Our discussion leader in September is Harriet. She’s a very creative embroiderer, knitter, painter, and photographer, among other things. She loves shibas and books. She lives in Norway, and English is her second language. She communicates very well without my help, and the regulars here enjoy her “voice,” so I won’t be editing. Much. Just my usual butting in and puttering about.

The CV of Garmann books

2006: Garmanns Summer
2008: Garmanns Street
2010: Garmanns Secret

The Prizes

2006: (Norway) The Brage Prize, the category of children’s literature, for Garmann’s Summer.
2007: (Norway) The Ministry of Culture’s picture book award, for Garmann’s Summer.
2007: The Bologna Ragazzi Award for Garmann’s Summer.
2007: (Norway) The most beautiful book this year, gold-in-class picture books, for Garmann’s Summer, awarded by Grafill.
2008: Prix Sorcière (France), The year’s best book, for Garmann’s Summer, chosen by French librarians.
2009: (Norway) Bokkunstprisen.
2009: Notable Children’s Books (USA), The year’s best book, for Garmann’s Summer, awarded by the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC).
2009: The Nordic School Librarians Association Børnebogspris for Garmann’s Street.
2009: Ezra Jack Keats New Author Award (USA) for Garmann’s Summer.
2010: (Germany), Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Garmann’s Summer.
2010: (Norway), The Brage Prize, open class category, for Garmann’s Secret.

I have not read the statements from the juries. I am curious though! Does this mean that people will pick up new picture books and text books for children or will they continue to read only the classical ones, which they have memories of?

Does winning all these prizes mean that the Hole’s new way of making pictures is the best way to reach children?

Do you think picture books encourage and inspire kids to read text-only books, or do picture books encourage further exploration of other visual media, like cartoons and video?

What is the value of combining art and text for pre-readers, as we do in picture books? How do you think this contributes to a child’s literacy progress?