It’s been a worrying start to 2020: unprecedented fires, floods and a global pandemic. We hope you’re all safe and well and finding your way in this time of uncertainty. It’s such a strange and concerning moment in all our lives … As with the Bushfire emergency, the Children's Book World has risen to this lastest challenge with positive and creative responses and there is a abundance of information to access. See some of these responses and ideas listed below in this newsletter. For Books Illustrated, many aspects of our program eg. touring exhibitions and book events such as Clunes Book Town, are cancelled or have been curtailed, but we'll continue to promote Australian picture books and their creators as much as we can. We are currently working on updating our website which, when launched in May, will be more visual with a greater focus on illustration.  As usual, books and prints are available for purchase on line, invoiced and posted with Australia Post.  We‘d love you to purchase for pleasure but also to support the wonderfull creators we represent on our site. We encourage you all to support our industry - Australian authors, illustrators, publishers and booksellers. In this news letter • April ANZAC Book Sale • Melbourne Book Market • Feature picture book creator of the month • Feature books and prints of the month  • Illustration inspiration • The book world and COVID 19 lockdown • Awards • News and Events * The Australian Children's Laureate 20% Off April ANZAC Book Sale Schools and parents preparing work to link with ANZAC Day on April 25 may be interested in picture books about WW1, and more broadly, the themes of war and conflict, that we are offering in our 20% off April sale.  Link to the list of books here Many of these books are signed and many have excellent free teacher's notes. Our weekly promotion with the MBM at the QV market is on hold but you can catch up with some of the traders and book ideas on The Melbourne Book Market  facebook page Feature picture book creators for April are... ...Twelve Indigenous students from The Great Victoria Desert. In a very remote area of Western Australia, these students took part in the third Spinifex Writing Camp last year with singer songwriter Chris Aitken and author illustrator Ann James. The result is the stunning new picture book Hello, Hello published in March by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.  We are celebrating this amazing achievement here and on our website where you'll see the process the kids went through together creating this remarkable book. Beginning with a song inspired by the land in this remote area of Australia, to conceptualising it then as a story, then creating illustrations. Finally the design and layout as a picture book was completed in Melbourne, it was printed in China and the launch was held in remote Kalgoorlie! What a story! Read about it here!                                     Available for sale now $24.99 plus postage  Feature Books & Prints this month Congratulations to Shaun Tan and publisher Allen & Unwin for the shortlisting of their book, Tales from the Inner City , for the prestigiuos UK Kate Greenaway Medal for distinguished illustration in a book for children and young people.  This illustated book is a collection of incredibly original stories, rich and strangely moving, each illustrated with a unique and thought provoking image.  Signed copies of the book are available here Limited Edition prints from the original illustrations,  numbered and signed by Shaun Tan. Can be viewed and purchased here The 117-Storey Treehouse, by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, published by Macmillan, again topped the National Children's Book sales in March!   As well as signed copies of the books limited edition prints of each of the Treehouse series is available for sale. A very limited selection of the handcoloured original illustrations from The 26-Story Treehouse are available for sale. Illustration Inspiration AZARIA: A TRUE HISTORY by MAREE COOTE   This astonishing new picture book is launched in the 40th anniversary year of the story that shocked the world: that of baby Azaria taken by a dingo in the Australian outback in 1980. Media reports at the time accused baby Azaria’s mother, Lindy Chamberlain, of murder. Lindy Chamberlain was sentenced and jailed before eventually being exonerated.  Maree Coote tells the tale with care and empathy for all players, while pulling no punches with the grim subject matter.   INSPIRATION “From the moment the story of Azaria and Lindy hit the news, I have not been able to forget it. It is an epic tale, filled with enough archetypal characters to rival a Greek tragedy. For an artist, that’s pure inspiration..' Maree Coote tells her inspiring story of the story - of writing and illustrating this beautiful and moving picture book - on our website. read more    The Book World rises to the challenge of COVID 19 lockdown No shortage of resources to access the children’s book world!  As with the bush fire emergency, once again the book world has responded with positivity from every section - from Industry organisations to individuals. • The ABA (Australian Booksellers Association) have been working on strategies to assist booksellers including a media campaign that continues to promote books and bookshops. As well as on-line purchasing, many bookshops have started a delivery service. Check out your local bookstore on-line. • Many Publishers are focusing book campaign activity for new release titles on digital promotions and transforming many planned events to LIVE streaming platforms. • With the cancellation of many overseas Book Fairs, publishers are shifting to on-line rights sales and networking opportunities as there are plenty of new books still being published and looking for homes in overseas territories. You can read about these titles and more in Books & Publishing’s children’s books preview—as well as this year’s Hello! from Australia Bologna Catalogue. • A special arrangement for virtual library storytime sessions has been announced by Books Create Australia, a collaboration between the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA), the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the Australian Publishers Association (APA) and the Australian Society of Authors (ASA). • The CBCA (Children’s Book Council of Australia) has also responded by announcing of the annual Children's Book of the Year Awards on-line on March 31 and other initiatives by their state branches - including postponing Book Week and the announcement of the Book of the Year Awards until term 4.  The CBCA, Vic branch offers a new Concierge program to assist members to access children's literature and related resources online, contact via Concierge.    The Knack is a Facebook group of over 300 youth literature professionals hosted by  CBCA Vic committee member Adele Walshe. It shares recommendations, articles and ideas and has new content daily including a growing thread of things you can do from home.  • Existing online businesses and other organisations are responding with proactive initiatives including:  Story Box Library Paper Bird Story Centre in WA • Many authors and illustrators are also being proactive and sharing ideas and creative projects. Just two examples are: Cloudyseas for Kids - An ongoing myriad of unique Games, Stories, Information and Activities  https://www.facebook.com/cloudyseas  A gift from Coral Tulloch, award-winning author and illustrator from Tasmania.  https://blog.publish.csiro.au/science-illustrated-coral-tulloch/ 'Years ago I had a syndicated children’s page in newspapers and the material is just sitting here with me. I want to put up as much of this material as I can for you to use, share, print out.'  There’s a wealth wonderful ideas to occupy all ages. And Coral's art - and mind! are amazing! This is Coral’s Art site - so you’ll also see her book illustrations…there are lots from her most recent picture book,The Book of Stone, a fabulous collaboration with Mark Greenwood, published by Walker books. ART CHALLENGE!! Award-winning author and illustrator, Judith Rossell from Melbourne, has recenty returned from a Writer's Residency in Germany. She invites you to a creative challenge! " Hi guys! It's ART CHALLENGE time! I'm stuck in quarantine, and I know lots of kids are stuck at home, and adults too. So, I've made you a video. Why not make some tiny houses, using things that you have around the house? You could make a little village or a huge town!!'    This is a link to the template you will need.  'If you make some houses, please put them up on Facebook or Instagram, using the hashtag #juderossellartchallenge so I can see what you've made. :)' A delicious taste of international online involvement with one of our alltime favourite illustrators Quentin Blake. In this youtube video Quentin demonstrates with a custom-made multi-colourd oil stick to demonstrate his drawing technique. More info about the @isolationartschool, which encourages artists of all ages to get creative during the COVID-19 lockdown, is on Instagram @isolationartschool

Awards  The Australia Council Awards for Lifetime Achievement Children's writer, Margaret Wild was given the Lifetime Achievement for Literature. She one of eight extraordinary artists honoured at the 2020 Australia Council Awards on March 9. Margaret is one of Australia's most highly respected children's book creators, and especially celebrated for her picture books. She  has published over seventy books for young people  which have been  translated,  read and loved across the world.   Her seminal work, Fox, illustrated by Ron Brooks, published by Allen & Unwin, was considered an Australian Classic the moment it was published. It won the CBCA book of the year,  the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards for children's books, and   Germany’s most prestigious prize for children’s literature in 2004.   Her work speaks directly to children, tackling big and sensitive issues, often in picture book form, with care and respect for her readers.   UK Kate Greenaway Medal  Shaun Tan has been shortlisted for the 2020 Kate Greenaway Medal for distinguished illustration in a book for children and young people for his book Tales from the Inner City (A&U). The UK’s Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) will announce the winners on 17 June. For information about awards and CILIP, visit the website to see shortlisted illustrators including Levi Penfold illustrator of The Dam written by David Almond (Walker). Formerly from the UK, Levi now lives in QLD. Congratulations to all illustrators, authors and publishers who have books shortlisted in the 2020 CBCA Book of the Year Awards, announced online March 31.                             The full list and other information CBCA website                           Astrid Lindgren Award  - Winner Announced April 2 Korean artist Baek Heena has been announced as the winner of the five million krona (A$820k) Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA). Baek has published 13 picture books, including Cloud Bread, which was published in English in 2011. Her picture books feature handmade miniature figurines and are created through a time-consuming process that includes construction, sculpture, photography and lighting design. The ALMA jury’s citation says: ‘With exquisite feeling for materials, looks and gestures, Baek Heena’s filmic picture books stage stories about solitude and solidarity. In her evocative miniature worlds, cloud bread and sorbet moons, animals, bath fairies and people converge. Her work is a doorway to the marvellous: sensuous, dizzying and sharp.’ Administered by the Swedish Arts Council in honour of author Astrid Lindgren, the ALMA is the largest international children’s and young adult literature award in the world. The winner is usually announced during the Bologna Children’s Book Fair but was announced via webcast following the cancellation of the 2020 fair.  To learn more about Baek Heena, visit the ALMA website.   News and no Events - well at least face to face! We were saddened to hear that Tomie dePaola, well known USA author/ illustrator of over 270 children's books died on March 30. It is even sadder, as he was such a lively and social person, but because of the isolation required by COVID 19 he died alone. He was perhaps most well known for his picture book series Strega Nona, which like many of his stories, was inspired by his own life. Children's book enthusiasts may possibly remember Tomie's several visits to Australia over the years. An interview with the New York Times gives a great overview of his life an career The Australian Children's Laureate  Ursula Dubosarsky  Australian Children's Laureate, 2020 - 2021 Read about Ursula's special focus for her Laureateship and details of the Laureate program on the Australian Children's Laureate website! The Laureate Calendar with writing tips and activities from Ursula each month can be downloaded for free! Story Box Library have been filming with Ursula. They loved so much of what she had to say and couldn't fit it all into the one short film - so they made two!  In this short, three-minute film, you can get to know a bit more about Ursula's focus for the two years to come as the Australian Children's Laureate and the magic that can be found with the simple swipe of a library card.  And then you can learn even more about Ursula with our longer short film, which goes further into who Ursula is as a writer and a Laureate, and her passion for language.  Share Tweet Forward

Books Illustrated is an enthusiastic supporter of the Australian Children's Laureate Program , Copyright Australia's Reading Australia and the Indigenous Literacy Foundation   Books Illustrated is an enthusiastic supporter of the Australian Children's Laureate Program , Copyright Australia's Reading Australia and the Indigenous Literacy Foundation  Facebook Twitter Website Copyright © 2020 Books Illustrated, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 121 Cobden St, South Melbourne, Vic 3205 unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences    Subscribe to our E-News

BEHIND THE STUDIO DOOR INTERVIEWS

Tohby Riddle
July 2019

Bruce Whatley
March 2019

Anne Spudvillas
January 2019

Patricia Mullins
January 2019

Marc Martin
September 2017

Lisa Stewart
March 2016

Ilse van Garderen
October 2015

Anna Walker
June 2015

Mark Wilson
April 2015

Shaun Tan
December 2014

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August 2014