Ezra Jack Keats Awards Recognize New Talent
Is there such a thing as award fatigue? Not for me. Awards, especially those chosen by knowledgeable judges (full disclosure, I was on this particular committee), shine a light on titles that might otherwise have been lost in the crowd. The Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Book Awards, which were just announced, recognize and encourage new talent.
The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Winner Is:
Julie Fogliano for And Then It’s Spring, Illus. by Erin Stead, (Macmillan/Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)
The award citation reads, “First-time author Fogliano shares the excitement that goes hand in hand with planting the first seeds of spring. After months of snow, a boy and his dog agree that enough is enough, and decide to plant a garden. They dig, plant, play and wait…and wait…until at long last, shades of green begin to replace the brown. Spring is in the air!”
The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award Winner Is:
Hyewon Yum for Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten!, (Macmillan/FSG/Frances Foster)
The award citation reads, “First day of kindergarten jitters may be nothing new, but in Yum’s book, it’s a parent who is frantic and needs reassuring! Playfully using color and size (Mom and son take turns appearing small and blue-tinted; large and rosy pink), this author-illustrator captures the emotional highs and lows of both parent and child around this milestone.”
The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor Awards Go To:
Sanjay Patel for Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth, (Chronicle Books)
K.G. Campbell for Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters, (Kids Can Press)
The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Awards Go To:
Mara Rockliff for My Heart Will Not Sit Down, (RH/Knopf BYR)
Jennifer Lanthier for The Stamp Collector, (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
Don Tate for It Jes’ Happened, (Lee & Low Books)