Today's the DAY! Cybils Awards Announced for ALL CATEGORIES! Congratulations!

 

The countdown for CYBILS AWARDS 2020 is finally over:

August:  Application and selection of panelist

September: Nominations in all categories

October-November: Round one panelists are reading, thinking, reviewing, winnowing.

December: Panelists huddle in each category, resolve debates, select finalists.

January 1: CYBILS announces the finalists in all fifteen categories, handing over the lists to the Round Two Panelists who must determine the ultimate winner among winning works.

February 14: WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

That's today, as I write this!   Find the link to full listing HERE!

In the fiction picture book category I served as a first round panelist, and these were our finalists:

Each of these, and so many others that we read, are winners in their own standing. But today, I'm thrilled to share the news that the ultimate 2020 CYBILS FICTION BOOK WINNER is:

I AM EVERY GOOD THING!

I raved about it in a prior post, here.

From Cybils blog:

I Am Every Good Thing (Amazon, IndieBound)
by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
Nancy Paulsen Books
Nominated by: kelstarly

"This book’s stunning illustrations and exuberant, poetic text create driving rhythms and cadences that will capture the broad attention of a group in a read-aloud as well the more intimate attention of parent and child. It’s an empowering story of being proud of who you are during the easy times and the hard times. It rose immediately to the top of our list for a Cybils Award."

Congratulations to this winner, and to all the others.  Thank you to the Cybils Awards volunteers who organize and carry out this program year after year!

DRUMROLL PLEASE.... 2020 CYBILS Fiction Picture Book Finalists!

 

This was my sixth year serving as a Round One Cybils Award panelist, and it was a joyful experience in an otherwise heartbreaking year. I've volunteered each time because the organizers are brilliant and support the process, whether serving as a novice or an old hand. It's also a fun experience to work with some returning bloggers and meet others who are new to me in a given year. I love the fact that this award welcomes nominations from readers as well as from the authors and publishers, but each title is evaluated on its merits alone, as defined for its category. I've also appreciated the genuinely open and spirited discussions among us panelists. Our opinions vary widely, in a few cases, and yet respectful and careful listening are the hallmarks of the final decisions. What a welcome tone and temperament that provided for our task. Thank you to one and all who shared this experience, and I hope more bloggers/reviewers will consider volunteering next year. Fresh faces and voices are always welcome.

While the stroke of midnight last night marked the calendar page turn, allowing us to kick 2020 to the curb, it is the stroke of twelve NOON today that marks our first opportunity to celebrate the fabulous finalists in our categories. (That's noon ET, so 11:00 here in CT). The actual winners will be announced on February 14, so stay tuned to @CYBILSAwards on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook for the roll out of all categories, reviews of finalists, and the eventual winners on Valentines Day.

Now please help me applaud these outstanding  FICTION PICTURE BOOK FINALISTS from among more than TWO HUNDRED nominees. I'll continue to share reviews of many of the outstanding titles that aren't included in this small field, because they, too, are remarkable and worthy of everyone's attention. As one panelist indicated, there could have been TWENTY (or more) finalists chosen from such an impressive list of contenders. 

Without further ado, (DRUMROLL, please....) here are the Fiction Picture Book Finalists!

EACH AND EVERY ONE IS ALREADY A WINNER!

Covid note:  

This is it! 2020 is officially over, even though the pandemic continues raging globally. Vaccines are being administered, with more than one type approved and on the way. But the end of this long tunnel requires our focus and safe practices. Hold on. A year from now we can celebrate 2021 as the year in which the world was restored to a semblance of normal, leaving us more deeply aware of our vulnerability and our need to support each other in health and justice. 

Animal Humor in an Awesome Blend of Fact and Fiction

 Quick Covid 19 anchor in time:

The status of "spread" or "flattening" of the virus varies in different regions of the country, but our nation's overall numbers keep climbing. Some kids will resume physical or virtual school, some families are working virtually or leaving home as essential public workers, and some are out of work and struggling with the financial stresses of that situation (with governmental supports currently expired and little sign of restoration). Whatever your local circumstances are, please stay safe and well, and show others the respect of keeping public spaces as safe as possible.

I have been seeing sidewalk chalk for sale in every possible location as I make my way during essential trips into retail spaces for medicines, foods, and hardware. The pandemic and protests for Black Lives Matter and racial justice seem to have heightened the creative impulse in kids and adults. That reminded me of a breathtaking picture book I am overdue to feature. 

Henry Holt and Company, 2019

HANDIMALS: Animals in ART and NATURE includes nonfiction text by Silvia Lopez and mind-boggling  body art by Guido Daniele. The artist's mission is to call attention to the plight of endangered animals by showcasing their distinctive beauty, behaviors and adaptations on an unusual platform. In this book the text provides informative and engaging details about particular animals, tucked on each broad-layout double-page spread between bookends of a vibrantly colored photograph of an actual animal on the left, mirrored by a full-bleed photographic image of the animal Daniele has created  on hand(s), sometimes including arms, shoulders, and multiple individuals.

Interior image- CHAMELEON

The art is so incredible that it takes intense  attention to distinguish the body parts on which the image is painted. I remain in awe of the positioning, texture, and dimensionality of each creature, and, most especially, the eyes. There is helpful thumbnail back matter to augment the scientific content about each species, but I was even more intrigued by Daniele's afterword discussions of how (and why) he works to achieve these images. 

I'll admit I was suffering on behalf of the models as I examined each finished piece, feeling my own hands cramp in sympathy with how long they must have held each position. Daniele's process allows for extensive preparation to avoid that, analyzing and achieving intended positions, taking photographs, sketching/drafting the details, and planning color and detail applications before applying colors to the actual models. Those eyes I so admire in each case are his starting point, he says, and he chooses particular hands/arms/poses to suit the textures and content for various plans. 

How many hands, arms, shoulders do you see?
What connects to what? Whose are whose?

There are added important and intriguing details in that back matter, including that he uses make-up rather than paint, and only natural materials. His dedication for this book is to Jane Goodall, who is pictured with him and her own chimp-painted hand. This amazing book will intrigue and inspire readers of any age, and is an ideal example of  #STEM content being elevated by ART to become #STEAM. This book has been available for some time, but I feel like it is a perfect book for right now. 

GREYSTONE KIDS, September, 2020

A new picture book will be available in September, 2020, and it flips the above approach by using  a delightful FICTION premise to introduce NONFICTION content, sparking research, observation, and comparisons, not to mention some potential art efforts. ANIMALS BRAG ABOUT THEIR BOTTOMS is the inspired work of MAKI SAITO, translated by Brian Bergstrom. The very simple text assumes each animal is, indeed, quite proud of their bottom, with some minimal text reference to similarities, differences, and traits.

interior of some posteriors.

Bottoms of all kinds!

As this final spread indicates, diversity is a virtue, and comparisons are rarely going to make sense. On the other hand, (for pun fans), these two books would benefit by comparison in EVERY way. Whether focused on the front, the whole, or the rear, each animal has characteristics that suit its needs for protection, survival, and habitats. One type of art is complex and precise, while the other is interpretive with softer details. One uses elaborate factual text and images, the other uses simplified fictional text and images, but both inform, invite, and entertain. With a bit of investigation it turns out that both are translations, both have global appeal and both are published in other countries and languages. The appeal is clearly global.

Here's hoping you'll get your hands on HANDIMALS for now, and ANIMALS BRAG ABOUT THEIR BOTTOMS in September.  

Public zoos and museums have been reopening, some with prescheduled attendance and restricted displays. Still, they are open for visiting and direct observation. Wouldn't it be a great idea to make a trip (or more) and use those handy handheld cameras to capture these and other intriguing critters in a variety of positions and with varying expressions? Wouldn't it be fun to create your own art, or even books, adding information discovered through observation and research?

Cybils Finalists: Fiction Picture Books and Board Books

I've taken a short breather from news, reviews, and interviews here. I'll admit that serving as a panelist for CYBILS AWARDS for both board books and fiction picture books categories was nearly as exhausting as it was fun and exciting. I'm so grateful to have a chance to serve on the round one committee, and I don't envy the group of judges choosing from among the outstanding finalists. There were spectacular books in 2018 and naming just one among them is an extreme challenge.

That announcement of the 2018 winners in these and all other categories will be on February 14! (Oh, it just so happens that is also Valentine's Day, isn't it?)

For now, I encourage you to take a look at the blurbs we've written about these finalists and "hie thee" to a library or bookstore to take a look for yourself. To check out the finalists in ALL the categories, click the links on the Cybils Awards announcement page, HERE. 

With literary awards season nipping at our heels, take a look at what other groups/organizations/fans are naming as their favorites. For example, selections called 2018 FANFARE from Horn Book can be explored here, and the 

The esteemed Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards for 2018 are already announced and you can see the lists, as well as read interviews with winners by following links HERE.

Meanwhile, stay tuned. I'll be preparing some new posts for some special 2018 titles that I didn't have time to share (yet), not to mention some of the upcoming 2019 titles that are already celebrating book birthdays faster than I can type!

Congratulations: 2016 Cybils Award Finalists

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In my opinion there is no better way to celebrate the arrival of 2016 than to check out the lists of amazing finalists in every category of the CYBILS AWARDS. 

Let's start with the penultimate seven titles in the picture book category. I've had to keep my lip zipped about these titles for almost two weeks, and anyone who knows me personally will realize that meant pain and suffering on my part!

Now, officially, I can celebrate the titles our panel  selected: (listed alp[habetically by title)

Blizzard

by John Rocco

Disney-Hyperion

Nominated by: Adrienne

When the relentless snow brings a boy’s world to a halt, he discovers a way to both enjoy it and provide relief to his family and neighbors. John Rocco’s Blizzard produces four feet of snow and is still warm on the inside as it unites family. Proving how fast a blizzard shuts things down and also how long the recovery process takes, our young main character’s first person voice relays the varied emotions that accompany the flurry, engaging readers personally. With a lovely balance between dialogue and storyline, interaction from family and neighbors, and wonder-filled thoughts of a boy on a mission, Blizzard creates a relatable experience — even for those who never see snow! Featuring an incredible use of white space in the overwhelming amounts of snow and delightful details such as a snow-infused timeline and a snow-tracked map of the rescue, Rocco has created a complete work of art.

Blurb by Carrie Charley Brown, ReFoReMo- Reading for Research

Bug in a Vacuum

by Melanie Watt

Tundra

Publisher/ Author Submission

Bug in a Vacuum is a rare and valuable picture book. On one level, it is the humorous story of a bug who is sucked into a vacuum and struggles to come to terms with its situation. Watt overlays this narrative with a presentation of the Kübler-Ross model of the five stages of grief, as well as a secondary story mirroring the household dog’s own loss of his beloved toy. The muted, mixed media illustrations merge the complex narratives seamlessly to tell a rich, multilayered story. It has much to offer children of all ages — and I do mean all. The witty commentary and illustrations of the bug, rife with wordplay and humorous visual metaphors, propel the story above and beyond the grief and loss references, creating a bibliotherapy text that succeeds on its own literary and artistic merits. Readers will engage with the bug’s dilemma, the dog’s subtext, and breathe sighs of relief at their satisfying conclusions. This quirky offering by the author of Scaredy Squirrel possesses a darker vibe and fills 96 pages, but will absolutely inspire laughter, thoughtful discussion and meaningful questions, and draw children in for multiple readings.

Maggi Rohde, Mama Librarian

Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise

by Sean Taylor

Candlewick Press

Nominated by: Anamaria (bookstogether)

Beware, inhabitants of the night! Hoot Owl is flying in search of a meal! Everyone knows owls are wise. But as well as being wise, Hoot Owl is a Master of Disguise. One after another, Hoot Owl devises disguises designed to fool his prey. Sean Taylor’s intentionally purple prose begs to be read aloud. Jean Jullien’s bold, expressive illustrations provide the perfect accompaniment to Hoot Owl’s dramatic plans. Kids from preschool to elementary age will enjoy seeing through Hoot Owl’s self-proclaimed cleverness, staying engaged (and giggling) throughout.

Sondra Eklund, Sonderbooks

In a Village by the Sea

by Muon Van

Creston Books

Nominated by: Katy Manck

The combination of lyrical verse, gorgeous illustration and timeless themes pulls readers deeply into the hearts, lives, and loves of a particular family in a mountainside fishing village half a world away. Comfort shifts to concern as a sea storm rises, revealed in the artwork of a fantastically talented pet cricket. Shifting perspectives and warm, earthy scenes make the story safely familiar though the art is rendered with Asian style and detail. In a Village by the Sea uses a cumulative and nesting text to create musical verse and repetitive themes that touch something in readers of any age. It’s a story that is both richly specific and lovingly universal, with enough visual detail and depth of character to invite countless satisfying rereads.

Sandy Brehl, Unpacking the Power of Picture Books

Last Stop on Market Street

by Matt De La Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson

G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Nominated by: Anne Marie Pace

Matt de la Peña delivers a great cross-generational experience on an ordinary bus ride. CJ doesn’t want to wait in the rain, doesn’t want to ride the bus, and does not want to venture across town like he does every Sunday after church. He longs for what others have until Nana opens her gentle, very unique worldview that includes trees that drink from straws, a blind man that sees with his ears (and nose) and CJ, himself, who embraces the discovery that the true smell of “freedom,” is one that simply finds magic, beauty, and fun in the diverse spectrum of people he meets everywhere. The energy of the words marry the vibrancy and color of Christian Robinson’s illustrations. This book is one that will leave all readers embracing the delicious moments in life.

Jodell Sadler, Kidlit College / Picture Book Lunch

Mango, Abuela, and Me

by Meg Medina

Candlewick Press

Nominated by: CindyRodriguez

When Mia’s “faraway” grandmother comes to live with her familia in the United States, what should be a happy arrangement presents struggles for both Mia and her Abuela. Mia can’t speak Spanish and her grandmother no habla ingles. How can Abuela tell Mia about her home where wild parrots roost in mango trees and how can Mia tell Abuela about her accomplishments in running and art? Mia is inspired by a red feather tucked in her grandmother’s suitcase to buy a parrot, and suddenly both Mia and Abuela find their “mouths are full of things to say.” With vivid writing and expressive illustrations, this is a story that will “toca su corazon,” touch your heart.

Debbie Nance, Readerbuzz

Sidewalk Flowers

by JonArno Lawson

Groundwood Books

Nominated by: Hannah DeCamp

On a wonder-inspiring walk around the city with her father, a young girl gathers wildflowers that tenaciously grow in the cracks of the sidewalk. She uses them to lovingly bedeck the people and animals she passes, unlocking a colorful world from the drab urban grey. JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith have created a gorgeous wordless journey that uses perspective and pacing brilliantly to give readers a kid’s-eye view of the world–a world where poetry is found in the tiniest, most ordinary details. This one is perfect for quiet contemplative reading and provoking visual storytelling.

Hannah DeCamp, Hannah DeCamp

Congratulations to each and every finalist. Know that we all admired your work deeply and are proud to see it celebrated in this way.
This narrowing/selection process was both delightful and painful, since the current and upcoming flood of award nominees, honorees, and winners will make it clear that this year's bumper crop of outstanding kid lit offered a long list of worthy titles to consider.  All seven of us on the panel agreed on these as our finalists, and yet we each had other titles that were personal favorites, too. 

Please note that each blurb-writer-panelist above includes an active link to her blog site and I encourage you to check out each and every one. If you follow my blog it means you appreciate learning about amazing books for young readers, so I urge you to subscribe to their posts, too. In the weeks and months ahead we'll all be posting further reviews and notes about fiction picture books-- and more.

Now I'll get busy reading and writing about 2015 AND 2016 picture books, waiting anxiously  to see which of these remarkable finalists will be named by the finalists panel as the WINNER of the category. 
Whew, that is one tough decision.