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PaperTigers.org is part of the Pacific Rim Voices family of websites which includes The Kiriyama Prize and WaterBridge Review. The Kiriyama Prize was established in 1996 to recognize outstanding books about the Pacific Rim and South Asia that encourage greater mutual understanding of and among the peoples and nations of this vast and culturally diverse region. The Prize consists of a cash award of US $30,000, which is split equally between the fiction and nonfiction winners. On February 26th the finalists for the 2008 Kiriyama Prize were announced on the website. Winners will be announced on April 1, 2008.

The web-zine “Writing Our Hope” is accepting creative nonfiction and poetry by high school students in the United States, Canada and Mexico on themes of hope, tolerance and equality. They are also accepting educators’ submissions of literary-based and tolerance-based lesson plans and activity guides on the same topics. Deadline for submission to their Spring issue is Mar 30.

This web project follows the 2007 publication of Our Hope: Writings and Photographs on Tolerance and Equality by students at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School in Montgomery, Alabama.

Only a couple of days to go till the winners are announced - in the meantime, instead of biting your nails, hop over to the Cybils blog and vote in their polls for your favorites in each category…

While researching to put together our website’s celebration of children’s book illustrators, I’ve come across some wonderful things that never made it into the site. I learned, for instance, that in 1997 Keene State College Children’s Literature Festival director, Dr. David E. White, came up with an interesting way to add to the Festival Gallery Collection of original artwork related to children’s book illustration. He started the Festival Owl Project, by inviting children’s book illustrators to donate owl renditions, in honor of the schools’ mascot, to the gallery. The project also had another goal: to raise money, through sales from materials featuring the owls, for the purchasing and framing of original pieces for the gallery.

The gallery currently counts with 93 original owls, and the first 60 can be seen in these two gorgeous posters, available for sale. The posters include works by Grace Lin, Alissa Imre Geis, David Diaz, Lulu Delacre, Chris Soentpiet, Yumi Heo and many more.

Keene State College turns 100 in 2009 and Dr. White would like to have at least 100 owls by the time of their centennial celebration. Illustrators wishing to spread the wisdom have until early September 2008 to donate their owls. Owl #100 and additional ones will be unveiled during a special ceremony in October. There is no limit to the number of owls that can be in the collection, and the only requirement for participating is that the illustrator has published children’s books and that the owl itself hasn’t been previously published.

Now, who is answering the owls’ call and joining the parliament?… If you already have, please send us a link to your owl and we’ll post it here.

Author Justina Chen Headley is the co-founder of ReaderGirlz, an online book community that promotes teen girl literacy. Justina is clearly committed to making a difference and supporting good causes through her work as a writer; in her latest young adult novel, Girl Overboard, her snowboarder heroine, Syrah, organizes a snowboarding event to raise awareness for cancer. Now Justina is taking her commitment to making a difference a step further. In partnership with Burton Snowboards and Youth Venture, she is co-sponsoring the Go Overboard Challenge Grant.

You don’t have to be young to understand how radically good this venture is: Youth (ages 12-20) from across the globe are invited to “go overboard” and submit one of two action plan options for creating a positive impact on the world. Twelve $1000 grants will be awarded to individuals or teams with the best ideas so they can bring those ideas to fruition. Application details are here, so spread the word!

And speaking of positive impact and good causes, over at Read Write Believe, book lovers report the worthy causes they support. Check out its ongoing Very Big, No-Kidding, We’re Changing the World, You Bet! Good Deed List and share the causes you get behind.

The Philasia branch of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators kicked off the new year with a speaker event featuring award-winning Filipino children’s book author and SCBWI member, Lara Saguisag.

The author of There’s a Duwende in My Brother’s Soup, Tonyo’s Wishes and Cat Eyes, and co-editor with April Yap of Nine Supernatural Stories, Laura Saguisag’s newest book, Children of Two Seasons: Poems for Young People, was published in December of 2007, after winning the 2006 Writing for Children Chapbook Series, a writing competition organized by the Writing Program of The New School University, in New York, known for its commitment to creative writing. The poems in the book, illustrated by emerging Filipino illustrator Hubert Fucio, describe the everyday adventures, thoughts and feelings of young children, as well as their take on simple things such as animal sounds, grandparents’ stories, etc.

Held on January 7th at Fullybooked, a bookstore in Makati City, Philippines, Lara’s talk focused on exploring notions of childhood and “Filipino-ness” in Filipino’s children’s literature. When I asked Lara why this topic, she responded:

I spent the past three years writing in New York City. I was very excited to be there, but it slowly dawned on me that my idea of childhood was very different from that of my American peers, and how our writing for children was greatly affected by our different notions. Many of my classmates often thought I was writing “too young” for my intended age group, so I came to realize that that was because the children I knew in the Philippines seemed to me much more “dependent” than their American counterparts.

It may seem very obvious to state that children in the U.S. are different from children in the Philippines. I do feel, however, that many children’s book writers tend to assume that there is a “universal” kind of childhood (childhood as a happy time, free of labor and worries, a time for children to be protected), when, largely, this is a conception of childhood that began among Western middle-class families.

Lara, who is a Presidential Fellow at Rutgers University in New Jersey, NY, where she is completing her PhD in Childhood Studies, began her lecture with a simple question: “Who is the child?” (more…)

Calling student artists and writers (K-12) in the San Francisco Bay area! You have until March 6th to get your entries in for the Growing Up Asian in America competition! This year’s theme is:

Winning and Losing, Competition and Teamwork

and you can enter either or both of the categories - Art and Essay or Poem.

The prizes are awarded by the Asian Pacific Fund and are worth an enormous $27,000!

From the Competition’s Press Release:

Growing Up Asian in America encourages young people to creatively express their ideas on identity and culture. Students of all backgrounds are invited to submit entries, including Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, other Asians and Pacific Islanders, and students of mixed heritage.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrates one of the most important men in American history. Celebrations often include reading books about his life and legacy and remembering the ways in which his dream is a work-in-progress that the rest of us have the responsibility to work toward.

Many children’s books take a look at the life, leadership, and ideals of equality Martin Luther King promoted and fought non-violently for, and here are two of my personal favorites:

A powerful intertwining of history and dreams, My Dream of Martin Luther King, written and illustrated by Faith Ringgold is one of the most beautiful tributes to his life’s work that I’ve ever come across to date. And to see how it all started with a promise, read My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers, written by King’s sister, renowned educator Christine King Farris, and masterfully illustrated by Chris Soentpiet (here Soentpiet talks about how he came to work on the project.) Christine’s memories of growing up with brother Martin show how one particular event in their shared childhood inspired him to make a promise to his mother and, later on, to start a movement that changed the course of history.

So, today, and throughout the year, whether we talk to children about the basic message of treating people fairly and equally regardless of their outside appearance or go deeper into issues of racism, it’s important to remind them that the exclusion King’s fought against wasn’t remedied once and for all when laws changed. The more kids think about the struggles and accomplishments of those who, like Martin Luther King, spoke up against injustice and prejudice, the more likely they are to learn to speak up against it themselves, and to help create positive change in the world.

Our new bimonthly update focuses on the world and the art of illustrators. If “every childhood lasts a lifetime,” as they say, so does the undoubted influence of picture books, and the world views they convey, in children’s lives. Translating stories into a language that needs no introduction to children, even when the subject matter is complex, children’s book illustrators communicate with their audience in a very unique way: being the language of imagination, the art of illustration lends itself perfectly to direct communication, without cultural or language barriers.

Through these new features, you will have a glimpse of how the highlighted artists work, what art means to them and how it transformed their lives. Please enjoy them. And while enjoying what they have to offer, chances are, you’ll also deepen your understanding of the important role their work plays in developing our children’s imaginations.

Featured artisits include: Felicia Hoshino, Sally Rippin, Anne Spudvalis, Maya Christina Gonzalez and Amelia Lau Carling.

Long live children’s book illustrators and their picture books!…

I woke up early this morning, excited to check my computer for the winners of the 2008 ALA Awards. It’s always an exciting moment to find out who the winners are, after all the guessing game that surrounds the occasion, with books lovers of all ages making their own predictions for the medals. You can see the complete list of winners here.

We congratulate the authors and illustrators of all winning and honor books and, in particular, Yuyi Morales, for the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award she received for Los Gatos Black on Halloween, written by Marisa Montes (Holt) – Los Gatos Black was also a Belpré Author Honor book; and Maya Christina Gonzalez, for the Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor captured by My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo (Children’s Book Press), which she also wrote. My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez/Me llamo Gabito: la vida de Gabriel García Márquez, illustrated by Raul Colón, written by Monica Brown (Luna Rising) has also received the Pura Belpré Honor, and deservedly so.

Keep your eyes peeled: Maya Christina Gonzalez’s gallery will be featured on the PaperTigers website as part of an upcoming update focusing on illustrators. Make sure to check the website tomorrow to see a sample of her award-winning work, including images from My Colors, My World.

You can find out which books have been shortlisted here. Winners will be announced on February 14th.

There are a couple of my recent favorites in there… which ones are you rooting for?

Jon Scieszka (”it rhymes with Fresca”) was declared the first ambassador for Young People’s Literature, today. The position is the children’s book equivalent of the Library of Congress’s poet laureate program. The new role will entail promoting the importance of reading by reaching out to parents, teachers and children everywhere and, in particular, Scieszka says, “to children who are considered reluctant readers.” Author of many children’s books, including the very successful Time Warp Trio series, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs and Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Scieszka is also the founder of Guys Read, a literacy program and website aimed at encouraging boys to read.

What should we expect from a guy whose Little Red Hen questions the presence of the ISBN number in the volume she appears on, and who allows her, later on, to be eaten by the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk?… Well, lots of gutsy energy to impart momentum and backbone to his important mission.

… to writer and poet Debjani Chatterjee, who has been awarded an MBE for services to literature in the recent New Year’s Honours in the UK. You can read more about it here.

The National Library Board (NLB) of Singapore hosted its annual Asian Children’s Festival from Nov 17-25. Started in 2001, the Asian Children’s Festival (ACF) promotes children’s literacy by providing opportunities for the creative and joyous learning of Asian content and culture among children. The free events, held at libraries throughout Singapore and enjoyed by over 300,000 participants, featured internationally renowned children’s storytellers, writers, illustrators and puppeteers. This year 50 lucky youngsters were chosen to take part in the first-ever sleepover at the National Library – and, to heighten their experience of Asian culture, other activities such as poetry slams and a tour of the Singapore Art Museum were also planned.  

Ms. Poh Poh Lim, a NLB librarian and ACF Project Manager, was pleased to share with us the details of this year’s festival. KidsAsia! was a new event which kickstarted the festival this year. It showcased “the rich culture, heritage, traditions and flavours of Asian communities” and helped children and their parents discover “what makes growing up in Asia so special.” Five KidsAsia! zones were set up at the National Library to allow children to enjoy a variety of experiences. Activities included the hands-on arts and crafts “Creativity Zone” and the “Kids Express Zone,” where music and dance were performed by children from throughout Asia. The “Going Places Zone” was enjoyed by all, as it featured a special mini-library and story corner where children and their parents were encouraged to browse and read books;  an on-line reading area; and special readings hosted by members of the Asian Storytelling Network.

To reach out to as many children as possible, the ACF featured a Festival Fringe Programme, which included a variety of events held  at regional and local libraries throughout the nine-day festival. Two books, put together by NLB librarians, Heritage Tales: Treasures from Singapore and The Tale Of The Missing Tail and Other Original Singapore Stories were launched at this year’s festival and shared with the children. For Ms. Lim, probably due to her librarian’s point of view, this aspect of the festival, most specifically the “Tales From Asia” programme, was its highlight.

 Heritage Tales: Treasures from Singapore is an annotated bibliography which “highlights the richness and variety of Singapore’s children’s books. These titles represent our nation’s collective talents and experiences and are indeed treasures to be cherished and passed down from generation to generation.” The book, which during ACF was available for free at all Singapore libraries, includes a special section featuring works by children.

The Tale Of The Missing Tail And Other Original Singapore Stories is a compilation of original stories geared toward children ages 4-10.“This compilation includes stories in Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The 20 short stories are simple, honest tales inspired by contributors’ personal musings, experiences and culture. Some of them are rich with local characters; others are tales of bullying and other familiar issues such as sibling rivalry, childhood hobbies, achievement… Not to be missed are the tales of friendship and family love, and of monsters and endearing animals. And there’s a taste of fantasy, too! After all, what would a compilation of stories for children be without tales of princes and princesses? It’s all in there.” Copies of this book may be purchased at any Singapore library or by contacting the NLB.

In conclusion, Ms Lim  says: “We have received the public’s ardent support for the past seven years. Now all we really want is to keep creating this opportunity for children to have the most fun-filled time of their lives while immersed in Asian culture and heritage.” Click on this photographer’s blog to see some photos of the event. Judging from the looks on the children’s faces, I’d say the festival goals were definitely met! 

There’s often a ritual involved in getting families into the holiday spirit: tree trimming and baking treats for some; candle lighting and telling family stories by the fireplace for others… A family I know, for instance, gathers around the tree on Christmas to hear the Christmas Eve chapter of Wind in the Willows, “Dulce Domum.”

For many families storytelling plays an important role in adding extra meaning and warmth to the holidays, whether they read books together; have a tradition of book giving; or listen to the stories of older relatives and how they celebrated the holidays as a child, way back when. In addition to helping kids understand the real meaning of the holidays, stories from books and/or from family members and friends provide a way for children to learn that different people celebrate different holidays, and that one same holiday can be celebrated differently in different families and cultures (did you know that Ecuadorians’ tradition of welcoming the new year involves making a scarecrow?…I, for one, didn’t, until recently.)

A meaningful glimpse of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa traditions can be gleaned from the following children’s books: in The Legend of the Ponsettia, Tomie de Paola retells the Mexican legend of how the ponsettia flower came to be, through the story of a little girl who fears she won’t have a gift for baby Jesus in time for the Christmas parade; in Angela Shelf Medearis’Seven Spools of Thread seven brothers highlight the seven principles of Kwanzaa in the process of making gold out of spools of thread; in Linda Glaser’s The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes, a young girl devices a clever way to make her old, lonely neighbor join in her family’s Hanukkah’s celebrations, in spite of his numerous refusals. And for those of us enjoying cold, dark nights under the covers, Anna Grossnickle Hines’ Winter Lights: A Season in Poems and Quilts helps us warm up by bringing the brightness and meaning of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa’s lights to life.

About.com offers good tips on how to wade our way through all the 2007 holiday titles

In keeping with one of the themes of the current issue of PaperTigers - books published for good causes, I just wanted to flag up the visual treat recently published (September) to raise funds for The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and presented by Eric Carle himself. Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk about Their Art is awe-inspiring and down-to earth at the same time. This is the book for anyone with an interest in getting behind the scenes and finding out what makes different illustrators tick. Each artist has written a letter about how/ why they became an artist and/or their musings about being an artist – and these are some of the big names in children’s book illustration today. In fact, if they weren’t all listed both on the museum’s website and here (with links), I would feel compelled to list them all, so inspirational is what they each have to say.

The layout of the book provides a photograph of each illustrator as a child, a full page illustration and then a fold-out containing further examples of their work. Take a look at this full review from Planet Esme.

And if you’re lucky enough to live in the US and are aged 6-9, you still have a chance (until 28th December) to win a copy of the book and more – for details look here! Thank you Book Worm’s Diary for pointing this out (ages ago!).

Books of Wonder in New York is hosting an Artist to Artist event

On November 3rd,  the 12th annual Multicultural Children’s Book Festival was held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, USA. Over 7,000 people attended this free event and enjoyed an afternoon filled with authors’ readings & signings (more than 400 titles were available for purchase); illustrators and  celebrities’ appearances;  interactive performances, and more. 

The Multicultural Children’s Book Festival originally began as a collaboration between the Kennedy Center and Black Books Galore!, a children’s book service created in 1992 by three African American mothers who were  frustrated by the lack of children’s books portraying African American themes.  Now produced by the Kennedy Center, the festival has grown to include books and authors representing a wide array of cultures and experiences from throughout the world, including Asian and Latino in all their rich shades.  

One of this year’s featured guests was award winning author Mitali Perkins, a regularly featured author and contributor to the PaperTigers website (she was the first author to participate, along with her mother, in our  Community Outreach project!). We asked Mitali to share something about her experience of attending the book festival, and here is what she wrote us:

“Okay, I confess: I haven’t been doing well with the label “multicultural.” (more…)

PaperTigers most recent (and last-of-the-year) issue celebrates National Adoption Month, ‘Children’s Books & Good Causes‘ and more. I encourage you to check out the new interviews, articles, reviews, gallery features, etc. And to expand on the issue’s focus, here are two more quality adoption-related books worth sharing at home or in the classroom: Joanna Catherine Scott’s The Lucky Gourd Shop, and Uma Krishnaswami’s Bringing Asha Home.

For more adoption-related posts, check here, here and here.

Next week is Anti-Bullying Week in the UK, when school-children throughout the country will take part in activities to help them:

“grow up with their respect of self and others intact, be fine participant citizens and, perhaps most importantly, become peacemakers in their hearts.”

This quotation comes from Peter Yarrow’s afterword of a remarkable picture book of Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin’s deeply incisive but simple song Don’t Laugh at Me. The words of the song have become increasingly familiar since first being written just over ten years ago: but set here with Glin Dibley’s hauntingly expressive illustrations, and with certain words in the text highlighted in red, even young children will be able to respond to it, using their innate sense of justice to pull out the essence of the song’s message.

Be prepared for taking your time over it: each line triggers all sorts of questions and discussion. Reading this book to your own children or to a class of young children is a beautiful way to introduce them to the notion that “difference” should make no difference. They will appreciate the juxtapositions in the illustrations, like the one of the boy in a helmet in a wheelchair – in that order: the wheelchair is actually the last thing you notice.

There’s also a cd at the back and kids of all ages will enjoy listening to the song, performed so gently and meditatively by the song-writers themselves.

Peter Yarrow, quoted above, founded Operation Respect and a percentage of the sales of the book goes to their “Don’t Laugh at Me” project… And there’s also a Spanish edition. Reading Zone has just placed it in in its Top Ten Picture Books. So what are you waiting for?

November 12-18 celebrates the 88th Children’s Book Week in the United States.

The ability to read and understand complicated information is essential to success in school and in the workplace. So much of today’s information is only available through the written word – in books, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, etc. Unfortunately, the statistics are staggering: analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress long-term trend reading assessments reveals that “by age 17, only about 1 in 17 seventeen year olds can read and gain information from specialized text, for example the science section in the local newspaper.”

Children cannot “Rise Up” to this challenge without hours of reading practice and without first developing a love of reading. During Children’s Book Week, parents, educators and caregivers can “Rise Up” to this challenge and take a stand.

A poem by Pam Munõz Ryan is featured on this year’s bookmark. Special publicity displays were created by various illustrators, including Ana Juan and Jon J. Muth. Proceeds from the sale of materials help support CBC’s literacy efforts.

Since writing Friday’s post about books to accompany El Día de los Muertos celebrations, the world has heard the news about the terrible flooding in the Mexican state of Tabasco, which has left hundreds of thousands of people without their homes and at increasing risk from disease; as yet, the number of people who have lost their lives is unknown. Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones and are struggling for their own survival; and we pray for the continued strength of those providing aid and comfort in the face of such devastation.

Save the Children, Operation USA and the Red Cross are some of the charities which have set up disaster funds to help victims of the flooding in Mexico.

There are some wonderfully vibrant picture books around which both add a zing to El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) festivities taking place today in Mexico, and give children everywhere the opportunity to take part, even if it is via their imaginations.

Jeanette Winter has both written and illustrated books on the theme. In Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book, the special papier maché skeletons come to life and dance their way through the pages: it’s a fun and lively introduction to the day’s inherent craft traditions. Illustrated by Jeannette Winter, Day of the Dead is equally effective visually; the book’s author Tony Johnston tells the story of a family’s day of preparations before going out into the night “to welcome the spirits of their loved ones home again”.

Author Janice Levy and illustrator Loretta Lopez have teamed up again (published earlier this year was Celebrate! It’s Cinco de Mayo! / Celebremos! Es El Cinco de Mayo!) on a new, bilingual story, I Remember Abuelito: A Day of the Dead Story / Yo Recuerdo a Abuelito: Un Cuento Del Día De Los Muertos. It’s about a little girl who is thinking particularly about her beloved abuelito (grandfather), who has died a few month’s previously, as she helps her family get ready for the Day of the Dead celebrations, when she knows she will find him again. A full review of this gentle and uplifting story with accompanying activities will be published in this month’s update of PaperTigers… Janice Levy is, of course, also the author of the very special The Spirit Of Tío Fernando: A Day of the Dead Story/El espíritu de tío Fernando: Una historia del Día de los Muertos.

And for a story - Magic Night, Noche Mágica - directly from author René Colato Laínez‘ manuscript, check out this post on La Bloga…

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world from where all these festivities are taking place, today has been chosen as the UK’s Family Storytelling Day, to kick off the month’s StoryQuest. Even if you’re too far away to take part physically in any of the many events being organised all over the country, take a look at the website for ideas and tips on how to go about introducing your children to their own family heritage: share in the Día de los Muertos celebrations and bring your ancestors alive by passing their stories down through the generations.

The “Robert’s Snow for Cancer Cure” blog effort is in its third week now, and as strong as ever. The illustrator features so far have been very inspiring, informative and fun. Below is this week’s schedule. A complete list of links to the posts and any last-minute updates, as well as the comprehensive list of links to the profiles posted so far can be found at 7-Imp. Enjoy the likes of Hideko Takahashi, Melissa Iwai, Alissa Imre Geis, Joy Allen, to name a few, and get yourself ready to bid on your favorite flakes. What better holiday gift than one that keeps on giving?…

Monday, October 29

• Dan Santat at Writing and Ruminating
• Joanne Friar at The Longstockings
• Alissa Imre Geis at Wild Rose Reader
• Diane Greenseid at Just One More Book!!
• Sean Qualls at Brooklyn Arden

Tuesday, October 30

• Ann Koffsky at Book Buds
• Bill Carman at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Gretel Parker at Finding Wonderland
• Matt Phelan at A Year of Reading
• Stephanie Roth at Writing with a broken tusk

Wednesday, October 31

• Shawna Tenney at Kate’s Book Blog
• Adam Rex at Booktopia and Welcome to my Tweendom
• Mo Willems at MotherReader
• Rolandas Kiaulevicius at a wrung sponge

Thursday, November 1

• Karen Lee at sruble’s world
• Diana Magnuson at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
• Melissa Iwai at Brooklyn Arden
• Victoria Jamieson at AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos
• Molly Idle at The Shady Glade
• Meghan McCarthy at A Fuse #8 Production

Friday, November 2

• Tracy McGuinness-Kelly at Sam Riddleburger’s blog
• Sarah Kahn at Kate’s Book Blog
• Sylvia Long at Whimsy Books
• Jeremy Tankard at the excelsior file
• Holli Conger at Please Come Flying

Saturday, November 3

• Susan Miller at Your Neighborhood Librarian
• Ellen Beier at What Adrienne Thinks About That
• Hideko Takahashi at The Silver Lining
• Judith Moffat at Jo’s Journal
• Wendell Minor at Wild Rose Reader

Sunday, November 4

• Joy Allen at Check It Out
• Robin Brickman at Greetings from Nowhere
• Lauren Stringer at laurasalas
• Nancy Wallace at In the Pages . . .

More than 200 well-known children’s book illustrators from around the world have been given a five-inch wooden snowflake to transform into an original piece of art – and the results, part of a campaign to raise funds for the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, can be seen at The Child at Heart Gallery in Newburyport, Massachusetts until Oct 22. After that the flakes will be on display at the Children’s Gallery at the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham until Dec 2. If you are in or around the area, take yourself and your loved ones to see the exhibit, and help get the word out on the three upcoming snowflake online auctions (Nov 19–23, Nov 26–30 and Dec 3–7). You can read about Robert’s Snow and Robert’s Snowflakes – the books, the story behind the story and the fundraising campaign, now in its third year – here. Bidding is open to everyone, but be warned: inner warmth and beautiful ripple effects are to be expected from participating.

This and future posts about the campaign will be our blog’s two cents (doesn’t every bit count?) in what’s now a multi-blog effort to help spread the word and drive traffic to Robert’s Snow online: some of the illustrators who have participated in the campaign will be featured daily throughout the blogsphere, along with their snowflake. Illustrators’ appearance master schedule can be found at Seven Imp. Be sure to check it regularly to see just where these heartwarming flakes will be landing.

Grace Lin at In the Pages and Michelle Chang at The Longstockings are some of the highlights on Day 1 of a month-long fest of art & hope for cure!

Books Beyond Borders: An International Children’s Literature Fair, happening on Oct 20th in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, will showcase the scope and quality of international children’s literature and encourage reading of authentic books about other cultures both by children and to children. The fair will be hosted by The Writers Read Program and College of DuPage Library. Special guest speakers include Kashmira Sheth, acclaimed children’s book author of My Dadima Wears a Sari, Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet and – just out this month – Keeping Corner.