
Acclaimed children’s book author
Lemony Snicket’s The Dark (Little, Brown), illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen, is the winner of the 17
th Annual Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding picture book writing. Given since 1998 by the
Cooperative Children's Book Center, a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the award will be presented in Madison to the creators this spring. An
SLJ Best Book of 2013,
The Dark also received a
New York Times Best Illustrated award and has been garnering some buzz on
Mock Caldecott lists.
SLJ contributor Joy Fleishhacker wrote in her review of the title about a child conquering the age-old fear of the dark: "Fresh, kid-savvy, and ultimately reassuring." The award is given for outstanding writing in a picture book for children in the birth through seven age range published in the United States in the preceding year.
The 2014 Zolotow Award committee selected five Honor Books: Building Our House by
Jonathan Bean (Farrar)
My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood by Tameka Fryer Brown, illustrated by Shane W. Evans (Viking)
Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf (Random/Schwartz & Wade) *
SLJ Best Book
This Is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James Ransome (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen)
The Year of the Jungle by Suzanne Collins, illustrated by James Proimos (Scholastic)
The 2014 Zolotow Award committee also selected seven Highly Commended titles: The Big Snow by Jonathan Bean (Farrar)
Max and the Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper (Philomel)
My Blue Is Happy by Jessica Young and illustrated by Catia Chien (Candlewick)
Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)
SLJ Top Latino-themed Book
The Silver Button by Bob Graham (Candlewick)
Stripes of All Types by Susan Stockdale (Peachtree)
When No One Is Watching written by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by David A. Johnson (Eerdmans) Members of the 2014 Zolotow Award committee were: Megan Schliesman, chair (Librarian, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Madison, WI); Barb Huntington (Library Consultant, Retired, Madison, WI); Lynn Montague (Youth Services Librarian, Sun Prairie Public Library, Sun Prairie, WI); Duy Nguyen (Teacher, Emerson Elementary School, Madison, WI); and Kristine Klopp (Library Media Specialist, Boulder, CO).
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