Julie Flett’s Birdsong Receives
TD Canadian Children’s
Literature Award
October 30, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vancouver, BC—Birdsong, a picture book illustrated and written by acclaimed Cree-Métis author and illustrator Julie Flett and published by Greystone Kids, has won the 2020 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, one of North America’s most prestigious children’s book awards—offering a grand prize of $50,000 for the most distinguished Canadian book for young people written in English.
The 2020 award was announced at a virtual gala in partnership with the Toronto International Festival of Authors on Friday, October 30th. The award jury included Lisa Doucet, Co-Manager of Woozles; Sandra O’Brien, former Editor of Canadian Children’s Book News and former teacher; and Colette Poitras, Manager of Indigenous Public Library Outreach for the Government of Alberta.
The jury described the book as “[a] gentle and affecting story… Offering beautiful illustrations that are both calming and expressive, in addition to thoughtful, quiet, and tender text, this book demonstrates the value of intergenerational friendships and of caring for others. Flett integrates the Cree worldview seamlessly… Young and old will enjoy sharing this touching story together.”
Birdsong was named a Best Book of the Year by Quill & Quire, Globe and Mail, Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Horn Book, The Children’s Book Review, 49th Shelf, the Children’s Book Centre, and School Library Journal. It was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award, the Sheila Barry Best Picture Book of the Year Award, the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, and the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize. Birdsong was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, an American Indian Youth Literature Honor Title, and an NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Title.
At the 2020 BC Book Prizes, Flett received the prestigious Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence for her contributions to the province’s literary industry and community.
About Julie Flett
Julie Flett, a Cree-Métis author, illustrator, and artist, has received numerous awards for her work, including a Governor General’s Award, the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence, and the American Indian Library Association Award. She is the author of many books including Birdsong, an American Indian Youth Literature Honor Book and Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Title. Flett lives in Vancouver, BC.
About Greystone Kids
Launched in the fall of 2019, Greystone Kids is the award-winning children’s book imprint of Greystone Books, an independent publisher of acclaimed nonfiction for over twenty-five years. Greystone Kids publishes high-quality picture books and middle-grade nonfiction books in the core subject areas of science, nature, global perspectives, social issues, and health and wellbeing. Greystone Kids is based in Vancouver, BC, with international offices in the United Kingdom and United States.
About The TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award
The TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award was established by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre and TD Bank Group in 2004. The grand prize is $50,000 for the most distinguished book written in English and $50,000 for the most distinguished book written in French. In addition, there is a total of $20,000 awarded for honour books—$10,000 in English and $10,000 in French.
For more information and press inquiries, please contact:
Megan Jones
Marketing Manager
Greystone Kids | Greystone Books
megan.jones@greystonebooks.com