Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award. Childrens Book Illustration. Wiinners. Shortlists. 1971- present

A highly regarded Canadian book award started in 1971 in honor of Amelia Frances Howard Gibbon (right)who was the creator of the first Canadian children's picture book. Given by the Canadian Association of Children's Librarians (CACL), this annual award is presented to the illustrator of an outstanding children's book published during the previous calendar year. The illustrator must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada and the book must be suitable for children up to age fourteen and be published in Canada.

Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques Announces 2008 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award Winner and Honour Books

(Ottawa, April 21, 2008) – Press Release- The Canadian Association of Children’s Librarians, of the Canadian Library Association/ Association canadienne des bibliothèques, is pleased to announce the 2008 Book Award winner and Honour books.

Chester, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt (RIGHT), published by Kids Can Press in 2007, is the winner. Mechanimals, written and illustrated by Chris Tougas (Orca Book Publishers) and My New Shirt, illustrated by Dušan Petričić and written by Cary Fagan (Tundra Books) are the honour books.

Chester, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt, is a hilarious tale of a self-centred, sarcastic and artistic eponymous feline. In making its decision, committee members called the book inventive and fresh, laugh out loud funny, and thoroughly enjoyable. They also raved about Chester’s high “kid appeal”.

Watt’s superb use of line and composition delivers a unique interactive book wherean enormous calico cat trades escalating verbal and visual assaults with his illustrator and a resourceful mouse. Chester suffers a humiliating episode with a pink tutu but, of course, has the last laugh. Or does he?

Honourable mention goes to Chris Tougas, writer and illustrator of Mechanimals. Committee members were drawn to the invigorating action, and the imaginative and inventive storyline. Mechanimals depicts a farmer who sees his life’s work destroyed in a tornado, leaving a mound of seemingly unusable junk metal. With his “can do” recycling spirit, the farmer welds together worker chick-bots, a cow-bot (complete with a chocolate milk dispenser) and ultimately a charming flying pig-bot which triumphantly transports the farmer to the moon. This book celebrates the power of perseverance, survival and a positive attitude.

Honourable mention also goes to My New Shirt illustrated by Dušan Petričić and written by Cary Fagan. From the title page’s illustration, with a stiff white shirt strangling a boy with enormous ears, the reader knows that surprises and humour await. Committee members commented on the great layout and the impressive integration of illustration, text and story. Here is a family story, getting bigger and better with each telling, that hilariously illustrates the universal situation of receiving an unwanted gift.

Shortlisted titles for the 2008 Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s

Ben's Bunny Trouble, illustrated by Daniel Wakeman & Dirk van Stralen (Orca Book Publishers)

Birds of Prey - An Introduction, illustrated by Robert Bateman with Nancy Kovacs (Scholastic/Madison Press)

Chester, illustrated and written by Mélanie Watt (Kids Can Press)- Winner

Grumpy Bird, illustrated and written by Jeremy Tankard (Scholastic Press)

I am Raven, illustrated by Andy Everson, written by David Bouchard (MTW Publishers)

Lickety-Split, illustrated by Dušan Petričić, written by Robert Heidbreder (Kids Can Press)

Marja's Skis, illustrated by Jirina Marton, written by Jean E. Pendziwol (Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press)

Mechanimals, illustrated and written by Chris Tougas (Orca Book Publishers)- Honor Book

My New Shirt, illustrated by Dušan Petričić, written by Cary Fagan (Tundra Books)- Honor Book

Painted Circus, The: P.T. Vermin Presents a Mesmerizing Menagerie..., illustrated and written by Wallace Edwards (Kids Can Press)

Pink, illustrated by Luc Melanson, written by Nan Gregory (Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press)

Mélanie Watt's Squirrel Gets the Prize

Montreal based illustrator, Mélanie Watt (right), has won the Amelia Frances Howard Gibbon Illustrator's Medal for 2007 for her book Scaredy Squirrel the latest in a line of delightful books that have won the prize going back to 1971.

Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree. It's way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. He's prepared for danger with his antibacterial soap, Band-Aids, and parachuchute. But what happens when he's suddenly forced out of his tree?! A rare funny book about fear. Ages 4-up.

Mélanie describes Scaredy Squirrel as "the nutty adventure of a neurotic squirrel who faces his fears of the unknown. Sounds like a wonderful analogy for the lives that many of us lead. Go the Squirrels!

Author/Illustrator

Born: August 20, 1975. Trois-Rivieres, QC
Family: Ernesto Cadenas

Biography

Mélanie Watt of Montréal, Quebec, began working on her first children's book "Leon the Chameleon" while enrolled in the graphic design program at the Université du Québec a Montréal. "Leon the Chameleon" is a story about being different that also explores the concept of complementary colors. It has been published in other languages such as French, German, Czech and Hebrew. For her second picture book, Mélanie illustrated "Where does a Tiger-Heron spend the night? (Kids Can Press, 2002) written by Margaret Carney, a book of poems about birds. This inspired her to observe and learn more about these interesting creatures. Mélanie has currently finished her box set of 5 concept books "Learning with animals" (Kids Can Press, fall 2003). In this collection, kids will learn the Alphabet, Numbers, Colors, Shapes and Opposites with the help of 70 different animals. Apart from her passion for creating children's books, Mélanie shares other interests like interior design, arts, crafts and music.

Published Works

Augustine Kids Can Press, 2006
Scaredy Squirrel Kids Can Press, 2006
BEARCUB and MAMA, Author: Sharron Jennings, Kids Can Press, 2004
LEARNING WITH ANIMALS, Kids Can Press, 2003; (5 concept books) Alphabet, Colors, Shapes, Numbers and Opposites.
Where Does A Tiger-Heron Spend The Night? (Kids Can Press, Spring 2002), 32 p. Hardcover (with flaps) Author: Margaret Carney
Leon The Chameleon (Kids Can Press, Spring 2001) 32 p. Hardcover / Paperback

Previous Winners 1971-2007

2007

Scaredy Squirrel, Mélanie Watt
(Kids Can Press)

2006

The Baabaasheep Quartet, Leslie Elizabeth Watts
( Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

2005

Monkey Business, Wallace Edwards
(Kids Can Press) 1-55337-462-2

2004

Stanley's Party, Linda Bailey, Illustrated by Bill Slavin
(Kids Can Press) 1-55337-382-0

2003

The Art Room, Susan Vande Griek, Illustrated by Pascal Milelli
(Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre) 0-88899-449-4

2002

Where I Live, Frances Wolfe
(Tundra Books) 0-88776-529-7

2001

The Magnificent Piano Recital, Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson
(Orca Book Publishers) 1-55143-180-7

2000

The Dragon New Year: A Chinese Legend, Zhong-Yang Huang
(Raincoast Books) 1-55192-200-2

1999

A Child's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes, Kady MacDonald Denton
(Kids Can Press) 1-55074-554-9

1998

The Party, Barbara Reid
(Scholastic Canada) 0-590-12385-8

1997

Ghost Train, Harvey Chan
(Groundwood/Douglas & McIntyre) 0-88899-257-2

1996

Just Like New, Karen Reczuch
(Groundwood Books) 0-88899-228-9

1995

Gifts, Barbara Reid
(North Winds Press) 0-590-24177-X

1994

Last Leaf First Snowflake to Fall, Leo Yerxa
(Groundwood/Douglas & McIntyre) 0-88899-183-5

1993

The Dragon's Pearl, Paul Morin
(Oxford University Press) 0-19-540843-8

1992

Waiting for the Whales, Ron Lightburn
(Orca Book Publishers) 0-929501-66-4

1991

Orphan Boy, Paul Morin
(Oxford University Press) 019-540783-0

1990

Til All the Stars Have Fallen: Canadian Poems for Children, Kady MacDonald Denton
(Kids Can Press) 0-921103-90-5

1989

Amos's Sweater, Kim LaFave
(Groundwood Books) 0-88899-074-X

1988

Rainy Day Magic, Marie-Louise Gay
(Stoddart Publishing Co.) 0-7737-2112-6

1987

Moonbeam on a Cat's Ear, Marie-Louise Gay
(Stoddart Publishing Co.) 0-7737-2053-7

1986

Zoom Away, Ken Nutt
(Groundwood Books) 0-88899-042-1

1985

Chin Chiang and the Dragon's Dance, Ian Wallace
(Groundwood Books) 0-689-50299-0

1984

Zoom at Sea, Ken Nutt
(Groundwood Books) 0-88899-021-9

1983

Chester's Barn, Lindee Climo
(Tundra Books) 0-88776-132-1

1982

Ytek and the Arctic Orchid, Heather Woodall
(Douglas & McIntyre) 0-88894-238-9

1981

The Trouble with Princesses, Douglas Tait
(McClelland and Stewart) 0-7710-3997-2

1980

The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Laszlo Gal
(Methuen), 0-458-93890-4

1979

A Salmon for Simon, Ann Blades
(Douglas & McIntyre) 0-88894-168-4

1978

The Loon's Necklace, Elizabeth Cleaver
(Oxford University Press) 0-19-540278-2

1977

Down by Jim Long's Stage, Pam Hall
(Breakwater) 0-919948-29-4

1976

A Prairie Boy's Summer, William Kurelek
(Tundra Books) 0-88776-118-6

1975

The Sleighs of My Childhood, Carlo Italiano
(Tundra Books) 0-88776-050-3

1974

A Prairie Boy's Winter, William Kurelek
(Tundra Books) 0-88776-102-X

1973

Au-Dela du Soleil/Beyond the Sun, Jacques de Roussan
(Tundra Books) 0-88776-031-7

1972

A Child in Prison Camp, Shizuye Takashima
(Tundra Books) 0-88776-074-0

1971

The Wind Has Wings, Elizabeth Cleaver
(Oxford University Press) 0-19-540287-1