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2011 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Nominees Announced~ Sweden

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

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 (more…)

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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

Well, the Bologna Book Fair has been and gone for another year and once again it passed in a whirlwind of activity. Between an action-packed schedule and internet connection frustrations, we didn’t manage to post quite as often during the Fair as we had hoped, but now we’re back at our desks, we will be presenting various highlights over the coming weeks. So here are some special moments from the first day:

“A Morning of Korean Picture Books Showcasing Family.” The photo shows picture-book writer/illustrator Cho Hae-ran’s brushes and paints, and some of the exquisite little books produced by children she has worked with. I’ll be writing about this whole session properly soon…

The announcements of IBBY’s Awards – see Corinne’s post…

A Q&A session with Shaun Tan and publishing consultant Helen Chamberlain in the illustrators’ café – we’ll definitely have more about that soon too.

The opening of the Poemas de Compañía exhibition, featuring Isol’s illustrations for Pantuflas de perrito, poems by Jorge Luján about pets, based on some workshops he did with children. It was great to see Jorge and a delight to meet Mandana Sadat, illustrator of another of Jorge’s books, Winter Afternoon, a favorite of mine, as well as Jorge’s Spanish and Italian publishers – not to mention the Principessa dei Gelati!

You can see more photos from Day 1 here.

Crisscrossing the Globe: a World of International Books for Young People is an article in the 2/1/2010 issue of School Library Journal describing USBBY’s 2010 Outstanding International Books list. Written by Elizabeth Poe, the article includes annotations for all the books recognized. The outstanding lineup of titles includes My Little Round House (selected for the Spirit of PaperTigers book set donation project), Sopa de Frijoles, Wanting Mor, Hannah’s Winter, Tales from Outer Suburbia, and more.

This annual list is one of the activities of USBBY, the US chapter of IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young Readers, whose aim is to promote international understanding and good will through books for children and young adults. A goal very much in line with PaperTigers’ own.

And speaking of USBBY, the organization is currently seeking applicants for the 2011 Bridge to Understanding Award. The award recognizes a program that promotes reading as a way to expand a child’s world. Any organization (such as schools, libraries, clubs, scout troops), within the United States, that has a program for children using books and reading as a way of promoting an understanding of cultures/countries outside the United States is eligible to apply. The selection committee will consider such criteria as the number of children reached by the program and the impact on the community as demonstrated by publicity coverage or anecdotal evidence. To be considered for the 2011 award, the program must occur during 2010. Download an application, or visit the website for more information.

Doris Gebel, USBBY Board Member, has asked us to pass along the following information for the 8th IBBY Regional Conference to be held Oct 2 – 4 in St. Charles, Illinois. The conference is open to anyone interested in international children’s books, including educators, librarians, authors, and students. You do not have to be a member of USBBY to attend or reside in the USA. Everyone is welcome! Registrations will be accepted until all spots are taken.

This year’s conference Children’s Books: Where Worlds Meet will offer attendees a rare opportunity to interact with an unparalleled line-up of international authors and illustrators, and to explore global connections through children’s literature.

International speakers include Shaun Tan from Australia; Yohannes Gebregeorgis, founder of Ethiopia Reads; Arvind Kumar, book distributor extraordinaire from India; Ana Maria Machado, Hans Christian Andersen Award-winning author from Brazil; and others, from a total of fourteen countries on five continents. Carmen Diana Dearden from Venezuela, editor and publisher of Ediciones Ekaré, will deliver the prestigious Dorothy Briley Lecture.

Speakers from the United States include Katherine Paterson, David Wiesner, Anne Pellowski, and publisher/editor Arthur Levine. Naomi Shihab Nye will deliver the closing keynote address.

Stimulating and thought-provoking book discussions and small group sessions will provide opportunities to network with concerned professionals and to think about issues related to the use of international literature to build intercultural understanding. Fascinating traveling exhibits include the International Youth Library’s “Imaginary Library” of original artwork by celebrated illustrators from around the world, the 2008 IBBY Honour Books, and the 2008 IBBY Outstanding Books for People with Disabilities. These exhibitions will be explained through “gallery talks” by such guests as IYL Director Christiane Raabe, IBBY Executive Secretary Liz Page, and others.

The 8th IBBY Regional Conference is an opportunity to show commitment to promoting international understanding through children’s books, and to join an international community devoted to providing children around the world with equal access to quality literature. This event promises to be outstanding, and is not to be missed.

In this interview, author and illustrator Shaun Tan talks to BookBits about his book Tales from Outer Suburbia, which has just won the Children’s Book Council of Australia Older Readers Book of the Year Award.

With thanks to Fiction is like a box of chocolates for highlighting this. I do so agree with what they say: “Some people have a talent, but few are as multi-talented and original as Shaun Tan.” After The Arrival and now Tales from Outer Suburbia, what will he take our breath away with next?

The Children’s Book Council of Australia has just announced the winners of this year’s awards. I’ve spotted two of my favorite books of the past year among them: Shaun Tan’s Tales from Outer Suburbia (Winner, Older Readers Book of the Year) and Home and Away by John Marsden, illustrated by Matt Ottley (Honour, Picture Book of the Year). Read this rather sobering post from The Book Chook outlining the awards and highlighting possible changes afoot in Australian publishing and their potential effect on the many wonderful small independent publishers in Australia.

Just One More Book has this podcast about Ten Days and Nine Nights: An Adoption Story by Yumi Heo.

Shelf Elf has a review of Mitali Perkins‘ Secret Keeper (you can also read PaperTigers’ review here).

And read Chicken Spaghetti’s great post, “Neesha Meminger on Kids’ Books by South Asian Authors” – including Neesha’s South Asian selection of books she would add to the CCBC’s list of “50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know” – apparently soon to become 75… – Hmmm – take a look at the list and tell us what you would add…

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is proud to sponsor the longest running children’s festival in Australia: Children’s Book Week. Celebrating its 63rd birthday this year, Children’s Book Week will take place August 16th -22nd with the theme “Fuel your Mind”. Schools and public libraries from all over Australia will spend the week celebrating books and Australian authors and illustrators. Classroom teachers, teacher librarians and public librarians will offer a plethora of activities: author and illustrator visits, workshops, theatre acts, competitions, and storytelling relating to the theme in an effort to highlight the importance of reading.

CBCA is a volunteer run, not-for-profit organization comprised of individual members who are passionate about children’s and young adult literature. To help promote Children’s Book Week as well as their Book of the Year Awards, they offer a range of merchandise that can be purchased to decorate schools and classrooms for Book Week. This year Australian author and illustrator Shaun Tan, winner of the 2007 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award for his book The Arrival, has designed the vibrant, eye-catching posters.

On Friday, August 15th, as a kick-start to Children’s Book Week, the CBCA will announce and present their 2008 Book of the Year awards in the following categories: Older Readers, Younger Readers, Early Childhood, Picture Book, and the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books. The shortlists for these awards were announced in April and at the same time the unique CBCA Junior Judges’ Project (JJP) was launched. The CBCA Junior Judges’ Project encourages children to do their own judging of the shortlisted books in the annual CBCA Book Awards, based on similiar criteria to those used by the CBCA Book of the Year judges. Once the Short List is announced, students guided by their teachers are encouraged to read the shortlisted books and, based on the judging criteria, select their Winner and two Honour Books in one or more categories and cast their votes online, either through their teachers or individually.

This year I gave my son a picture book for Christmas–nothing earthshaking about that until you consider that my son is in his early thirties and graduated from pictures to the printed word several decades ago. The book is one that my neighborhood bookstore has been selling to adults ever since it came to their shelves, and when I opened it I knew I had to give it to someone I loved. The book is Shaun Tan’s gorgeous book without words, The Arrival, and it is one that is featured on the PaperTigers gallery.

I have given picture books to adults for years, ever since I first began my life as a bookseller, and the illustrators that I yearn to give and to own are most often from Australia, a corner of the world that is covered quite wonderfully on PaperTigers by Charlotte.

Just before I moved from the arena of children’s books to a life in SE Asia, a book came to me from Australia that has haunted my imagination ever since I opened it. It is a perfect example of how words and pictures magically combine to create a book that lives forever in the hearts and minds of readers — The Wolf by Margaret Barbalet, illustrated by Jane Tanner (Maxwell Macmillan, 1991). No other book that I have found illustrates so vividly the crippling effects of fearing the unknown, and how facing that fear can turn it into something wonderful. Each picture is a painting, showing a family whose lives become imprisoned by their fear of the wolf who comes closer and closer to their house at night. When it is finally confronted by one of the children, it is revealed as a friendly, lonely creature who only wants shelter and love. Author and illustrator have blended their artistry to create a masterpiece that resonates to all age groups, on many different levels of understanding. If I could, I would give it to everyone I know.

And now — a plea for help — at the same time that The Wolf came into my life, another picture book from Australia also arrived in my workplace and I can no longer remember the title, author, or illustrator. The book however has proved to be unforgettable. It is the story of children playing an imaginary game in the backyard — the text shows the fantasy that the children have created while the full-page pictures show the reality of the game — the garbage can lids that are their shields and their dog who is the prey that they seek. It’s a brilliant depiction of the world of the imagination and I would love to find it again. Is there anybody out there who can steer me toward it?

As we come to the end of another year (already?!?), all children’s/ya book blogging eyes will be upon the Cybils 2007 finalists lists, which are due out on January 1st and 7th… what a great way to celebrate all that’s been happening in 2007 and bridge to all we have to look forward to in 2008.

To get ready for the moment we’re waiting for, Bookbuds has issued a challenge and the chance to win a copy of the pop-up Narnia…

There’s still time to catch Pam Coughlan’s article in the latest The Edge of the Forest, which highlights nominations just asking to be read as bedtime stories …

…and nominations which have featured on PaperTigers this year include:

Shanté Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport and illustrated by Marion Eldridge;

Hiromi’s Hands by Lynne Barasch;

Cracker: The Best Dog In Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata;

Kimchi & Calamari by Rose Kent;

Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins and illustrated by Jamie Hogan;

Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art;

The Arrival by Shaun Tan;

Twist: Yoga Poems by Janet S. Wong and illustrated by Julie Paschkis;

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie – well, we’ll be featuring a review in our next update – I’ll put in the link when it’s available…

…and not forgetting Mama’s Saris by Pooja Makhijani.

So now we wait with baited breath… We were a bit slow on the uptake with our own nominations for the Cybils this year but next year we’ll definitely be jumping on the band-wagon too – though choosing which books to nominate will likely be a struggle!

Before I sign off for this year, I just want to point you in the direction of Jen Robinson’s latest Literacy Round-Up – she highlights some wonderful initiatives in promoting literacy and reading aloud to small children, as well as providing much pause for thought, including Daphne Lee’s article about plans to label books in the UK with recommended age ranges… being based in the UK myself, I can see myself entering the fray there!

So, to all those of you who have supported us since the start of our PaperTigers blog in May this year, and to all those of you who have dropped in since (and maybe this is your first time), we wish you a Very Happy and Book-filled 2008!