A Visitor for Bear, by my friend and critique group member Bonny Becker, won the SCBWI's Golden Kite Award for picture book text! Bonny has written so many wonderful picture books and novels. It's terrific when a book connects with and finds its audience like this one has. And Bonny remains so low-key about it, even though our group is so proud and thrilled for her. Yesterday, we had to browbeat her to change her email sig line, which only pointed out one good review Bear had gotten ages ago. C'mon, said another group member, what about the Amazon Picture Book of the Year Award? The NYT Bestsellers List? Now the Golden Kite? Bonny surrendered and updated, even though it's the kind of thing she probably wouldn't have done without a bit of pressure.
Congratulations, Bonny--It couldn't go to a nicer writer or a more heartwarming if grouchy Bear!
Click here to read about the other winners and honors books. It's a great group!
PIERRE IN LOVE, written by BookArtist Sara Pennypacker is the winner of the The Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators 2007 Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text.
Instituted in 1973, the Golden Kite Awards are the only children’s literary award judged by a jury of peers. More than 1,000 books are entered each year.
Sara says . . . . "this award is so sweet for me because I wrote PIERRE for a close friend, as she was dying of breast cancer. She was the most loving, generous woman I've ever known, and my kids and I adored her. When I got the news PIERRE had won, a poet friend said it seemed to him that awards always came to writers right when they were having difficult times (the last few weeks had been very difficult, personally - ok now, though, no worries.) and I realized that he was close to a truth - that maybe the best books are written during difficult times. I remember that in writing PIERRE for Pella, I wanted her to hear the best I had, to know that I'd blown out all the stops for her. Or maybe it was more a feeling of what the hell are you saving it for? Whatever it was, I wrote PIERRE in tears and full of love the whole time, and now to win means so much to me."
are particularly special for those who create children's books because they are the only awards given by their peers in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators..jpeg?picon=3282)
OH WOW!!!! How exciting, Chris! I'm so happy for you! Wish I could have been there to celebrate, but it was so lovely to see you and Bini when you passed through Seattle. I still owe you a secret, don't I?
WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! SO excited for you! How totally fabulous - and well-deserved!
So fantastic. What a privilege to have been sitting to your left on such a momentous occasion. Congratulations :)
Congratulations! The whole conference looks fabulous.
So glad you were both able to attend. Did you not have a long acceptence speech ready?
Congratulations, Chris! Can't think of anyone who deserves the honor more than you.