www.literaryawards.co.uk

The Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize is a new award category that has been added to the British Columbia Book Prize Program. The prize is presented to the author and illustrator of the best children’s picture book by a British Columbia or Yukon resident. This new award creates two categories for children’s books - the Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature prize will now cover only non-illustrated works.

Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize 2009 Winner

Supported by Kate Walker and Company
Judges: Ron Jobe, Kari-Lynn Winters, and Bonne Zabolotney

Winner: The King Has Goat Ears
by Katarina Jovanovic
Illustrated by Philippe Beha
Publisher: Tradewind Books

Have you ever had a secret that you knew you shouldn’t share, but the burden of keeping silent was so great you just had to let it out? This is the struggle that Igor, the young apprentice of Miro (the only barber left in the kingdom), experiences after he cuts King Boyan’s hair, and astutely responds to the king that his prominent, goat ears “look just fine.“ Released back to his village, it is not Igor’s intention to betray the king’s secret to his subjects. And so, in a creative turn that draws upon an ancient Serbian folktale, author Katarina Jovanovic (who now resides in Vancouver but who worked for many years in children’s programming for Serbian radio) relieves Igor of the burden of his secret by having him dig a hole in a meadow, shout his secret into it, and cover up the hole again. Surely this can’t be good for Igor.

Other finalists

Good-bye Marianne: A Story of Growing Up in Nazi Germany
by Irene N. Watts
Illustrated by Kathryn E. Shoemaker
Publisher: Tundra Books

In Good-bye Marianne, life for eleven-year-old Marianne Kohn, a young Jewish girl, begins to crumble. First there was the burning of the neighbourhood shops. Then her father, a mild-mannered bookseller, must leave the family and go into hiding. No longer allowed to go to school or even sit in a café, Marianne’s only comfort is her beloved mother. This fictional account of hatred and racism speaks volumes about both history and human nature. Irene Watts was one of the 10,000 Jewish children who were sent from Nazi Europe to Britain in the Kindertransport rescue operation in 1938; her moving autobiographical novel personalizes what it was like to be a Jewish child in Berlin at the time.

Polar Worlds: Life at the ends of the earth
by Robert Bateman
Publisher: Scholastic Canada Ltd.

Through fascinating images and illustrations, Robert Bateman provides us with a window to the animals of our poles. Discover arctic wolves, polar bears, penguins, whales, seals and more. You will be fascinated by the great facts and Robert Bateman’s rich paintings and sketches.

Rosie and Buttercup
by Chieri Uegaki
Publisher: Kids Can Press

From the perfectly paired creative team who brought you the bestselling Suki’s Kimono comes a charming picture book about two sisters. Before Buttercup came along, Rosie’s life was blessed. Her schedule was filled with dance and voice lessons. Best of all, she didn’t have to share her pet crickets, Eenie and Meenie, with anybody. Things get so bad that Rosie decides to give her little sister away — to a good home, of course. But as she says good-bye to Buttercup forever, Rosie can’t ignore a squeezy feeling in her chest. Rosie and Buttercup addresses sibling problems and brings to light that, while a younger sister can sometimes be a pain, having a little sister around can be loads of fun.

Stanley At Sea
by Linda Bailey
Publisher: Kids Can Press

It’s picnic time in the park — but not for Stanley. He knows he’s not supposed to beg, but his people are always eating. And Stanley is always hungry! After he’s told to “get,” Stanley wanders down by the river where he runs into Alice, Nutsy and Gassy Jack. Soon their keen noses lead them to a delicious treat on a small boat with no people in sight. When the boat’s mooring comes loose, they float away with the current down the river, under a bridge and then out to sea!