The Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-loved Book has been awarded for 2011 to Tangaroa’s Gift/Te Koha a Tangaroa, a bilingual picture book written and illustrated by Mere Whaanga and first published by Ashton Scholastic in 1990.
The Gaelyn Gordon Award is given annually for a children’s or young adult book which did not win a New Zealand award at the time of publication but has been in print for more than five years and has proved itself a favourite with New Zealand children.
“At first publication, Tangaroa’s Gift: Te Koha a Tangaroa was a finalist for the AIM Children’s Book Awards, the Esther Glen Award for writing and, unusually, also for the Russell Clark Award for illustration,” says Storylines Trust chair Dr Libby Limbrick. “It is wonderful that this fine and enduring book by an accomplished writer and illustrator… should now be honoured with this award.”
Of Ngati Rongomaiwahine and Ngati Kahungunu descent, Mere Whaanga is a writer, illustrator, historian and an academic. Raised on an isolated sheep station on the East Coast of New Zealand, she was inspired by her father’s respect for the land and his love of Mâori history and mythology. She completed her M Phil Maori Studies at Massey University in 2000 and says of her writing “I write from a Maori perspective, always with the intention that the work has integrity while being accessible to those who may know little about our culture and people.”
On April 2nd, Storylines will celebrate Mere Whaanga and all the 2011 Storylines Award Winners with its annual Storylines Margaret Mahy Day. The event will take place from 9am – 1pm at King’s School (258 Remuera Road, Remuera, Auckland). All are invited to attend the celebrations which will include this year’s Margaret Mahy Medal Award winner, Kate De Goldi delivering her lecture. To register, click here.
(Click on event name for more information)
Shanghai International Literacy Festival~ Mar 1 - 15, Shanghai, China
The Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival~ Mar 2 - 12, Hong Kong
Adelaide Festival Awards For Literature Winners Announced~ Mar 2, Adelaide, Australia
Growing Up Asian in America Art & Essay Contest for Youth~ entry deadline Mar 6, San Francisco, CA, USA
World Book Day~ Mar 6, United Kingdom and Ireland
The 12th Annual Charlotte S. Huck Children’s Literature Festival~ Mar 7 - 8, Redlands, CA, USA
Masak-Masak: A Potluck of Delectable Stories from Around the World~ Mar 8, Singapore
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Winner Announced~ Mar 12, Vimmerby, Sweden
World Storytelling Day~ Mar 20
World Poetry Day~ Mar 21
Harmony Day~ Mar 21, Australia
Bangkok International Book Fair~ Mar 26 - Apr 7, Bangkok, Thailand
The Toronto Festival of Storytelling~ Mar 28 - Apr 6, Toronto, ON, Canada
Storylines Margaret Mahy Award Lecture~ Mar 29, Pakuranga, New Zealand
Tom Fitzgibbon Award and Joy Cowley Award Winners Announced~ Mar 29, Pakuranga, New Zealand
Bologna Children’s Book Fair~ Mar 31 - Apr 3, Bologna, Italy
Hans Christian Anderson Awards Announced~ Mar 31, Bologna, Italy
Review by Becky Laney, frequent contributor.
Song of the Sparrow is a wonderful verse novel that retells the story of Elaine the Lady of Shalott. While the literary tradition has her as beautiful but essentially weak and desperate, Sandell's Elaine is strong, brave, and while she, for a time, is lovesick on Lancelot, she is not too desperate or clingy. (Not, I'll die without his love desperate.) Meet Arthur, Elaine, Gwynivere, Lancelot, Tristan, and Gawain in this new telling of love and war. The poetry is powerful and quite effective in communicating the behind the scenes emotions as well as capturing the senses--especially the sights and sounds of battle camps and war.
Here is a snippet from the tenth chapter:
I wish I could go back to that time,
when my mother would smile
the gentle smile that told me,
all is right and well.
Back to that time when I was
young
and loved
and safe.
When we were all safe.
That things change,
that people change,
and die,
that we grow older,
that life brings the unexpected,
the unwanted,
oh,
some days it feels me with
a measure of lightness, for
I will be a woman soon.
But other days,
the very thought
of growing older,
of not being that small girl
who danced over river rocks,
whose brothers held her hands,
whose mother lived,
the very thought of itcrushes me,
till it is stopped,by the world
outside
my memories.
Someone from my school in NH emailed me the other day and wanted me to write a poem for one of the teachers who is retiring, since I often did that when I was still working. No problem...told them to send me ideas of what they would like in the poem...key words, so to speak, and I could do it. Took me about an hour or less.
Last week the moderator of an on-line children's poetry critique group I used to moderate wrote and invited me to return to the group, since they had an opening. I did, but that means I need to start writing in verse again. And I could do that if I had any ideas about what subject to write about. It's so much easier for me if someone gives me a topic...then I can write. It's happened often with my writing...even with KNOWING JOSEPH, where a psychologist who works with families of children with autism suggested I write a story about a sibling who felt he needed to be perfect. No problem...I did it.
So here is what I would like...help me brainstorm ideas or topics for some children's verse...what would you like to see a poem or a rhyming picture book about? Give me some key words to write about..help me get started.
On another note, we are off to Georgia tomorrow for a few days to see the grandkids one more time before they leave for Germany, where my son will be stationed for the next two or three years. At least it will be a nice place to visit in the fall or next spring.
