Despite the impact of the global health crisis, at times it can be almost business as usual for the publishing industry—and celebratory business at that. The 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Awards and Best Children’s Publishers of the Year were announced during the virtual Bologna Book Fair; the 2021 Carle Honors Honorees were named; and Candlewick and MIT Press are set to launch two new imprints.

Woodson Wins Hans Christian Andersen Author Award

The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) named Jacqueline Woodson the recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Author Award. Albertine, of Switzerland, was named the illustration winner. There were 34 author nominees and 36 illustrator nominees for the prestigious international award.

“I just won this!” the Brown Girl Dreaming author tweeted. “So grateful to @IBBYINT, the jury and all my readers. And of course, to Hans Christian Andersen!”

The 2020 author shortlist was comprised of María Cristina Ramos from Argentina, Bart Moeyaert from Belgium, Marie-Aude Murail from France, Farhad Hassanzadeh from Iran, and Peter Svetina from Slovenia. The illustrator award shortlist was Isabelle Arsenault from Canada, Seizo Tashima from Japan, Sylvia Weve from the Netherlands, Iwona Chmielewska from Poland, and Elena Odriozola from Spain.

Carle Museum Announces 2021 Carle Honors Honorees.

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art announced the 2021 Carle Honors Honorees.

The Carle Honors committee recognizes creators and organizations in four categories: Artist, for lifelong innovation in the field; Angel, whose generous resources are vital for the creation of illustrated children's book art exhibitions, education programs, and related projects; Mentor, who are editors, designers, and educators who champion the art form; and Bridge, individuals or organizations who have found inspired ways to bring the art of the picture book to larger audiences through work in other fields.

These honorees will be celebrated at an event in fall 2021. Because of the pandemic, there will be no 2020 Carle Honors honorees. Instead of the annual in-person fundraising ceremony and art auction, The Eric Carle Museum will host an Art Auction and Virtual Fundraiser on Thursday, September 24.

"We miss our many friends in the children's book community, and wish everyone well," Rebecca Miller Goggins, director of development for The Carle, said in the announcement. "Until we can meet again in person, we hope you will join us in bringing well-deserved attention to these extraordinary honorees for their life's work."

The 2021 Honorees are:

Artist: Raúl Colón, an award-winning illustrator of over 30 children's books, including Draw!; Imagine!; Susanna Reich's José! Born to Dance; Frank McCourt's Angela's Christmas; and Jill Biden's Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops.

Angel: Every Child a Reader, the not-for-profit arm of the Children's Book Council sponsors literacy programs, including Children's Book Week, Children's & Teen Choice Book Awards, and Get Caught Reading. With the Library of Congress, it co-sponsors the National Ambassadorship for Young People's Literature.

Mentor: Patricia Aldana, a renowned children's book publisher who has devoted her career to bringing new voices to picture books. She is the founder of Groundwood Books, past president of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), President of the IBBY Trust, and publisher of Aldana Libros, an imprint of Greystone Kids.

Bridge: Dennis M. V. David and Justin G. Schiller, founders of Battledore Ltd., who have a combined 100-year career as dealers in rare and collectible children's books, related original illustration art, and manuscripts.

WDNB Announces Native Children's and YA Writing Intensive

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) will run an online Native Children’s and YA Writing Intensive August 13-16. The theme for the workshop will be "elevating and empowering Native voices" and it aims to offer an opportunity for reflection, conversation, celebration, and manuscript and career development for participants. 

“The Native Intensive Workshop will be a deep dive into the craft of writing, and into publishing considerations, centering the needs of Indigenous children’s and YA book writers,” said author Cynthia Leitich Smith in WNDB's announcement. “We’ll reflect and build on our literary traditions and innovations. We’ll soak up wisdom, encouragement, and enjoy each other’s supportive company.”

Up to 12 participants will be invited to participate in the intensive. Faculty for the intensive include Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek); author Traci Sorell (Cherokee); vice president/editorial director at HarperCollins Children’s Books Rosemary Brosnan; Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency agent Linda Camacho. 

MIT, Candlewick Collaborate on Two New Imprints

Candlewick Press and the MIT Press are partnering to launch two new imprints in fall 2021.

MIT Kids Press and MITeen Press will cover subjects from planetary science to the Internet and the environment. The imprints lists will be reviewed and approved by an MIT advisory board made up of MIT Press faculty, who will also propose acquisitions, identify writers, and help fact-check titles and review them for scientific validity. The books will be published in the UK and Australia by Candlewick’s sister companies, Walker Books UK and Walker Books Australia.

The imprints’ first lists will include books for readers across a span of ages, including

• Ada and the Galaxies, a picture book by Alan Lightman
• Hanmoji, a guide to learning Chinese through fun emoji mashups, by Jennifer 8. Lee, Jason Li, and An Xiao Mina
• MIT App Inventor, a practical guide to app coding for middle-grade readers, by Hal Abelson

SCBWI Starts YouTube Channel of Conference and Event Videos

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) has launched SCBWI YouTube featuring the Vault, a new YouTube channel that will feature curated videos from children’s writers, illustrators, editors, and kid lit advocates who spoke at past SCBWI conferences and events. The clips go from the 1970s through this year and include creators Kwame Alexander, Laurie Halse Anderson, Judy Blume, Bruce Coville, Karen Cushman, Paula Danziger, Sid Fleischman, Gordon Korman, Meg Medina, Vanessa Brantley Newton, Linda Sue Park, Jerry Pinkney, David Small, Jerry Spinelli, Shaun Tan, and Richard Jesse Watson.

Bologna Book Fair Best Children’s Publishers

The organizers of the Bologna Children's Book Fair—which had an online edition this year—in collaboration with the Italian Publishers Association (AIE) and the International Publishers Association (IPA), announced the six winners of the Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year. Winners are distinguished by their creativity and are organized by region.

The North America winner was Canadian publisher Les 400 coups, which publishes eccentric picture books. Both fun and serious, Les 400 coups offers its readers “an array of stunning, humorous, thought-provoking, and often even startling titles that stimulate reflection.”

The rest of the winners were: Mexican publishing house Alboroto Ediciones (Central and South America); Australia's Windy Hollow Books (Oceania); China's Jieli Publishing House (Asia); African Bureau Stories in Ghana (Africa).