Shaun Tan awarded 2011 Astrid Lindgen Memorial Award!

Head this fabulous news yesterday but only getting to blog about it today. Shaun Tan has been awarded the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award! For those of you not in the know, it's like the Nobel for Children's Literature with a award of £490,000.

The jury said “Shaun Tan is a masterly visual storyteller, pointing the way ahead to new possibilities for picture books. His pictorial worlds constitute a separate universe where nothing is self-evident and anything is possible. Memories of childhood and adolescence are fixed reference points, but the pictorial narrative is universal and touches everyone, regardless of age”

Shaun had no idea that he has won. He was washing the dishes at home when he got the call from ALMA. He wasn't even going to answer the phone. Read more on Shauns Blog here, and on The Guardian here.

I was really lucky to meet Shaun when he was in Dublin for the Children's Books Conference you can read about when I met him here. Members of the IGI got to hang out and talk about illustration for a few hours.

Shaun's illustrations are so amazing. His dedication and the love he has put into his books are inspiring. I first came across his work when Marie Louise Fitzpatrick brought The Red Tree and The Lost Thing back from Australia.

Go have a look at Shaun on World News Australia this morning. Imagine how overwhelming it is. I am absolutely thrilled for him!!!!

Fabarooney Illustrations Everywhere!

It's been a fabarooney week for illustration! First off two Irish Illustrators Kevin Waldron and Chris Haughton were chosen as rising stars Book Trust Best New Illustrators Award 2011! Hurray! They are now going to spread the love as Picture Books Ambassadors. Anthony Browne has been everywhere this week telling everyone the good news too. There is a wonderful online gallery of the illustrators here.

The wonderful Polly Dunbar has been the BookTrust Writer in residence for the past 6 months. But she leaves today. I've really enjoyed looking at her doodles and mind noodling over the past few months. Polly has put together a yummy online book called Ideas Everywhere. Go see it's wonderful... Polly you make it look so easy :)

And there is a gorgeous slide tribute of the wonderful John Burningham on the Guardian. Oh what a fabarooney week!

Watch where you step...miniature street art!

Wonderful miniature street art by Slinkachu. The humour and attention to detail are stunning! He has been abandoning little people on the street for years. Don't miss his blog here.

Jim Henson's Red Notebook

Any of you who know and love Jim Henson will be thrilled to go have a look inside his Red Book. There really are some wonderful sketches and photographs archived there.

Library Week, some doodles and The Bisto!

Happy Library week everyone! Enjoy this wonderful movie as part of the Library week celebrations.

It's been a busy few days for Books; what with World Book Day and World Book Night over the last week. Don't forget to spend your €1.50 tokens you got last Thursday. Mums and Dads they could be rolled up in a hairy ball at the bottom of the school bag! There are some wonderful videos of the authors reading on the World Book Day Site here.

Huge congrats also to my fellow Walker Books picture book makers Kevin Waldron and Chris Haughton on the Bisto Shortlist. It's great to see so many picture Books on the Bisto Shortlist. 5 out of 10 titles are Picture books!

On a sobering note, Mags Walsh of CBI in the Irish Times, calls out for the new government to reinstate the school book grant to schools and libraries. She says the abolition of the grant two years ago has "fundamentally affected access to books for kids who don't have access to books at home".

Dont be shy...

come along tomorrow!

Market Tomorrow!

Its on from 11-5pm at Newmarket Dublin 8. We hope to see you there!

Happy World Book Day Everyone!!!!!!

It’s been a busy couple of days. Yesterday, I was at a great school Dalkey School Project NS and was warmly welcomed by the teachers and children. The school are mad about books and drawing and I had great sessions drawing and doodling with the kids.

This morning after I dropped a princess, a skeleton and Hermione off to school, I headed to St Catherine’s NS, Rush to celebrate World Book Day!

They had really prepared for my visit too; this really makes a huge difference to the children’s enjoyment of the day, (and the authors too!) The teachers were brilliant and so enthusiastic; Junior Infants had made painted Hugglewug masks and Roarsome Roars welcomed me. They nearly lifted the roof off the building!

Its been a great two days, I love meeting kids and reading and drawing with them, as they're what its all about. I’ve done lots of doodling, character sheets, showing dummy books, notebooks and roughs too.

Hundreds of Mr. Aliens, Mavis and Marge’s and Hugglewugs have been doodled. I’ve almost lost my voice from celebrating too much. Tomorrow St Catherine's tell me they are opening assembly with The Hugglewug Song!!! Huzzah!

Here are a few drawings the children made over the last two days...

Happy World Book Day everyone hope you got to enjoy reading today! I’m off to my book club tonight. Now, that’s what I can a 24 hour celebration!

Peas and Pods Market This Sunday!

I'm delighted to be at the Peas and Pods Family Market this Sunday from 11-5pm.

I'll be signing my books and bringing along 'Love Bugs' and 'Little Critters' whom are hoping for new homes. Its going to be a wonderful family friendly event, (I've been promised good coffee too!) The Glór Gospel Choir will be singing live from 1pm until 3pm, fundraising for Barnardos.

Tucked away off Cork Street, (where my Dad grew up) at the Dublin Food Co-Op at Newmarket Square, with free parking all day. In case you get lost you can find it on Google Maps.

Hope to see you there!