Claire Storey

May Monthly Round-up

It’s that time again: Welcome to the World Kid Lit Monthly Round-up!

News

dPICTUS turns 10! Launched in 2012, dPICTUS draws together an international community of people who are passionate about bringing outstanding picturebooks into existence. dPICTUS co-founder Sam McCullen explains how the platform has grown: “In a few days, the idea of a password-protected webpage for a single picturebook had grown into an online platform and community where publishers and agents around the world could present their catalogues, discover interesting picturebooks from different countries, and make new industry connections …  Today, we have members from around 60 countries using the platform, including many of the world’s most creative and innovative picturebook publishers.” Congratulations to the whole dPICTUS team.

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Throughout May, Global Literature in Libraries Initiative has been celebrating International Young Adult Literature Month. Check out their blog and social media (Twitter / Facebook) for lots of YA recommendations, curated this year by high school librarian Linda Hoiseth

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The shortlists have been revealed for the Neev Book Awards 2022. These awards are for distinguished children’s literature which aims to recognize outstanding writing that leads to a fuller understanding of India, Indian lives, and Indian stories. Full details here

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World Kid Lit champion and author Maureen Tai has won the Picture Book category of the Children’s Novel and Picture Book Awards organised by WriteMentor. More details here. Congratulations Maureen!

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Congratulations to Maria Daadoush, winner of the 2022 Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Arabic Children’s Literature. Daadoush, from Syria, won the award for Loghz al-Kora al-Zujajiya (The Mystery of the Glass Ball) published by Dar Al Saqi, Lebanon, in 2021.

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The winners of the Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature were announced at the start of May. Congratulations to David Bowles for My Two Border Towns and Gloria Amescua for Child of the Flower Song People.

Niños: Poems for the Lost Children of Chile written by María José Ferrada and illustrated by María Elena Valdez, translated by Lawrence Schimel (Eerdmans) was recognised as an Honor Title, and Aqui era el paraiso/Here Was Paradise written by Humberto Ak’abal and illustrated by Amelia Lau Carling, translated by Hugh Hazelton (Groundwood Books) was a commended title (see our interview with translator Hugh Hazelton here).

These awards “encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latinx culture in the United States, and to provide teachers with recommendations for classroom use.”

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The Crystal Kites Awards from the SCBWI were announced. Our particular congratulations to World Kid Lit champion Avery Fischer Udagawa for Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba, illustrated by Miho Satake (Restless Books).

Reviews

Gathering Books – Recognizing Tyranny and Dictatorship in Picturebooks for Children, by Myra Garces-Bacsal, featuring This Is A Dictatorship, Idea And Text by Equipo Plantel Illustrated by Mikel Casal, translated by Lawrence Schimel (Book Island) [Spanish, Spain]

Book Trust – Ten Terrific Graphic Novels, list curated by Neill Cameron, including Akissi: Tales of Mischief by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin, translated by Marie Bédrune and Judith Taboy (Flying Eye) [French, France/Côte d’Ivoire].

Books for Keeps – Review of Me, In Between by Julya Rabinowich, translated by Claire Storey (Andersen Press) [German, Austria]

Parrot Street Book Club – 7 Empathy-boosting books for kids aged 5 to 14, featuring Me, In Between by Julya Rabinowich, translated by Claire Storey (Andersen Press)

Kirkus Reviews – Thunderbird Book One, by Sonia Nimr, translated from Arabic [Palestine] by Marcia Lynx Qualey (Center for Middle Eastern Studies)

Kyoto Journal – Seeing with Dragonfly Eyes, Avery Fischer Udagawa reviews Dragonfly Eyes by Cao Wenxuan, translated from Chinese [China] by Helen Wang

School Library Journal – APA (Asian Pacific American) Creators Draw on Myth and Folklore to Craft Personal, yet Universal Stories, by Terry Hong

The Low Countries – 41 Dutch Books You Need To Read This Summer (2022)

Stories that Stay With Us – Ariol by Emmanuel Guibert, illustrated by Marc Boutavant & translated by Joe Johnson. Review by Maureen Tai

The Horn Book – 5 Middle Grade titles about the Jewish experience, featuring Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II by Lia Levi; illus. by Jess Mason; trans. from Italian [Italy] by Sylvia Notini (HarperCollins) and I’ll Keep You Close by Jeska Verstegen; trans. from Dutch [Netherlands] by Bill Nagelkerke (Levine Querido)

Eerdlings – Great Books to Read for Latino Books Month

Kids Read the World – this month, Lori and her kids have been reading books from Nigeria, Sweden, North Korea. Follow their reviews on Instagram if you don’t already!

Mariana Ruiz – Two Wonderful Journeys For Extraordinary Animals, featuring My Life at the Bottom: The Story of a Lonesome Axolotl by Linda Bondestam (Author and illustrator) A.A. Prime (Translator)

Brittle Paper -33 African Books to Kick Off Your Summer Reading

Global Literature in Libraries #WorldKidLitWednesdays translated book reviews:

  • Emil and Karl, Written by Yankev Glatshteyn, translated from Yiddish by Jeffrey Shandler, (Roaring Book Press). Review by Nanette McGuinness
  • The Hunt is On (Book 1: Seekers of the Aweto), Written and illustrated by Nie Jun, translated from Chinese by Edward Gauvin, (Graphic Universe, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group). Review by Mari-Klem Cajigas
  • Mister Fairy, Written by Morgane de Cadier, Illustrated by Florian Pigé, translated from French by Angus Yuen-Killick (Red Comet Press). Review by Nanette McGuinness

Interviews

Let’s Talk Picture Books – Interview with Guilherme Karsten, author of Aaahhh!, translated by Eric M. B. Becker, published by Tapioca Stories

Parrot Street Book Club – Manon Steffan Ros on The Blue Book of Nebo and dystopian books for teens

Kirkus Reviews – Posing Pablo Neruda’s ‘Questions’ to Young Readers. Laura Simeon talks to illustrator Paloma Valdivia and translator Sara Lissa Paulson about Pablo Neruda’s Book of Questions: Selections (Enchanted Lion Books)

LA Review of Books – The Art of Translating Comics: A Conversation with Hannah Chute, by Alex Dueben

Articles

Kirkus Reviews – What makes a book age appropriate, by Laura Simeon

Khaleej Times – UAEBBY celebrates ‘Mexican Board on Books for Young People’ at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival

School Library Journal – State of Global Kid Lit: An Industry Impacted by War, COVID, Is Flourishing by Betsy Bird

Publications

The SCBWI Essential Guide to Publishing for Children 2022 is now available from the SCBWI website. Free to download for members.

The IBBY Europe Newsletter was published in early May. Read about the most recent activities of IBBY Sections around Europe

Videos and podcasts

The event “Translating Picture Books” organised by The Eric Carle Museum is now available to watch online, featuring children’s book translators Helen Wang, Daniel Hahn, Lawrence Schimel and Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp

SCBWI Podcasts – The Art of Translation with Laura Watkinson

Submissions

The Stephen Spender Poetry Prize is now open for submissions. Translate any poem from any language. Special categories for younger age groups. All entrants must be UK or Irish citizens or residents, or pupils at a British School overseas. Deadline is midnight on 15 July. More details here.

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The Young Adult Studies Association (YASA) has announced it will be holding their online conference later this year. They welcome submissions for their Call for Papers. “This online conference aims to bring together diverse, international voices across a range of disciplines, offering a variety of synchronous and asynchronous opportunities for presenting and engaging.” The deadline for submissions is 30 June 2022. More details

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Narratives of Criminality, Punishment and Social Justice in Children’s Literature, The Children and YA Literature Conference organised by Jadavpur University Department of English and the Association for Children’s Literature in South Asia has extended its call for papers until 7th June 2022. Full details here

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Vietnam’s Ehomebooks Opens Its Second Picture Book Competition – The biennial International Children’s Picture Book Award now is open for 2022 submissions by unpublished writers and illustrators everywhere. Deadline for 2022 Submissions: October 31. More details available on Publishing Perspectives

Events

Online launch event for Thunderbird Book One, by Sonia Nimr, translated by Marcia Lynx Qualey (Center for Middle Eastern Studies). A YA fantasy adventure featuring a young Palestinian girl who must save the world. Participate in an author/translator discussion, see lessons written for the book, and get a copy of the book!
4 June 2022 10am Register here

ICYMI here on World Kid Lit Blog

On the blog this month…

June new releases

A Dream of Birds by Shenaz Patel, illustrated by Emmanuelle Tchoukriel, translated by Edwige-Renée Dro (AmazonCrossingKids) – French [Mauritius]

The Youngest Sister by Suniyay Moreno Moreno, illustrated by Mariana Chiesa, translated by Elisa Amado (Aldana) ~ Spanish [Mexico]

Telling Stories Wrong, by Gianni Rodari, illus. by Beatrice Alemagna, trans. by Antony Shugaar (Enchanted Lion) ~ Italian [Italy]

Just to See, by Morgane de Cadier, illustrated by Florian Pigé, translated by Johanna McCalmont (Blue Dot Kids Press) ~ French [France]

A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends by Philip Waechter, translated by Melody Shaw (Gecko Press) ~ German [Germany]

Chloe #6: Green Thumb, by Greg Tessier, translated by Nanette McGuinness (Charmz) ~ French [France]

Magical History Tour #9: Titanic, by Fabrice Erre translated by Nanette McGuinness (Papercutz) ~ French [France]

Lionel Poops by Eric Veillé, translated by Daniel Hahn (GeckoPress) ~ French [France]

Lionel Eats All by Himself, by Eric Veillé, translated by Daniel Hahn (Gecko Press) ~ French {France]

The Story of Babur: Prince, Emperor, Sage by Anuradha, illustrated by Jane Ray ~ Uzbekistan