Julie’s Library is a podcast co-hosted by iconic actress, Dame Julie Andrews and her daughter, children’s author and educator, Emma Walton Hamilton. I was thrilled to have my picture story read by Ms. Andrews, accompanied by music and sound effects in their latest show. You can hear it by going to:
Duane the polar bear and his friends were included in the latest Best Books issue that is published bi-annually by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
Do check it out. It makes for a fun family read in a time when families are together quite a lot.
The Very, Very Far North has been included in the line-up of books to be read by students all across the state in their 2020-2011 Battle of the Books. I believe I’m the only Canadian author on the list, so go TEAM POLAR BEAR!
The Guilford County School District requested a recorded greeting, allowing me the opportunity to introduce the book to their students.
Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North will come out at the beginning of October of 2020. We are just at the stage of finishing it up and having it ready for the printer.
In the meantime, here is the beautiful cover created by the illustrator, Kelly Poucette:
I am very happy to announce that The Very, Very Far North has been included in Indigo’s Best Kids’ Books of 2019 list!
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/kids/books/best-of-the-year/
Nothing helps in curing two months of debilitating back pain and a kidney stone attack like finding out that one of your books, Dog Night at the Story Zoo, has been nominated for the Joan Betty Stuchner Oy Vey! Award. Why? Because ironically, oy vey is what I’ve been groaning of late, and laughter is medicine, and an award celebrating funny books is kind of related.
It’s also a great honour. Those of us in Vancouver knew Joan to be a very funny soul who was taken from us much too early. This award was set up by some of her writer friends.
Dog Night at the Story Zoo is a graphic novel illustrated by Vick Nerino and published by Tundra Books
I would like to pass on information regarding a new children’s book award that is in honour of Joan Betty Stuchner, who passed away in 2014. If you write funny children’s books, read the following press release by the amazing organizing committee:
————————
Joan Betty Stuchner, beloved children’s author and teacher, passed away
unexpectedly in 2014. Joan was many things — brave, gracious, warm,
generous, kind and absolutely hilarious to boot. (“*Oy vey!*” she’…s
probably saying now…) With this award we honour Joan’s life-affirming
humour and encourage other children’s writers to laugh it up on the page
the way she did.
The $1000 Joan Betty Stuchner — Oy Vey! — Funniest Children’s Book Award
will be presented biannually to a Canadian author or illustrator of the
work of juvenile fiction that had the jury most: buckled over with guffaws,
incapacitated with giggles, and/or rib-ticklingly, side-splittingly,
thigh-slappingly entertained.
*Eligible works:*
· board books
· picture books
· chapter books
· graphic novels
· juvenile fiction (suitable for readers up to grade 7)
· created by Canadian authors and/or illustrators permanently residing
in Canada
· published between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016
· written in English
*Ineligible works:*
· non-fiction
· young adult fiction
· self-published titles
*Submission requirements: *Please send 3 copies of the work along with
the application form to:
The Joan Betty Stuchner OyVey Funniest Children’s Book Award
11731 Fourth Avenue,
Richmond, BC V7E 3H5
*Download the application form
here: http://www.joanbettystuchneraward.org/submission-informati…/
<http://www.joanbettystuchneraward.org/submission-informati…/>*
*Please include a $25 submission fee per title by PayPal or a cheque
payable to “JBS Oy Vey Award”.*
*Submission deadline: *1 January 1017
*The first Joan Betty Stuchner Oy Vey Funniest Children’s Book Award will
be presented at a special ceremony in Spring 2017.*
Sincerely,
The Joan Betty Stuchner — Oy Vey! — Funniest Children’s Book Award
Committee: Caroline Adderson, Silvana Goldemberg, Cindy Heinrichs, Kathryn
Shoemaker
*For more information please visit the website:
**www.joanbettystuchneraward.org
<http://www.joanbettystuchneraward.org>*
Dan Bar-el 