International Children's Book Day IBBY

 

IBBY Japan created the poster for ICBD 2024. 

Here are photos of Eiko Kadono who wrote the poem below and Nana Furiya 

who designed the art for the poster.

Kadono says "to start reading a book is like opening a door to a different world. It doesn't close at the end of the story, another door is always waiting there to be opened. People will start to look at the world in a different way after reading a story, and it's the beginning in a sense. And I think that is the true pleasure of reading. I do hope everyone will start building their own new story from here and now".

Eiko Kadono won the Hans Christian Andersen award in 2018.  I previously talked about her book:

Kiki's Delivery Service

Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, 2 April, International Children's Book Day (ICBD) is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books. Each year a different National Section of IBBY has the opportunity to be the international sponsor of ICBD. It decides upon a theme and invites a prominent author from the host country to write a message to the children of the world and a well-known illustrator to design a poster. 

ICBD Poem for 2024

Stories travel, riding on wings,
Longing to hear the joyful beat of your heart.
I’m a traveling story. I fly anywhere.
On wings of wind, or wings of waves, or sometimes on tiny wings of sand. Of course, I also ride the wings of migratory birds. And even those of jet planes.
I sit beside you. Opening the pages, I tell you a story, the one you want to hear.
Would you like a strange and wondrous story?
Or how about a sad one, a scary one, or a funny one?
If you don’t feel like listening right now, that’s fine too. But I know someday you will. When you do, just call out, “Traveling story, come. Sit beside me!”
And I’ll fly right there.
 
I have so many stories to share.
How about a story of a little island tired of being alone who learned to swim and set off to find a friend?
Or the tale of a mysterious night when two moons appeared.
Or the one about Santa Claus getting lost.
 
Oh, I can hear your heart. It’s beating faster.
Flitter-flutter, thumpity-thump, pitter-patter, bumpety-bump.
The traveling story has jumped inside and set your heart racing.
You’ll become one yourself next, spreading your wings to fly.
And so, another traveling story is born.

IBBY Australia will use ICBD in 2024 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary our own award - The Ena Noël Award.

In 1994, founding president of IBBY Australia, Ena Noël OAM (1910–2003), established her own biennial prize – the Ena Noël Award – to encourage young, emerging writers and illustrators for young people. The name not only honours Ena Noël’s contributions but makes it apparent that she wished to use her reputation to champion support for emerging Australian creators. The award is a silver medallion designed by the first winner of the award, the esteemed artist, Arone Raymond Meeks (1957–2021).

Here is the 2024 short list. In 2024 there will be two awards - one for writing and one for illustration.

The 2024 winners are:

Writing - joint winners Meg Gatland-Veness and Holden Sheppard.

Illustration - Sher Rill Ng

We were sent this book when I was a CBCA judge. Here are my comments:

How wonderful to have a dual language text (English and Mandarin) submitted for our judging. The refection image on the cover is a brilliant way to show the boy and his reality versus his dream/desire. The end papers are minimal and interesting and, in some ways, bracket the book’s timeline. The title page hat rack image is intriguing. Sher Rill Ng captures every emotion of this little boy in such a powerful way especially on the pages where Xiao Xin looks directly at the reader. The glossy pages soak up the deep blues and greens, moving between light and dark shades, while little Xiao Xin stands out defiantly in his red puffer jacket. Dressing him in this large puffer jacket adds to the themes of over protection – cushioning him in case of a fall, cocooning him so he stays small. Red is also a lucky and auspicious colour in Chinese culture. The illustrations add so much more to this story – such as the unspoken mud shapes portraying his family as shadow-demons haunting Xiao Xin with their own worries. Why are the family so overprotective? We are given fragments, tiny glimpses into Xiao Xin’s family’s past and their journey as refugees. We can see into Xiao Xin’s imagination and his dream to be a brave warrior. Repeating the shadow on the final page gives this book both a sense of completion and hope for the future.

Nightingale's Nest by Nikki Loftin

John Fischer junior is known as Little John. His family are suffering. Ten months ago Little John's younger sister Raelynn has been accidentally killed. Little John blames himself for this horrific tragedy but so does his father and his mother has withdrawn into a world of mental turmoil. The family were struggling for money prior to the accident but things have now become much worse. They have been forced to sell things to raise money for the funeral and Little John's father is drinking away any money he makes felling trees. It is the summer and Little John now works with his dad. The local, rich, store owner  nicked named The Emperor, has employed them to clear and prune some old pecan trees. On their first day working in the summer heat Little John hears Gayle. She has a nightingale voice:

"The notes were high and liquid, a honey-soft river of sound that seeped right through me. ... The song sailed over the fence, like it was meant for me alone. No words to it. It was pure melody."

"That's when I realised the singer was a person. A little girl. She was plain, with brown hair the same colour as mine. But hers was ratted around her face like she'd never seen a brush, and she had dirt smeared on her cheeks and nose. Too thin, I thought, as she climbed over the edge of the bundled mess of sticks and out onto the branch to see me better."

Gayle is a foster child. She is living with Mrs Cutlin and her son Jeb. They are so horrid to this tiny child and there is frequent violence. Little John is worried about Gayle but there is another threat. The Emperor (Mr King) has heard Gayle sing. Her voice is exquisite. He wants this voice for his collection. The taking of her voice is far more sinister than just making a recording. The money ($500) offered by Mr King is actually 'blood money' but what should Little John do? He has made promises to his tiny fragile friend Gayle but he also need to think about his family.

Breathtaking; powerful; disturbing; mesmerising; raw; and tender - these are some words I would use to describe Nightingale's nest by Nikki Loftin. I started this book last night and finished it today. This is another of those books that you simply cannot put down but I do need to say there is some terrible violence to endure and so I would say this book is for very mature readers aged 11+. Read some background to this story on the blog Nerdy Book Club.

I held by breath when I clicked on the reviews for Nightingale's nest. When I adore a book as much as I adored this one, when a book moves me as deeply as this book moved me, I would have been so crushed if reviewers that I respect did not echo my reading experience. I am happy to say nearly every reviewer I have read loved this book. I don't usually quote reviewers from Goodreads but I am also going to put a few quotes here just to show the range of opinions.

School Library Journal : Smart and beautiful by turns, The Nightingale’s Nest does one thing that few will contest. Once you’ve read it, you’ll have a hard time getting it out of your head. Elizabeth Bird

Kirkus Star review: Unusual, finely crafted story of loss, betrayal and healing.

Nightingale’s Nest also thoughtfully reflects on poverty, power, gender dynamics and the question of masculinity as well as the desperate, bitter choices good people are moved to make when living under pressure. But it’s also about second chances, making amends and righting wrongs. The Book Smugglers

Goodreads comment 5 stars: "Thoughtful tween readers who enjoy a powerful story with a bittersweet ending will want to pick this one up. It’s a rare and beautiful treasure, lightly brushed with magic."  Shanshad Whelan

Goodreads comments 2 stars: "The plot is driven by something you know is going to happen, even though it seems so unlikely." Destinee Sutton

Here are some companion reads:

Bird

After reading Nightingale's Nest you are sure to want to revisit the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale:

Hans Christian Andersen The Journey of his Life by Heinz Janisch illustrated by Maja Kastelic Translated by David Henry Wilson

"The most wonderful fairy tale is life itself"  Hans Christian Andersen

A young girl and her mother board a coach which is heading to Copenhagen. A older man joins them on their journey and he introduces himself as the writer Hans Christian Andersen. 

Elsa is seven and she has lots of questions. Over the course of their journey Hans tells the story of his childhood, describing his father who was a cobbler, and his happy memories of the wonderful stories and plays his father shared in the evenings along with the sadness of losing his father after the war. 

Elsa asks:

"Did Hans have any nice things in his life?"

At this point the story takes a wonderful turn. Hans tells Elsa about his early years. Young Hans sets out for Copenhagen aged only thirteen. He has plans to perform on the stage. For a while this dream does come true and some important people are especially kind to young Hans. The theatre is a joy but Hans discovers his true passion is writing stories, poems, fairy tales and plays. 

As Hans begins to talk to Elsa about his fairy tales Maja Kastelic changes her palette of colours from memory (sepia) to full colour. Hans explains the way some of his fairy tales link to his own life and emotions such as Thumbelina, The Princess and the Pea, The Ugly Duckling, and Clumsy Hans. Then he talks about other fairy tales such as The Emperor's new Clothes and The Snow Queen.

Elsa really enjoys listening to Hans and hearing about his stories. When he talks about magic she asks him to use his magic.

"The journey is taking far too long. I don't want to keep sitting in the coach. ... Can you magic the coach into flying? Like the flying trunk in your fairy tale?"

Hans tells Elsa and her mother to close their eyes, and think of a magic word. Say it in your mind not out loud.  Now turn the page and see the magic!

This resource is in German but you can see nearly all of the illustrations from this book.

Dates of significance

1805 HCA is born 2nd April

1835 First fairy tale appears

1855 HCA writes a memoir of his childhood

1875 HCA dies aged 70

IBBY celebrate the life of Hans Christian Andersen through International Children's Book Day which is held each year around the world on 2nd April. IBBY also present the Hans Christian Andersen award every two years. This award is known as the "Nobel Prize for Children's Literature."

Statue of HCA in Central Park New York

I am preparing a talk for IBBY Australia - a virtual presentation, the first of a series - where we will talk about some recent picture books from around the world which have been translated into English. My copy of Hans Christian Andersen - The Journey of his Life has arrived just in time. This book was originally published in Switzerland with the title Hans Christian Andersen: Die Reise seines Lebens.

My favourite HCA fairy tale, The Wild Swans, is not directly mentioned in the story but there are swans flying across the title page and in the final scene they are wearing crowns just as they do in the fairy tale.

The illustrations in this book are by Maja Kastelic from Slovenia. Here are two other recent titles she has illustrated:

I have mentioned the Austrian author Heinz Janisch in a previous post. You can see more of his books here.

Hans Christian Andersen The Journey of his Life would be an excellent addition to a school library and a perfect simple biography to loan to teachers and students when they borrow any of the myriad of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales from your library. 

“A very special fairy story,” indeed. Kirkus Star review

In terms of the illustrations, this is probably one of the most cinematic picture books I’ve ever read. Picture Book Makers

International Children's Book Day, IBBY 2020

Hunger for Words

International Children's Book day is celebrated on 2nd April which is the Birthday of Hans Christian Andersen.  Every year IBBY invite one of their sections to prepare a poster and an ICBD message.  This year these come from Slovenia. You can see fifty IBBY people from around the world reading the message in a range of different languages.  Our Australian Children's Laureate Ursula Dubosarsky read the message which was written by Peter Svetina translated by Jernej Zupanic on behalf of IBBY Australia.

Here is a link the full message in English.

The IBBY ICBD poster was sent to the sections in the form of a cube.

Libby Gleeson author and Australian Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee

IBBY Australia is proud to announce the names of the Australian nominees for the 

Hans Christian Andersen Awards 2020:

Ann James (for Illustration) and Libby Gleeson (for Writing)

Libby Gleeson - Author

You might like to begin with my previous post about Ann James - our IBBY Australia illustrator nominee for the HCA medal.

Here is the press release from IBBY Australia:

Libby Gleeson, AM began her career as a teacher and has been a full-time writer since 1990. She has written more than thirty books, taught occasional courses in creative writing, and visited many schools throughout Australia to speak about her work. She has played a dedicated advocacy role in her work with the Australian Society of Authors, Copyright Agency and West Words.

Libby Gleeson is not only one of Australia’s foremost writers of picture book texts but has also written sensitively for younger children, and important socially progressive works for young adults.

Her body of work is astoundingly diverse and she is critically esteemed as one of the very best of Australian writers of literary fiction for young people. On her picture books she has collaborated with some of the finest internationally-regarded artists such as Armin Greder, and Kate Greenaway Medal winner, Freya 2 Blackwood – both on a number of texts – and with Craig Smith, Julie Vivas and John Winch.

Her junior fiction has included two delightful series – Hannah and Cleo – and she has also written award winning stand- alone titles.

On her teenage fiction she has been vocal about the need for strong female characters and has routinely been interested in social justice issues re the plight of refugees, outsiders and the dispossessed or powerless.

She has also written three books about writing and done some writing for television programs, Bananas in Pyjamas and Magic Mountain.

Her awards include being appointed a member of the Order of Australia (AM) (2007), the Dromkeen Medal (2011), the Nan Chauncy Award for contributions to Australian children’s Literature (2015), and many book awards including 1992 Winner Prime Minister’s Multicultural Award for Big Dog (illustrated by Armin Greder), 2000 Bologna Ragazzi Award for The Great Bear (with Armin Greder), 2002 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award for An Ordinary Day (illustrated by Armin Greder) and the 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Red (2012). Libby has been Adjunct Associate Professor, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney since 2006. She is one of Australia’s most highly regarded writers for young people.

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Here is Libby's very first picture book illustrated by John Winch.

I adore these two books about farms and farming by Libby Gleeson. Both were short listed by our CBCA.  Banjo and Ruby Red was a CBCA Honour Book in 2014 and Shutting the Chooks in was an Honour Book in 2004.

Another theme in Libby's book is moving house and making new friends.  Amy and Louis won CBCA Picture book of the Year in 2007 and Clancy and Millie and the Very fine house was an Honour Book in 2010.

There is also the topic of a new baby in the family. Go to Sleep Jessie was the CBCA Winner Picture Book of the Year (Early Childhood) in 2015.

One of her earliest novels which I read during my first years as a teacher-librarian is Eleanor Elizabeth which was Highly Commended by the CBCA in 1985. Here is the Kirkus review. I have found a range of different covers.

Here is Libby's newest book - Published in March 2019 and illustrated by Anna Pignataro.

This is a precious book about saying goodbye. It's also about acceptance. Not just of change, but of sadness and how each of us deals with it in our unique way. Kid's Book Review

Ann James illustrator and Australian Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee

IBBY Australia is proud to announce the names of the Australian nominees for the 

Hans Christian Andersen Awards 2020: 

Ann James (for Illustration) and Libby Gleeson (for Writing)

Ann James - illustrator

Here is the Press Release from IBBY Australia:

Ann James, AM is one of Australia’s best loved and most respected picture book artists. Since publishing her first book, A Pet for Mrs Arbuckle (1981), by Gwenda Smyth, she has been highly regarded for her gloriously joyous and spontaneous artwork and has collaborated with some of Australia’s finest writers including Sonya Hartnett, Margaret Wild, Janeen Brian, Libby Hathorn, and Frances Watts.

She has co-created classic series characters such as Robin Klein’s Penny Pollard, Christine Harris’s Audrey of the Outback and Libby Gleeson’s Hannah. She also wrote and illustrated Bird and Bear (2013), and Bird and Bear and the Special Day (2016) which are bound to become enduring classics.

In 1988 Ann and her partner Ann Haddon established Books Illustrated, a gallery promoting picture books and their creators, through exhibitions in Australia and overseas. Ann helped establish the Society of Illustrators in 1988 and as a board director of the Australian Society of Authors (1996–2016), in 2003 she coordinated the www.thestylefile.com, an online showcase of Australian book illustrators. She is a founding board director of the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation (ACLF).

In 2000, Ann James and Ann Haddon were awarded the Pixie O’Harris Award, and in 2016, the Order of Australia, AM. In 2003, Ann also received the Dromkeen Medal. Many of her over 80 books have been published internationally, and many are award winners. Bernice Knows Best by Max Dann was CBCA Junior Book of the Year, 1984, and Hannah Plus One by Libby Gleeson won the same award in 1997.

Her artwork is distinguished by a number of qualities. Always, in a very subtle way, she tells a story in pictures with a filmic continuity which invites readers to question and interpret each image. She is a truly intuitive artist. Her loosely drawn figures are capable of conveying immense emotion. They are whimsical and thoroughly delightful in their improvised poses. Her work celebrates the child’s view of the world and her images are always astutely perceptive. Ann uses watercolour, charcoal, pastels, and a variety of innovative media. She creates her deceptively simple characters with a sleight of hand – a smudge of colour, the placement of an eye, the scale of a figure, the shadows cast by light – to convey the emotion behind words on a page.

Image source: SLJ review (Elizabeth Bird) of Sadie and Ratz by Sonya Hartnett

http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2012/04/02/review-of-the-day-sadie-and-ratz-by-sonya-hartnett/

Ann’s advocacy has had a profound influence on Australia’s recognition in Asia and Europe. She has been a major force in Australian children’s publishing since the early 1980s.

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If you are in a school library see if you still have this poetry book by Robin Klein. It is an early book illustrated by Ann James and it contains such terrific poems.

You can find a list of other titles illustrated by Ann James here and you can see some of her glorious art on her Books Illustrated site. Here are some titles that might be in your school library:

One more cover.  This is the newest book (from Allen and Unwin) illustrated by Ann James due for publication in July 2019.