Zolotow winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 9, 2013

Jacqueline Woodson Wins 2013 Charlotte Zolotow Award


Madison, WI -- Each Kindness, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E. B. Lewis, is the winner of the sixteenth annual Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. The award is given by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and will be formally presented on April 6, 2013 in Madison, WI.


In Jacqueline Woodson’s poignant picture book story, Chloe ignores new girl Maya’s
smile the first day at school and rejects her friendly overtures every day after as well. Chloe’s friend Kendra calls Maya “Never New,” because her clothes and possessions come from a secondhand store. After a teacher compares the widening ripples caused by a stone dropped into water to the effects of kindness, Chloe resolves to smile back the next time she sees Maya, but never has the chance: Maya has moved away. Chloe is left feeling regret for kindnesses undone, but also is surely changed. Woodson’s narrative is much like the ripples in a pond: quietly forceful, with a measured tone that packs a punch because of its carefully crafted restraint. Each Kindness was edited by Nancy Paulsen and published in the United States in 2012 by Nancy Paulsen Books / Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

The 2013 Zolotow Award committee named three Honor Books: Flabbersmashed About
You, written by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Yumi Heo, edited by Liz Szabla, and published by Feiwel and Friends / Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; Me and Momma and Big John, written by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by William Low, edited by Karen Lotz, and published by Candlewick Press; and Sleep Like a Tiger, written by Mary Logue, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, edited by Ann Rider, and published by Houghton Mifflin.


The 2012 Zolotow Award committee also cited nine titles as Highly Commended: Auntie
Yang’s Great Soybean Picnic, written by Ginnie Lo and illustrated by Beth Lo (Lee & Low Books); Helen’s Big World: The Life of Helen Keller, written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Matt Tavares (Disney / Hyperion); Monet Paints a Day, written by Julie Danneberg and illustrated by Caitlin Heimerl (Charlesbridge); No Go Sleep! written by Kate Feiffer and illustrated by Jules Feiffer (A Paula Wiseman Book / Simon & Schuster); Oh, No! written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohmann (Schwartz & Wade); Spike, the Mixed-up Monster, written by Susan Hood and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (A Paula Wiseman Book / Simon & Schuster); Tea Cakes for Tosh, written by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Putnam); Underground, written and illustrated by Denise Fleming (Beach Lane); and We March, written and illustrated by Shane W. Evans (A Neal Porter Book / Roaring Brook
Press).

Established in 1998, the Charlotte Zolotow Award honors the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a distinguished children's book editor for 38 years with Harper Junior Books, and author of more than 70 picture books, including such classic works as Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present (Harper, 1962) and William's Doll (Harper, 1972). Ms. Zolotow attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison on a writing scholarship from 1933 to 1936, where she studied with Professor Helen C. White. The award is given annually 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.


Members of the 2013 Zolotow Award committee were: Merri Lindgren, chair
(Librarian, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Madison, Wisconsin); Amy Alt (Early
Childhood Specialist, 4-C, Community Coordinated Child Care, Madison, Wisconsin); Lynn
Montague (Youth Services Librarian, Sun Prairie Public Library, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin); Duy Nguyen (Teacher, Franklin Elementary School, Madison, Wisconsin); and Kristine Wildner (Librarian, Holy Apostles School, New Berlin, Wisconsin).


http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/zolotow.asp