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National Awards

English Titles - continued

Denotes that the book is either a translation or is available in translation.
Denotes an award-winning book with a family theme.

GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD/CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
(The Canada Council)
For best illustrations.

Sleep Tight, Mrs. Ming

Sharon Jennings
Illustrations: Mireille Levert
Toronto: Annick Press, 1993
24 p. ISBN 1550373226 (bound), 1550373250 (paperback)
Ages 5 to 8.

Mrs. Ming is trying to get to sleep... but Jeremiah has other ideas. The ever patient Mrs. Ming is called into Jeremiah's room over and over to reassure Jeremiah. She finally gets to sleep only to have a thunderstorm wake her and suddenly the tables are turned. For reassurance, Mrs. Ming climbs into bed with Jeremiah who loves storms.

Award-winning illustrations in rich earth tones embellish this story. On some pages, the text is joined to small pictures that show details of the illustrations on the facing pages.

Courtesy of: Annick Press

INFORMATION BOOK AWARD
(The Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada)
For best non-fiction book.

The Story of Canada

Janet Lunn and Christopher Moore
Illustrations: Alan Daniel
Toronto: Lester, Key Porter Books, 1992
319 p. ISBN 1895555329
Ages 11 to 13.

A beautiful and encyclopedic volume beginning with the Ice Ages and ending in 1992. The Acadians, the buffalo hunt, John Franklin's tragic quest, the Klondike gold rush, the Halifax explosion, Expo 67, Terry Fox and astronaut Roberta Bondar's flight are just a few of the many topics covered in this magnificent resource book.

Original paintings, historical photographs, maps, posters and cartoons bring the text to life. Includes an index and chronology.

Reprinted with permission from The Story of Canada by Janet Lunn and Christopher Moore, published by Key Porter Books Limited, Toronto, Ontario. Copyright © 1992. Courtesy of Lester Publishing Limited

MR. CHRISTIE'S BOOK AWARD
(Christie Brown & Co.)
For best English book age 7 and under.

Brewster Rooster

Berny Lucas
Illustrations: Russ Willms
Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1993
32 p. ISBN 1550741098
Ages 3 to 7.

A young rooster named Brewster lives a happy uncomplicated life on a small farm in a beautiful meadow until the day he learns to crow. Having kept the whole farm awake practising, the sleep-starved farmer threatens him with the soup pot. Terrified, Brewster makes his escape only to notice that the farm is in danger of flooding. Heedless of his own safety he awakens the farmer who is able to avert the floodwaters. The grateful farmer takes the exhausted and dripping Brewster into the farmhouse and nurses him back to health. Brewster, fully recovered from his ordeal, takes his proper place on the farm to announce the arrival of daybreak each morning.

Though sharp-edged, the illustrations are soft in appearance due to the muted watercolours that Willms has used. The animals' faces are very expressive.

Brewster Rooster by Berny Lucas and Russ Willms. Text Copyright © 1993 by Berny Lucas and illustration Copyright © 1993 by Russ Willms.

MR. CHRISTIE'S BOOK AWARD
(Christie Brown & Co.)
For best English book age 8 to 11.

Last Leaf First Snowflake to Fall

Leo Yerxa
Illustrations: Leo Yerxa
Toronto/Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre/A Groundwood Book, 1993
32 p. ISBN 0888991835
Ages 8 to 12.

As light winds scatter the leaves and sunlight steals through the trees, the winds begin to grow colder and the sky grows darker. The poetry of this story speaks of peaceful surroundings and oneness with nature as parent and child journey and autumn passes into the first snowfall of winter. The spirit of the wilderness is evoked with the strong images brought out by the text.

Native artist Leo Yerxa has created beautiful collage illustrations painted on tissue paper in acrylic, ink and watercolour. The blending of colours is stunning. The use of typography is very interesting. The first letter on each page has been stylized incorporating a design element.

Last Leaf First Snowflake to Fall Copyright © 1993 by Leo Yerxa. Douglas & McIntyre/A Groundwood Book.

A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night: An Autobiography in Art

Song Nan Zhang
Illustrations: Song Nan Zhang
Montreal: Tundra Books, 1993
48 p. ISBN 0887763200
Ages 12 and up.

In this account of the life of artist Song Nan Zhang we discover what it was like to grow up in Communist China. We follow his story from the time, at age two, he spots a tiger to his family's arrival in Montreal. Throughout, in his own words and pictures, we experience the hardships and difficult times, aware of the importance to him of his family and his art. Even with all his suffering, he considers himself luckier than many Chinese.

Colourful paintings and black and white sketches bring the story to life.

A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night © 1993 Song Nan Zhang published by Tundra Books.