Saturday, May 16, 2020

Albertine 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Award winner




Jacqueline Woodson 2020 HCA Author winner and Albertine 2020 HCA illustrator winner

Albertine is the fourth Swiss illustrator to win the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen award. When I read three of her books tonight I marveled at her interpretation of seemly simple texts into such visual delights.  Now I discover her books are written her author husband Germano Zullo.

Here is a quote from the dossier which accompanied the IBBY submission to the HCA jury:

In the stories created by the creative couple, the relationship between the text and the image is perfectly controlled and the articulation between the two crafts is seamless. The poetry present in one is echoed in the other and the humour which emerges out of Albertine’s stroke springs up in Germano’s texts. The reading rhythm makes room for moments of silence, a dreamlike and reflexive pause before turning the next page. The articulation between the text and the image is, in fact, so well executed and the symbiosis between the two artists so smooth that the reader sometimes forgets that a duo is behind the creation of the book they hold between their hands, which seems to be the fruit of a single creator.

Reading the dossier you will discover so much about Albertine, her books, her art and her myriad of awards.

Here is an interview with Albertine where she talks about her art in the book My Little One. In this blog post for Let's Talk Picture books you can see inside another of her books - Sky High.

Here are the three books I was able to explore today:




In Line 135 the reader or viewer watches a small girl on a train. She is travelling through a widely varied landscape heading to visit her grandmother. The text feels quite philosophical:

"There are two places in the world. The first place I belong is my house in the city. The second place is my grandmother's house in the country."

"One day I will travel everywhere. I will go here. I will go there. I will go this way and I will go that way. I will know the entire world."

I love the way this book is shaped like the train itself and I marvel at the skilled line drawings. But most of all I love the exploration of a journey as a metaphor for the journey of life - growing from a young child into an adult. 



"may my heart always be open to little birds 
who are the secrets of living."  e.e. cummings poem 53


In Little Bird we see a truck driving through an empty sandy landscape. The truck stops at the end of a cliff. The man steps out of his truck and the illustration flips to the back where we see the man opening the truck to release a flock of beautiful birds. Before driving away the man checks inside to make sure all the birds have flown. He discovers one small black bird with a bright eye has been left behind. Perhaps this bird does not know how to fly?  The man shares his food with the little black bird and then he attempts to teach it how to fly. His kindness is genuine and at times quite funny. The way the birds reward him will warm your heart.




Jack is a famous prize winning show jumper but one day things go terribly wrong. Roger Trotter tries everything to help his friend. They visit the vet, they consult a psychologist, the pair of friends take a relaxing holiday. Then comes the day of the International Tournament. At first things go really badly but then Roger's glasses slip off and land on Jack! Now everyone can 'see' the real problem and so now it is time for Jack to visit an opthalmologist.

The large sized book gives Jack the room he needs, which is more than can be said for those hired to treat him. The vet’s waiting room chairs, all filled with relatively smaller animals, leaves Jack to a stool, his knees up to his chest.The psychologist, obviously Jungian, wants Jack to lay down. To get his hoofs off the floor, poor Jack once again gets his knees bashed against his chest.Only on his vacation can Jack stretch out correctly. Kid Lit Reviews

Here is an another treat for you. Take a look at her award winning animated film entitled La genie de la boite de raviolis (The genie in the ravioli box).





I always make interesting discoveries when I research authors and illustrators for this blog. I was looking at the other Swiss illustrators who have won the HCA.  One was Jorg Muller. I have very happy memories of sharing this thought provoking book with children in several schools over many years.


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