Australia

National Conference on Poetry~ Nov 25 – 26, Manila, Philippines

Bookaroo Children’s Literature Festival~ Nov 26 – 28, New Delhi, India

Calgary Children’s Book Fair and Conference~ Nov 27, Calgary, AB, Canada

Guadalajara Book Fair~ Nov 27 – Dec 5, Guadalajara, Mexico

SCBWI Japan Presents: Children’s Literature Scholar Leonard Marcus — Advice from a Legendary Editor: How Ursula Nordstrom Made Children’s Books That Last~ Nov 28, Tokyo, Japan

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Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre 2010 Exhibits~ Australia

Canadian Library  Month: Your Library, Your World~ Canada

National Book Month~ USA

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

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read~ ongoing until Oct 3, USA

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

National Young Writers’ Festival~ ongoing until  Oct 4, Newcastle, Australia

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

Hispanic Heritage Month~ ongoing until Oct 15, USA

3rd CJ Picture Book Award Submissions Accepted~ ongoing until Oct 20, Seoul, Korea

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

Entries Accepted for the 2011 PBBY-Salanga Prize~ ongoing until Nov 15, Philippines

The Children’s Bookshow: Stories From Around The World~ ongoing until Nov 17, United Kingdom

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

Eric Carle: A Feast for the Eyes~ ongoing until  Mar 20, Amherst, MA, USA

Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children’s Literature Awards Ceremony~ Oct 1, Boston, MA, USA

SCBWI Presents: Writing and Illustrating Long Walk to Freedom with Author Chris van Wyk and Illustrator Paddy Bouma~ Oct 1, Cape Town, South Africa

The Center for Children’s Literature Presents: The Business of Children’s Publishing~ Oct 1 – 2, Kenosha, WI, USA

Reading Association of Africa Annual Conference: It All Starts with Literacy~ Oct 1 – 3, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

5th Annual Cybils (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards) Nominations Open~ Oct 1 – 15

The Children’s Book Festival~ Oct 1 – 31, Ireland

Nambook-010: The 5th Nami Island International Children’s Book Festival~ Oct 1 – Nov 15, Nami, Korea

The Horn Book at Simmons: A One Day Colloquium~ Oct 2, Boston, MA, USA

2010 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition of Children’s Books~ Oct 2 – 31, Yokkaich, Japan

Orange County Children’s Book Festival~ Oct 3, Costa Mesa, CA, USA

14th Poetry Africa International Poetry Festival~ Oct 4 – 9, Durban, South Africa

Children’s Book Week: Books Around the World~ Oct 4 – 10, United Kingdom

TaleBlazers Literary Arts Festival~ Oct 4 – 29, Province of Alberta, Canada

Wellesley College Presents: Mitali Perkins “Books Between Cultures: How Stories Help Kids Keep Their Balance”~ Oct 5, Wellesley, MA, USA

2nd Unisa Conference on Reading Promotion and Storytelling for Children and Storytelling Festival for Children~ Oct 6 – 8, Pretoria, South Africa

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival~ Oct 6 – 10, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Frankfurt Book Fair~ Oct 6 – 10, Frankfurt, Germany

2011 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Nominees Announced~ Oct 7, Frankfurt, Germany

The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award Winners Announced~ Oct 7, London, United Kingdom

No Small Matter: A Fundraiser for Children’s Book Press~ Oct 7, San Francisco, CA, USA

A is for Anansi: Literature for Children of African Descent~ Oct 8 – 9, New York, NY, USA

The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival~ Oct 8 – 17, Cheltenham, United Kingdom

Teachers 4 Social Justice 10th Annual Conference: Teaching for Social Justice – A Labor Of Love~ Oct 9, San Francisco, CA, USA

13th Los Angeles Latino Book & Family Festival ~ Oct 9 – 10, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Japan Writers Conference~ Oct 9 – 11, Tokyo, Japan

20th Annual Monterrey International Book Fair~ Oct 9 – 17, Monterrey, Mexico

Inky Awards Shortlist Announced, On-line Voting Begins~ Oct 12, Australia

Writers Against Racism: A Conversation About Books with Amy Bowllan and Zetta Elliott~ Oct 13, New York, NY, USA

Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Awards Ceremony~ Oct 14, San Marcos, TX, USA

15th Annual New England Conference on Multicultural Education~ Oct 14, Hartford, CT, USA

National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Presents From Houdini to Hugo: The Art of Brian Selznick~ Oct 14 – Jan 29, Abilene, TX, USA

57th Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards Ceremony~ Oct 15, New York, NY, USA

Sheboygan Children’s Book Festival: Shared Stories. Shared Worlds~ Oct 15 – 17, Sheboygan, WI, USA

Benefit for The 1st Annual El Salvador Children’s Poetry Festival~ Oct 16, San Francisco, CA, USA

CHARACTER COUNTS! Week~ Oct 17 – 23, USA

YALSA’s Teen Read Week: Books with Beat @ your library~ Oct 17 – 23, USA

1st Screening of Library of the Early Mind~ Oct 19, Cambridge, MA, USA

Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival~ Oct 19 – 24, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Chapter & Verse, a Book Club for Adults Discussing Children’s Lit~ Oct 21, USA

Rabbit Hill Festival of Literature: Collaboration~ Oct 21 – 23, Westport, CT, USA

British Columbia Literacy Council 2010 conference~ Oct 22, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Bournemouth Multicultural Literary Festival: Freedom, Books & Imagination~ Oct 22 – 28, Bournemouth, United Kingdom

Celebrate 70 Years of Children’s Book Week~ Oct 23, Minneapolis, MN, USA

SCBWI Children’s Book Seminar~ Oct 23, Bacolod City, Philippines

Kidlitosphere 2010 Conference~ Oct 23, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Américas Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Winners Ceremony~ Oct 23, Washington, D.C., USA

GobbleDEEbook Literature Festival for Children and Teens~ Oct 23 – 30, Chester, United Kingdom

CROCUS 2010: Celebrate Reading of Culturally Unique Stories~ Oct 23 – 30, India

Scottish International Storytelling Festival~ Oct 23 – 31, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

International Youth Library Exhibit: The World in Miniature. The Family in Historic Picture Books and Children’s Literature~ Oct 24 – Aug 31, Munich, Germany

Sharjah International Book Fair and Announcement of the Etisalat Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature Winner~ Oct 26 – Nov 6, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

6th Annual World Matters Festival: Writers -Disturbing the Peace~ Oct 27 – 31, Eltham, Australia

30th Santiago International Book Fair~ Oct 29 – Nov 14, Santiago, Chile

Singapore Children’s Book Club Presents Serene Wee and her novel Present~ Oct 30, Singapore

Tell-a-Story Day~ Oct 30, Scotland

BookFest @ Bank Street~ Oct 30, Manhattan, NY,USA

Waikato Children’s Literature Association Annual Seminar~ Oct 30 – 31, Hamilton, New Zealand

Children’s Literature Festival~ Oct 30, Keene, NH,USA

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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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Adarna House’s Workshops for Literacy~ Philipinnes

Cape Town Book Fair~ ongoing until Aug  2, Cape Town, South Africa

The 39th Annual SCBWI International Summer Conference~ ongoing until Aug 2, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Lima International Book Fair~ ongoing until Aug 4, Lima, Peru

Simply Life, Simply Color: An Exhibit of Illustrator Ruben de Jesus’ Work~ ongoing until Aug 8, Makati City, Philippines

2010 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition of Children’s Books~ ongoing until Aug 16, Tokyo, Japan

Caroline Irby’s Exhibition: A Child From Everywhere~ ongoing until Aug 30, London, United Kingdom

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

Submissions Accepted for Lee & Low’s New Voices Writers Award~ 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

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

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

Seminar on Korean History & Culture for K – 12 Teachers and Administrators~ Aug 2  – 6, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Booktalkers: Girls Read Too~ Aug 2, Melbourne, Australia

International Youth Library Exhibition: The Treasury of Binette Schroeder~ Aug 4 – Oct 1, Munich, Germany

Kazakhstan Reading Association Conference~ Aug 5 – 7, Taraz, Kazakhstan

Books, Brushes, and Ashley Bryan~ Aug 8, Amherst, MA, USA

Landscapes of Literacy: From Library to Studio in the Early Childhood Centers of Pistoia, Italy~ Aug 8 – 9, Amherst, MA, USA

The Canadian Book Camp~ Aug 9 – 13, Vancouver, BC, Canada

World Library and Information Congress: 76th IFLA General Conference and Assembly~ Aug 10 – 15, Gothenburg, Sweden

FinRA Finnish Reading Association 2nd Baltic Sea Conference, 15th Nordic Reading Conference: Literacy Skills for Learning~ Aug 11 – 13, Åbo/Turku, Finland

Puffinalia: An Exhibition of Puffin Books 1940 – 2010~ Aug 11 – 31, Melbourne, Australia

21st International Book Biennial of São Paulo~ Aug 12 – 22, São Paulo, Brazil

SCBWI Austin Presents: Representing Diversity in Children’s Books~ Aug 14, Austin, TX, USA

Edinburgh International Book Festival~ Aug 14 – 30, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The Storylines Festival of New Zealand Children’s Writers and Illustrators~ Aug 15 – 22, New Zealand

LIANZA Children’s Book Awards Ceremony~ Aug 16, Wellington, New Zealand

Library Week~ Aug 16 – 22, New Zealand

Reading Association of Nigeria Biennial Conference~ Aug 18 – 21, Makurdi, Nigeria

Chapter & Verse, a Book Club for Adults Discussing Children’s Lit~ Aug 19, USA

Children’s Book of the Year Awards Winners Announced~ Aug 20, Australia

The Crichton Award for New Illustrators Winner Announced~ Aug 21, Australia

Summer Dream Literary Arts Festival~ Aug 21, Vancouver, BC, Canada

CBCA’s Children’s Book Week: Across the Story Bridge~ Aug 21 – 27, Australia

2010 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition of Children’s Books~ Aug 21 – Sep 26, Nishinomiya, Japan

Indigenous Literacy Project’s I Heart Art – Art Auction~ Aug 25, Sydney, Australia

Western Australia Spring Poetry Festival and National Poetry Week~ Aug 27 – Sep 5, Australia

Melbourne Writers Festival: Stories From Every Angle~ Aug 27 – Sep 5, Melbourne, Australia

Singapore International Storytelling Festival~ Aug 30 – Sep 8, Singapore

Taranaki Children’s Book Festival~ Aug 31 – Sep 4, Taranaki, New Zealand

The International Youth Library, located in Munich, Germany, is the largest library for international children’s and youth literature in the world. Opened in 1949, it has been continuously expanded and is now recognized internationally as a centre for children’s and youth literature from all over the world. Drawing upon its unique collection, the International Youth Library mounts a variety of exhibitions on a wide range of themes every year, in the halls of Blutenburg Castle, including original works by illustrators, representative surveys of the children’s literature from different countries or cultures, and current or historical aspects of children’s literature.

While attending the 2010 Bologna Children’s Book Fair in March, we visited the International Youth Library’s (IYL) booth and perused the books in the newly announced 2010 White Ravens catalogue: books that deserve worldwide attention because of their universal themes and/or their exceptional and often innovative artistic and literary style and design. We  also learned of the IYL’s  plans for the 1st White Ravens Festival to be held in the summer of 2010.  Although the festival seemed far away at the time, it is now set to begin – how time flies!

From July 20th to 25th, 13 authors and illustrators from Bavaria and abroad will read from their books, conduct workshops and creative writing classes, and talk about themselves and their work in podium discussions.  The festival will provide space both for renowned, award-winning authors and illustrators and for new literary discoveries, and will focus on the encounters between these authors and illustrators and their audiences. Readings in English, French, Norwegian, Polish and Spanish will turn the festival into a truly international experience and the festival’s Bavarian and international contributions will serve as a bridge between different cultures.

The main festival venue will be the International Youth Library. However, the invited authors and illustrators will also be available for performances and workshops in youth and cultural centres, schools, and libraries around Bavaria during this time. Apart from open events in the afternoon and on the weekend, there will also be a special program for schools.

This is sure to be a special event and we look forward to reading more about it from those lucky enough to be there…