2010 Hans Christian Andersen Awards

United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) announces USNominees for 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Awards

The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) – the USNational Section of The International Board on Books for Young People(IBBY) – is proud to announce that author Walter Dean Myers andillustrator Eric Carle are the United States nominees for the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Awards.The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are presented every two years by IBBYto an author and an illustrator, nominated by any IBBY National Section,whose complete works have made an important and lasting contribution tochildren's literature worldwide. The Hans Christian Andersen Awards areamong the most distinguished awards for children's books internationally,and are sometimes referred to as the "Nobel Prize" of children'sliterature.IBBY National Sections from 33 countries have made their nominations,submitting 29 authors and 27 illustrators as candidates for the 2010 HansChristian Andersen Awards. For the complete list of nominees, visit http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=962. An international jury from eleven countries on four continents will selectthe final winners, which will be announced at a press conference at theBologna Children's Bookfair on Monday, March 22, 2010.

The US member ofthe current Hans Christian Andersen International Jury is Ernest Bond ofSalisbury University, Maryland.Dr. Amy McClure, Professor of Education at Ohio Wesleyan University inDelaware, Ohio , Chair of the committee that selected USBBY's nominees forthe award, said "Our committee chose Walter Dean Myers and Eric Carle as the US nominees for the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Awards because eachis an American cultural and literary icon. Walter Dean Myers is a versatile writer whose work has been praised for its candid voice,memorable characters, and gritty realism. He has a unique understanding ofyoung people and the challenges they face negotiating contemporaryrealities. Eric Carle’s picture books are known and loved all over theworld. His brightly colored collage illustrations are deceptively simpleyet intellectually complex in their portrayal of universal themes thatresonate with young children. This honor is perfectly timed as 2009 is the40th anniversary of the publication of Mr. Carle’s timeless classic, TheVery Hungry Caterpillar”.

Past USBBY nominees who have won the Hans Christian Andersen Medal areMeindert DeJong (Author, 1962), Maurice Sendak (Illustrator, 1970), ScottO'Dell (Author, 1972), Paula Fox (Author, 1978), Virginia Hamilton(Author, 1992), and Katherine Paterson (Author, 1998).For more information, or to become a member of USBBY, visit www.usbby.org,or contact the 2009 President of USBBY, John Mason, atPresident@usbby.org.